Raindance announces Jury for Festival Awards

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Raindance announces Jury for Festival Awards for 19th Raindance Film Festival

28 Sep – 9 Oct

Raindance is delighted to announce the jury for this year’s Festival Awards. The panel, which includes
actors, directors, presenters, journalists and members of the film and photograph industry, will judge
the films nominated in each of the eight categories, with the winners to be announced on Saturday 8th
October, 8pm at the Festival venue, the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly Circus.

The eight categories are:

Best International Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Debut Feature, Best Documentary, Best Microbudget
Feature, Best UK Short, Best International Short and the Film of the Festival.

“Our jury represents the spectrum of the film industry – from actors to directors and critics to
programmers – they bring an in-depth knowledge of film to the judging panel and will have the
difficult job of choosing winners from the outstanding titles nominated this year,” said Elliot Grove,
Festival Director.

The jury is as follows:

Sally Bibawy
Sally Bibawy joined analogue photography company, Lomography, in 1995 and took over the art direction
and product development in 2000. She is a board member, together with Matthias Fiegl and Wolfgang
Stranzinger, since 2004 and is based in Vienna.

Dexter Fletcher
Best known for his role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Dexter Fletcher has grown up on screen,
beginning with his role as Baby Face in Bugsy Malone and on the British TV series Press Gang. His many
credits include The Elephant Man, Layer Cake and Kick Ass. Dexter also appeared in the 2009 Raindance Film Festival Trailer.

Gillies MacKinnon

Scottish Director Gillies MacKinnon has assembled one of the most impressive bodies of work in
recent British cinema with directing credits including Small Faces, Trojan Eddie starring Richard Harris
and Stephen Rea, A Simple Twist of Fate with Steve Martin, Regeneration starring Jonathan Pryce,
James Wilby and Jonny Lee Miller, Hideous Kinky with Kate Winslet, and the Golden Globe-winning
television Film, Last of the Blond Bombshells starring Judi Dench. His other work includes The Escapist,
Pure, historical drama Gunpowder Treason and Plot with Robert Carlyle, Tara Road , and The Snow
Goose starring Billy Connolly.

Céline Masset
Céline Masset is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Brussels Short Film Festival, which will
celebrate its 15th anniversary next year. Her company, Un Soir Un Grain, also distributes and produces short films.

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory is a multi award-winning actress on stage, television and the silver screen. She played
Cherie Blair in The Queen and The Special Relationship and played Narcissa Malfoy in the last three Harry
Potter movies. She will appear in Martin Scorsese’s soon-to-be-released film, Hugo and We’ll take
Manhattan for the BBC.

Wendy Mitchell

Wendy Mitchell is head of news at Screen International and ScreenDaily.com. Before moving to London,
she worked on staff in New York for Entertainment Weekly, indieWIRE, Rolling Stone and CMJ, as well as
freelancing for the New York Daily News, Playboy, Variety, Billboard, Time Out New York and The Wall
Street Journal. She is also the author of New York City’s Best Dive Bars (published in 2003).

Alex Zane
Alex began his career hosting the film review show Screenplay and fronting MTV’s flagship show, TRL.
A talented radio broadcaster, Alex began working at Xfm in 2002, and hosted the station’s Breakfast
Show for two years. His TV credits include Popworld, Balls of Steel, 8 out of 10 Cats and he hosted this
year’s Red Carpet Live for the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Alex currently hosts Channel 4’s Rude
Tube, Alex Zane’s Guest List and is the lead film reviewer for The Sun.

