NEWSFLASH: 'Paraphernalia', the short film from award winning animation director, John Williams, made through The Magic Hour scheme has just won the Best Drama prize at LA Shorts Fest. This means the film is now elligible to be nominated for the Oscars. 'Paraphernalia' premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2010.
The Magic Hour is a groundbreaking portmanteau feature film by disabled directors. It premiered at the London Film Festival and was released in cinemas on 13th November 2009. The Magic Hour is comprised of short films made through the UK Film Council scheme of the same name. See below for details of this year's scheme.
Reviews
“This pormanteau of short films by four disabled directors is proficient and pertinent, a laudable achievement that deserves the widest possible audience” David Parkinson, Empire
“A daring and thought-provoking, touching entertaining and wholly original undertaking. It highlights the humanitarian potential of the cinema” James Cameron Wilson, Film Review
“There are moments of brilliance in this portmanteau by five disabled directors. Buttermouth is ingenious” Kevin Maher, The Times
“Buttermouth, directed by Andrew Gibbs, is a poetic and melancholy evocation of blindness” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Paraphernalia is probably the stand-out, due to an engaging performance by young Elijah Muhammad, some terrific animation effects on his rubbish robot friend and a neat twist at the end” Matthew Turner, View London
“Vivid and diverting” Edward Porter, The Sunday Times
The Magic Hour scheme is a groundbreaking UK-wide short film initiative aimed at disabled filmmakers. We are looking for writers and directors with passion and talent to make bold films which portray disability on the screen in a way that is innovative in both form and content.
Film ideas can be up to 20 minutes in length and any genre: drama, documentary, animation or a mixed medium. The Magic Hour wants edgy, challenging, satirical, funny, surprising ideas that have something fresh to say about disability but are accessible to a wide audience.
Applications for The Magic Hour are currently closed. In 2010 we will produce a total of of five films at different budget levels. To see last year's guidance notes and application forms click here. We hope to run The Magic Hour again in 2010-11, please keep visiting the site for more information on this.
104 films is the production company behind The Magic Hour scheme. We are the UK’s leading production company specialising in disability and film.
The Magic Six
The Magic Six is a brand new training scheme from 104 Films and Skillset to give new writers, directors and producers and insite into how to make a short film. Please see the tab "The Magic 6" at the top of the page for more details.
