Glasgow Short Film Festival will be taken place 15-17th March 2017. Happy Birthday!
DEAR PETER : LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2017
What is your philosophy on life?
It sucks shit. Heavy metal RULES!
How did Trump do it? One Youtube comment suggests that the people depicted in this film grew up and were handed a voting ballot. Before the Trump saga began, I discovered Heavy Metal Parking Lot at a friends party. I had never heard of it before. Unaware of it’s cult status, the plethora of mullets and the films one liners have since stuck with me.
In 1986, two filmmakers, Jeff Krulik and John Heyn documented the rituals that take place outside of a Judas Priest concert. With their disciples often making their pilgrimage by car, the film is rightfully limited to the parking lot and never leaves this place of worship.
On arrival at London Short Film Festival 2017, I recognised the gentleman that covered the festivals brochure; It was that mullet from that film I saw at that party. Heavy Metal Parking Lot would be screening this year within a programme of shorts that explore youth culture; The reputable Institute of Contemporary Arts would be enlightening their visitors with the mantra “Life Sucks shit, Heavy Metal RULES!”.
My film DEAR PETER was screening within a programme that concentrated on ageing cultures/men who were equally vocal when questioned on their personal mantras. A Second World shared the mind of a Serbian that communicated with communist aliens, whilst Pioneers followed men that have escaped from life’s hardships by relocating to the film sets of Hollywood Westerns.
Our programme was screened at the start of the festival, mentioned by Wickers World Foundation in their guide to the best documentary events for January and was well received by the audience at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Good timez!
DEAR PETER
Dir. Scott Willis [2016]
After discovering a large collection of handwritten postcards in a secondhand shop, filmmaker Scott Willis begins a journey to track down their owner. The messages on the postcards create a picture of unknown man called Peter.
But with the collection spanning over seventy years, a reunion seems unlikely. Who was Peter? How did his life end? And what happens to us when our time is up?
scott willis 