Festival Awards – nominated films

Best International Feature

Just Between Us / Rajko Grlic – Croatia
No Return / Miguel Cohan – Spain / Argentina
After Fall, Winter/ Eric Schaeffer – USA
Youth H2 “Come As You Are” / Kota Yoshida – Japan
War Games / Cosimo Alemà – Italy

Best UK
Acts Of Godfrey / Johnny Daukes – UK
A Thousand Kisses Deep / Dana Lustig – UK
Flutter / Giles Borg – UK
Hollow/ Michael Axelgaard – UK
Seamonsters / Julian Kerridge – UK
Stranger Things / Eleanor Burke – UK

Best Debut
Tilt / Viktor Chouchkov Jr. – Bulgaria
Synchronicity / Joe Tanaka – Japan
Exteriors / Marie Kristiansen – Norway
Restive/ Jeremiah Jones – USA

Best Microbudget Feature

MONK3YS / Drew Cullingham – UK
Julius Caesar / Adam Lee Hamilton & John Montegrande – UK
Uspomene 677 / Mirko Pincelli – Bosnia Herzegovina / UK
Meso Cafe / Ja’far ‘Abd al-Hamid – UK
Black Pond / Tom Kingsley – UK

Best Documentary

White Button / Igor Stoimenov – Serbia
The Echo Of Astro Boy’s Footsteps / Masanori Tominaga – Japan
Where My Heart Beats / Khazar Fatemi – Sweden
How to Start A Revolution / Ruaridh Arrow – UK
Heaven + Earth + Joe Davis / Peter Sasowsky – USA

Best International Short

The Lady Paranorma / Vincent Marcone – Canada
Martyr Friday / Abu Bakr Shawky – Egypt
Words / Sven Vinge – Denmark
Zoltan- The Hungarian Gangster of Love / Justin Reardon – USA
Hemingway’s Pen / Renzo Carbonera – Italy

Best UK Short

This Side of the Afterlife / Adam Horton – England
God View / Billy Lumby – UK
The Girl Is Mime / Tim Bunn – UK
Love At First Sight / Michael Davies – UK
Rough Skin / Cathy Brady – UK

About Raindance Film Festival

Raindance Film Festival will run from 28 Sept – 9 Oct at the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly Circus, with the
Opening Night premiere of Another Earth at Cineworld Haymarket on 28 Sept.
For press accreditation visit: www.raindance.co.uk
Tickets and passes to the festival will be on sale from 6th September on www.raindance.co.uk

Now in its 19th year, Raindance Film Festival is Europe’s leading Independent Film Festival showcasing feature films, shorts and docs from around the world and specialising in independent films and directorial debuts. The
festival has a strong legacy of showing alternative, edgy films. Since 1993 Raindance Film Festival has uncovered
the hottest new filmmakers to hit the cinematic scene. Raindance-premiered hits include Pulp Fiction, Memento,
the Blair Witch Project, Ghost World and Love Exposure.
Raindance – The Voice of Independent Film

Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film in the UK and around the world. Based in the heart of London, Raindance combines Raindance Film Festival, Training Courses, the prestigious British Independent Film Awards and Raindance.tv

Frost will be covering the Raindance Film Festival.

SILVER FOXES ARE SEXIEST: What Turns Women On

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It’s official – men with grey hair are sexy.

A new study has found that over half of
women over the age of 40 prefer their man
to have greying locks like George Clooney
or Philip Schofield.

Dyed hair, however, is a big turn off, with one in three women
giving it the thumbs down. And the beard, though making
something of a comeback, still tends to rub women up the
wrong way.

The survey of 2,000 women by mature dating website
Footloose Dating aimed to discover the most, and least,
attractive physical qualities in a potential partner.
The poll reveals that for 54 per cent of women the “silver fox”
look is the number one turn-on.

Being clean shaven came second, with 22 per cent of
women preferring a smooth face to kiss, while having
“sparkling” eyes was voted third, with 15 per cent.

Other key physical qualities included well-manicured nails,
trim figure and strong – as opposed to double – chin.
A pot belly was the biggest turn-off, with 44 per cent
prepared to cut short a dinner date if greeted with a
bulging stomach.

Men with dyed hair left a further 32 per cent of women
unimpressed while almost a quarter found bushy beards or
eyebrows off-putting.

Foul breath, comb-overs and bad teeth also sent shivers
down women’s spines.

