Meshes of the Afternoon is one of the most influential works in American experimental cinema. A non-narrative work, it has been identified as a key example of the trance film, in which a protagonist appears in a dreamlike state, and the camera conveys his or her subjective focus. The central figure in Meshes of the Afternoon, played by Deren, is attuned to her unconscious mind and caught in a web of dream events that spill over into reality. Symbolic objects, such as a key and a knife, recur throughout the film; events are open-ended and interrupted. Deren explained that she wanted “to put on film the feeling which a human being experiences about an incident, rather than to record the incident accurately.”

Described by Laughton as a “nightmarish Mother Goose”, this profoundly disturbing psychodrama marked both the beginning and the end of his career as a director. Driven by a performance by Robert Mitchum that goes a long way to defining on-screen evil, both tone and tale are absolutely compelling throughout.

The central story follows psychopathic preacher, Harry Powell, as he searches obsessively for $10,000 hidden by a condemned convict. Marrying then murdering the dead man’s wife, he swiftly turns his attention to her kids, pursuing them to a conclusion of mythical proportions.

Drawing on sources as diverse as German Expressionism and rural American fable, this is a strange, tense and at times dream-like film that still sends a shiver down the spine.

In 2005 a new electronic sound coming out of Scandinavia known only as Skweee was shared with the world. The founding labels Harmonia and Flogsta Danshall quickly built up an international cult following with an interest in fun and fresh electronic music revitalised by the funky lo-fi squeaks and bleeps coming from the cold reaches of Finland and Sweden.

With ‘We call it Skweee’ Italian film director, Iacopo Patierno alongside Skweee artist Joxaren (David Giese) perfectly capture the growth of this exciting scene from its infancy, culminating in footage from what is considered by many to be the defining moment in the brief history of Skweee, the much talked about headlining set at one of the world’s leading electronic music festivals – Sonar.

“We call it Skweee is a foreigner’s view on a culture form that in many ways mirrors what I understand as typically Scandinavian”, says Iacopo.

Experienced DJ/VJ team Pete Donaldson and Ed Hughes have rebuilt George Lucas’s first film, THX 1138, with contemporary audio and video tools and are performing it live, retaining the atmosphere and loose narrative of the original.

THX 1138, LUH 3417, and SEN 5241 attempt to escape from a futuristic totalitarian society located beneath the surface of the Earth. The society has outlawed sex, with drugs used to control the people. THX 1138 stops taking the drugs and becomes aware of his social programming and proceeds to challenge his place in the machine that is modern society.

THX 1138 was remade in 1971 and has become a cult hit amongst sci-fi fans.

It was recently re-released as the definitive director’s cut. It is this iconic, classic ‘version’ that Donaldson and Hughes have chosen to de-construct and re-build.

Daft Punks Electroma tracks the odyssey of two robots on their quest to become human. The journey takes them across a hauntingly beautiful dystopian American landscape from endless highways to deserted towns. This innovative film will strike a chord with film fans and music fans alike as it transcends both even without the use of music the directors create a surreal moving painting. The film is a masterpiece of metaphor and a brave attempt at a new direction in cinema.

Dubbed ‘Master of Horror’ and ‘Godfather of Gore,’ cult director Dario Argento has made some of the most important and controversial horror movies in cinematic history. Argento’s feverishly violent films – explicit, atmospheric
and nightmarish – exhibit a level of artistry rarely seen in horror cinema.

Considered by many to be Argento’s finest film, Deep Red is the startling tale of a musician (David Hemmings) who witnesses the brutal murder of a psychic, and sets out to snare her killer.

Opera is often considered as the director’s last great film, and is also his bleakest work – a serial killer becomes infatuated with a young opera singer in this tale of obsession and sadistic desire.

James Gracey, who published a comprehensive look at cult director Dario Argento earlier this year, will give a short introduction to the films. James has written for Film Ireland, Alternative Ulster, Paracinema and Culture Northern Ireland.
He has also contributed to Drowned in Sound, Twisted Ear and Eat My Brains.

An hilarious exercise in low (almost no) budget film making and shot in only 5 days, Shane Meadows’ latest film is a mockumentary following the day to day life of Le Donk, failed father, second-rate roadie, aspiring music mogul and one of the most monstrously funny characters you will ever see on the big screen.

Sporting a truly ludicrous wig and woolly hat, Paddy Considine is Le Donk, whose ego and capacity for self-delusion are sadly unmatched by actual talent. Donk’s side-kick is a chubby but seriously talented white rapper, Scorz-ayz-ee (playing himself).

With appearances from Meadows himself (as a cameraman offering advice on Le Donk’s tragic love life) and the Arctic Monkeys, Le Donk & Scorz-ayz-ee is huge fun to watch. It’s also pretty clear that all involved had a great time making it!

Jaw droppingly bonkers but also kind of great, this is a wildly grotesque fantastical biography of the Appalachian mountain dancer Jesco White.

Some people spend their whole lives running from who they really are; fuelled by moonshine and lighter fuel, Jesco (a wild eyed Edward Hogg) uses tap dancing to keep his demons at bay. White Lightnin’ is a phantasmagoric tumble into the dark corners of artistic genius, addiction, and insanity that is set to an aptly kinky soundtrack. A true original; gory and shocking with a whirlwind energy.

Iceland…and you thought it was only good for Björk, bad debt and pesky volcanoes. Well think again because trans and QFT are proud to present Iceland’s first foray into the exploitation horror genre – Harpoon: Reykyavik Whale Watching Massacre!

A motley crew of sightseers and low-lifes set out on a whale watching expedition; so far so predictable. When a freak accident occurs and they are stranded at sea things take a turn for the worse; especially when they are rescued by a family of tourist-hating ‘fishbillies’…
If the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was set on a fishing boat this would be the result!

This seminal cult film of the late 1960s is one of the finest records of Mod culture in British cinema.

Perfectly capturing the mood and Mod- influenced style of working class 60’s London, Barney Platts-Mills’ film about 17 year old eastender Del and his gang was critically acclaimed on its release in 1970. Performed by an entirely non-professional cast, Platts-Mills encouraged the actors to improvise and devise a story based on events taken from their own lives. The result is a uniquely authentic piece of British cinema and a wonderful time capsule of late 60’s London.

Come down early as the steady generation will be launching with some Mod tunes from 2pm