Rising Tides Leeds Launch
March 23, 2015
Calling all film lovers! What better way to spend a Sunday evening than watching short independent films from local and national talent, enjoying an alcoholic beverage or two while chatting to industry folk and taking in the music and visual displays? Rising Tides is a platform for up and coming film-makers to be able to showcase their work, meet like-minded actors and film-makers and connect to industry experts, and is also a great place for film-lovers and people in the industry to discover new independent film. Also the name of her film production company, Rising Tides was founded by London-based actress and writer/director Jessica Jones, who runs monthly screening events in West London, and is currently expanding into other film events too. Rising Tides is now coming to the North, courtesy of Holly Wyatt, a second year student at Leeds Beckett University, who, after attending a Rising Tides night in London, saw the potential for such an event to fill a gap in the Leeds creative scene. this unique event is set to launch in Leeds on Sunday 29th March at the quirky Eiger Studios, so make sure to come down and check out all that they have to offer.
Rising Tides supports and showcases independent film and involves a Question and Answer section with the filmmakers and actors. It operates as a networking event where guests are able to interact with those within the film industry and display head shots, business cards and any other forms of self-promotion on The Lonely Arts Wall. Whether you write, direct, act or simply enjoy film, Rising Tides aims to provide a platform for you and your creativity.
Rising Tides is delighted to report that the Leeds launch will showcase Spencer Brown’s The Boy with a Camera for a Face, which provides a thought-provoking commentary on societal preoccupation with the media; Pebble Moon, directed by Lian Furness, which has been very successful on the film festival circuit; Love & Other Chairs, which comes from director Christopher Bevan; from film company Candle and Bell there is to be shown James Will Howl; and finally Why have the Baga attacks lost media attention?, a short film in the style of a documentary with a very current theme and directed by Leeds College of Art’s own Julia Brown.
Alongside the screenings there will be music and visual displays from Leeds-based company AFTRS, who have previously been involved in projects with companies such as Mint. There will also be photography exhibitions from local talent Lucy Smith and Tanis Isaac.
You are all welcome to attend the event and at just £3 for a ticket in advance, or £5 on the door (£3 with a valid student card), Rising Tides offers an affordable evening out bursting with entertainment and creativity. All proceeds will be put back into the event to ensure that Rising Tides can continue to run in Leeds and hopefully achieve further success and expansion. You are vital for the future of this fantastic event, so come and show your support, and enjoy some really good film while you’re at it.
The State of The Arts caught up with Jess and Holly to find out more about Rising Tides; its origins, successes and its hopes for the future.
TSOTA: How did Rising Tides come about and what inspired you to start it?
JJ: I started Rising Tides in response to seeing how much fantastic work was being made by the young film-makers that I knew personally in London, and feeling that I wanted to help in providing a regular space for the community to be able to share our work with each other, and with others in the industry. Since starting it last summer, the community around it has really grown, and I’ve met lots of very talented actors and film-makers who are making seriously impressive work.
TSOTA: Where does the name come from?
JJ: It comes from the saying ‘rising tides raise all ships’ – I think it’s a really powerful idea that we can create an inclusive community where we all help and support each other and in so doing create a ‘tide’ that lifts us all creatively and professionally.
TSOTA: What have been some highlights from the London events?
JJ: We’ve been lucky enough to screen some incredible short films at Rising Tides, for example The Boy With The Camera For A Face, also screening at the Leeds launch, which has done really well at festivals both nationally and internationally, and was recently shown on Channel 4. Our ‘Web Series Special’ night was a lot of fun, and showcased work that wouldn’t necessarily be shown on a big screen normally, so it was very exciting to be able to champion the work in that way. We have also had some amazing speakers at the events, for example Lauren Evans who is the Casting Assistant to Nina Gold and has been involved in casting Game Of Thrones and the new Star Wars film; Oliver Kramer who is a producer at Colin Firth’s production company Raindog Films; and most recently the band Bear’s Den, who came for a Q&A about their music video for their new single ‘Agape’.
TSOTA: What is coming up for Rising Tides in the next few months?
JJ: The monthly events are growing really quickly which is very exciting, and we’ve got some great short films, music videos and web series episodes coming up. I can’t reveal them yet unfortunately, but we’ve got some really exciting plans for the summer, and we are also hoping to start expanding into some other film-related events too, such as workshops for actors and directors. We are also starting our festival campaign for the first short film from the Rising Tides production company, ‘Coda’, which I directed, so I’m really excited about that too!
TSOTA: Why did Rising Tides choose Leeds as the city to which it would expand?
HW: The expansion from London to Leeds happened really organically. I was down visiting friends in London who took me to the event as they had some of their work being screened there. A month before my visit I had been volunteering at No Gloss Film Festival in Leeds and had seen how well it had worked, and how many students there were interested in film as well as how many different people attended the event. Rising Tides had a very similar feel to No Gloss but obviously on a smaller scale and at the event I could really visualise it working well in Leeds. At the end of the night I thanked Jessica for hosting the evening and explained that I was a student in Leeds with an interest in film and told her about all of the different projects I knew happening in Leeds as well as the huge amount of students studying courses such as Film and Theatre & Performance. Yorkshire is a beautiful county and many filmmakers travel from around the world to film here. Leeds is at the centre of it all, a great place for anyone creative. Whether you’re in the City Centre, Headingley, Hyde Park or Chapple Allerton, every corner of Leeds has an interesting project for anyone to get stuck into and I hope that Rising Tides will assist in building a community in Leeds for creative individuals.
TSOTA: How do you think the Leeds event will compare to the London event – what do you think will stay the same, and what differences can we expect?
HW: Although Leeds and London are very different cities, I hope on many levels that Rising Tides can work in the same way it is working in London to support and showcase independent film and provide a platform for anyone working in the industry or trying to break into it. One feature we have kept from the London events is “The Lonely Arts Wall” which allows guests to display head shots – perfect for anyone who acts or models – or other forms of self-promotion. In London there are some extremely creative displays and this is a perfect way of keeping the event interactive alongside the Q&As from the filmmakers and actors. London is very lucky that so many renowned film companies are based there, meaning that the London events have managed to have some extremely well respected guest speakers and this is certainly something I hope to incorporate into future events in Leeds. One difference which I am quite excited about is that the Leeds Launch is running through the day and evening, and after the screenings we are lucky to have music and visuals from Leeds-based company AFTRS. I think this will really add another element to Rising Tides and enhance its uniqueness; it really is so different to anything that is happening in Leeds at the moment.
Sophie Weiner
If you have any queries or require any further information, you can contact Jess on [email protected] for any general or London-specific queries or contact Holly on [email protected], for anything to do with the Leeds event.
You can buy tickets for the event here
Comments