Top 10 Turn-Ons

1. Grey hair
2. Clean shaven
3. Sparkling eyes
4. Manicured nails
5. Trim figure
6. Strong chin
7. Hairy chest
8. Deep voice
9. Tall
10. Soft lips

Top 10 Turn-Offs

1. Pot belly
2. Dyed hair
3. Bushy beard or eyebrows
4. Bad breath
5. Comb-over
6. Bad teeth
7. Body odour
8. Excessive body hair
9. Tattoos
10. Thick glasses

Eleanor Selley, co-founder of www.footloosedating.co.uk,
said: “Though many men recoil at the idea of going grey,
this survey shows what I’ve believed for a long time: that
grey hair is sexy.

“It suggests maturity and dignity, a sense of being
comfortable with getting older, whereas dyed hair screams
the complete opposite. A pot belly, on the other hand, just
says ‘I don’t care about myself at all’.

“Looks aren’t everything to the mature woman –
companionship is just as important – but they do still count.
Thankfully for men, a little grooming will go a long way.”

For more information on Footloose Dating
visit www.footloosedating.co.uk

Lorraine Chase returns to ‘Luton Airport’ to celebrate easyJet’s 65 millionth Luton passenger

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EasyJet, the UK’s largest airline, today celebrated reaching the milestone of flying its 65 millionth passenger from London Luton Airport and announced that it is launching a new route to Corfu, the airline’s 34th route from the airport.

Lorraine Chase who checked in easyJet’s first ever passenger in 1995, also through Luton, was on hand to toast the milestone occasion and route launch with passengers and crew.

All involved celebrated in style with easyJet’s award-winning Louis Mondeville Côtes de Gasgogne – recently voted the best airline white wine* – and special easyJet cake.

As part of today’s celebration easyJet previewed its new TV commercial, which will be airing from October.

Lorraine has been synonymous with Luton since the Campari advert – which kick-started her career – spawned her catchphrase “Luton Airport!” as a reply to the question “Were you truly wafted here from paradise?” The ad then inspired the 1979 hit record “Luton Airport” by Cats U.K.

Today marks Lorraine’s second star appearance for easyJet as she officially launched the airline’s first-ever route in 1995 from Luton to Glasgow and checked-in easyJet’s first-ever passengers.

Paul Simmons, easyJet’s UK Director, said: “We couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate to celebrate our milestone achievement and new Corfu route launch with than Lorraine, we’re really pleased she was able to join us again at London Luton Airport. “

easyJet will begin flying to Corfu next year meaning the airline now offers passengers a choice of 34 destinations. The new route will operate twice a week from 31 March 2012. Prices start from £37.99 and are now on sale.

Hysteria Film Trailer | Maggie Gyllenhaal "I leant my sex toys to friends".

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The trailer for Hysteria is out, and it looks interesting! Maggie Gyllenhaal also revealed that she gave the cast and crew vibrators to break the ice. Story below.

Maggie Gyllenhaal gave the cast and crew of Hysteria assorted sex toys while they were filming in London. The actress plays a doctor’s daughter in the romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator. Gyllenhaal reveals she purchased some kinky presents. She said, “(Hysteria) is about vibrators and women’s orgasms. I don’t think people really do talk about it very much, and I do think it does still make us flushed and uncomfortable… I gave everybody – cast and crew – a little bullet vibrator when we started. It was expensive!” And the owners of the sex stores she visited sent her a shipment of sexy toys. She adds, “By the time I finished the movie I’d been sent maybe 15 vibrators by different people in London with vibrator stores. It was a pleasant surprise.”

London Fashion Week Highlights | Fashion Shenzhen

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One of my London Fashion Week highlights was Fashion Shenzhen on 19th of September.

Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is not only the nation’s garment capital, with 3,000 garment manufacturers employing nearly 500,000 people, but also home to some world famous designers.

It was Fashion Shenzhen’s fourth appearance at London Fashion week, It was organized by the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association. I love the music, the clothes and the atmosphere.

Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming attended and said that Shenzhen is actually not just a garment manufacturing base, but “well-positioned to be China’s fashion and creative capital”.

