Ctrl.Alt.Shift Films!

Working for Ctrl.Alt.Shift comes with numerous highlights (run-ins with the law, reporting from DRCongo and chucking Fairtrade bananas at Tesco to name a few). But this one included sitting back, eating popcorn, and doing one of my favourite things - watching films! Yes, we put on a wicked film premiere, and a manic after party, to promote, and celebrate the 5 winners of our short film compeition in early 2009. Below gives you more on that, all the info on the movies and links to actually watch them - so get the munchies, put your feet up and enjoy:

Newsflash! Ctrl.Alt.Shift Film Premiere
Banging live music, five stunning films, applauding and cheers, a sick after-party, free wine and beers - Ctrl.Alt.Shift know how to get down when it comes to putting on a film premiere.

Near-on 500 movie-goers and Ctrl.Alt.Shift supporters crammed into east London's Shoreditch Studios last Thursday 14th May. All came to catch the five short global injustice-tackling films created by the aspiring movie-maker winners from last year's Ctrl.Alt.Shift film competition. And anyone from stars of the productions, to their friends and family, to the directors and producers themselves were present to join in engagement and awe of the finalised flicks - each one based around a Ctrl.Alt.Shift key issue of either War + Peace, Gender + Power and HIV + Stigma.

Mark Dolan (of Channel 4's 'The World's...and Me' series) stepped up to the stage to draw in the crowd already enjoying the free popcorn. After a brief intro to the project, he presented the first film - War School; which explored what would happen if a child soldier regime was implemented into the British schooling system. To my relief, the two lead actors sat happy-go-lucky in the front row of the audience and applauded their own performances in this great, awareness-striking, opening flick.



Next up, HIV: The Musical depicted one man's sorrow, as he (actor Martin Freeman) reluctantly watches his HIV-awareness theatre idea transformed into a ridiculous camp musical by a shameless, money-grabbing director, played by actor Julian Barratt. The film was hilarious, but although there were tears of laughter (at lyrics such as: "Your erection - no protection - my heart exposed to this infection"), there remained the significant and important undertone of how many ignorant stigmas there are surrounding HIV.




Man Made was the story of a mannequin who is being examined and sold to a buyer - the scene being a metaphor for a victim of sex-trafficking. This haunting flick, in the style of the Saw movies, brought an astonished hush across the audience as they came to realise what the abused, cigarette-burnt mannequin represented.



The penultimate movie, A Thousand Voices, was a remarkable animation telling the tale of refugees detained indefinitely in British government with little or no attention brought to their dire circumstances. These forgotten people were brought to life, and to light by this flick that sounded telephone recordings of the desperate asylum-seekers awaiting deportation in cell-like conditions.



Finally, No Way Through depicted what it would be like if unjust Gaza-like military check-points existed in the UK. A cyclist gets mowed down in the opening of the movie, yet despite the persistent efforts of the driver to find her medical help, they are denied access to any aid due to the road-blocks and couldn't-give-a-damn officers on guard. It's a frustrating, head-shaking couple of minutes watching this young girl slowly pass, and yet constantly always a few steps away from being saved. Remember Gaza - Free Palestine echoed in my head.



After the amazing display of movies and global issues, it was the talk of the night from then on, which in part, is Ctrl.Alt.Shift's intentions for every project that we create – opening eyes to things that need to be seen and changed.

Before and following the screenings, the buzzing crowd were indulged further with performances by four of the music acts behind the film soundtracks, Jesca Hoop, The Thirst, Chipmunk and Shy Child. Then the shaking and grooving moved out, down the streets of east London to the after-party at Legion club, where DJ MistaJam spun some old-school garage, a bit of jungle and a touch of Dizzee to finish the night off on a high. Even the likes of rappers Giggs, Professor Green and Example, artist T-Magic and Adulthood star Adam Deacon dropped by to feel the ground-shaking vibes.

The film premiere was live. I crawled home at 3am, and whilst that journey remains blurry, the images and messages delivered by the films cut deep; look at the injustice, count yourself lucky, consider those unlucky, fight for change, fight against injustice - the power of film is a wonderful thing.