Undeterred by the withdrawal of funding from Stokefest 2004, Reeltake staged a successful and well attended evening of film screenings at the Old Fire Station last month.

The ten short films screened showcased an interesting mix of local and international filmmakers and focused on varying aspects of the evening’s central theme – some, albeit fairly tenuously.

Broadly speaking the audience focused films attempted to examine our perception of the existence of community in the 21st century and whether or not it has now been relegated to nostalgic recollections. A wide spectrum was covered ranging from the impact on the global institution. The film includes a fascinating series of interviews with the heads of various multinational organisations ranged alongside soundbites from Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore.

Reeltake, operating under the umbrella of the non-profitmaking community initiative Open Source, are hoping to create a platform for independent cinema in the local area. In addition to holding various workshops for local and aspiring film makers, their activities should culminate in a series of open-air screenings in Clissold Park as part of a larger film festival next summer.

Ultimately they hope to generate enough funding to hold similar events on a quarterly basis to counteract the lack of independent cinema in our area. This short film screening was the first of such fundraising events. Judging by the reception on Saturday Reeltake seem poised for success.

The programme included short films and cine wall projections based around a general theme of community and had originally been scheduled to appear as the fringe event to the main festival. I’m not entirely sure of the relevance of the usherettes in fishnet tights and corsets dispensing wine but maybe it was purely to lift community spirits. It seemed to work fairly well anyway.

Local artists Seamus Ryan and Simon Hyde provided the two most striking projection installations focusing specifically on the N16 community. Ryan’s collection of portraits of a disparate array of regulars from the Auld Shillelagh on Church Street represented the diversity of the area whilst Hyde’s courtyard video film projection charted the recent last day of the iconic 73 Routemaster.

The programme concluded with an extended trailer of the Sundance Audience Award winner, ‘The Corporation’ which is due for cinematic release at the end of October and explores the ramifications of the rise to prominence of today’s dominant community of inhumane factory farming in the animated satirical expose ‘The Meatrix’, to the poignant snapshot of loneliness and isolation represented in ‘Lansdown Lunch’.

For further information about Reeltake and their progress contact Kirsten at reeltake@yahoo.co.uk or see www.stokefest.co.uk