Xie Haiping and Deng Hao were the two designers at Monday’s catwalk at Vauxhall Fashion Scout in the Freemason’s Hall.

A one minute video of the highlights are below.

The Vauxhall Fashion Scout founder, John Walford said of the show: “It really is rewarding to see how this relationship has gone from strength to strength.

“This new exciting student exchange, Chinese collections in the UK and UK collections in China, becomes possible for the first time with the opening of the Shenzhen Fashion School next year,”

Frost Product Reviews: Axe Touch + Hold Hair Products

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Male hair products are usually uncomfortable to touch, hardening or becoming sticky when applied. I have not been impressed, however, I got the man in my life to try and test out an alternative: AXE Hair products. So, here are the results….

AXE Hold + Touch Cream Wax for thick hair: Feels good and smells delicious. It gives a good hold and doesn’t look too ‘wet’ as some products do. James said that the product looked very good, packaging was excellent and it was a very high quality product.

James said the same of all of the packaging. It looks really good. The packaging is slick and well designed. All of the products smell nice and leave the hair with a good texture and hold. They also have products for all different types of hair.

The AXE Hold + Touch spiking glue for normal hair is good for spiky hair, it holds very well and is not icky to touch. The AXE Hold + Touch paste for fine hair does not weigh the hair down too much. The products are specially designed for guys’ specific hair types.

The men I got to test the AXE Hold + Touch all loved the product. It does what it is supposed to without being sticky and it smells really, really good, I kept sniffing my boyfriends hair. Frost loves it. The best men’s hair products, according to my testers, and me.

London Fashion Week 2011: EMESHA

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Emesha Nagy is one of Frost’s favorite designers, her clothes are beautiful and eco-friendly. She has worked with Vivienne Westwood and Jasper Conran, and now is on the fourth of her own collection.

EMESHA’s mission is to source new eco-friendly fabrics and to produce quality garments that are sustainable in both manufacture and design, without sacrificing style.

EMESHA is fully committed to environmental and social responsibilities. The label was created using only natural, therefore biodegradable and recycled fabrics, which are free of harmful AZO dyes. The fabrics used are mainly sourced in the UK or come from end-of-line “upcycled” industry waste and so some of garments are available in a limited edition.

The EMESHA label is concerned with paying fair wages to the skilled workers who work hard to create the garments. “Having Hungarian roots, I have been devastated to see the decline of the apparel industry in Hungary over the past few years. When new countries joined the EU in 2007, many of the prominent fashion houses moved their production lines further east where costs were lower. This had a devastating effect on the local economy leaving many skilled workers
unemployed forcing those who remained in the industry to work long hours and lower their salary expectations to keep their jobs. Appreciating the skill and talent of these workers, I chose my homeland for the production of my collections. I am building my company to follow sustainable and ethical principles I am committed to fair wage production to reverse the downward economic spiral, and to draw attention to a huge issue within the European Union. This does not only happen in the fashion industry, and is visible in many other European countries. However fashion is what I know and this is where I can make a change.”

A vegetarian since her early teens, Emesha doesn’t use leather or fur in her designs.

Frost Book Reviews: Cathy Glass, The Night The Angels Came

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Cathy Glass has written eleven books, this is the first one I have read. She has been a foster carer for over 20 years and this book is based on a true story. It tells the story of a boy called Michael who’s widower father is terminally ill, and whose mother died when he was younger. Cathy has two young children of her own and is going through a divorce, can she put her family though even more heartache?

The book is well written in a factual way. The subject matter is heavy, but it is still a book with moments of lightness and happiness. The young boy that Cathy fosters is only eight and about to lose his last remaining parent, Michael comes from a catholic family and believes that when the time comes, angels will come and take his father away to be with his mother in heaven.

The Night The Angels Came is a heart-warming book, with real life observations that make you nod in agreement. The fact that it is a real life story makes it even more sad. Cathy Glass is a good writer, with years of experience on the subject that she writes. This book is definitely worth a read.

The Night the Angels Came is out now and is published by HarperCollins.