Screening & Awards Ceremony, Saturday 5th April, Theatre Royal, Margate

Beeping Bush Productions and Close-Up Film have announced the shortlisted entries to the new Margate-based 48hr film challenge, 2 Days Laughter and, of the final 16, seven films are from the region.

Among those shortlisted are Gareth Fairlie of Herne Bay, with Welcome to Margate; and Last of the Modhicans from Folkestone’s Clayton Thomas. Besides the local talent, the shortlist includes films from as far afield as Devon, Derbyshire and Peterborough.

The shortlisted films will be screened on Saturday 5th April at Margate’s Theatre Royal, followed by an awards ceremony.

The brief for the competition was to produce a funny short film of no more than five minutes in length, within 48hrs. Entrants also had to include two items from a given list.

The filmmakers really got into the spirit of the event.’ says 2 Days Laughter co-director, Jean Lynch. As a result, audiences can look forward to a very diverse and innovative programme that we guarantee will have them rolling in the aisles with laughter.

‘Margate and Kent feature prominently as locations and, in good old seaside comedy tradition, there are lots of men dressed as women, chickens on the loose, not to mention zombies, chavs and ninjas. There’s also some imaginative use of pizza, seaside postcards and a monkey! But not all in the same film, I hasten to add! People really need to come along on the 5th to take a look, have a giggle, and to appreciate what an abundance of new filmmaking talent we have here in the south east.’


Still from Dan Thompson's [Box] Fresh (2008)

The shortlisted entries will be screened on Saturday April 5th at Margate’s historic Theatre Royal, Addington Street at 7pm and the day will culminate with the 2 Days Laughter Award Presentations.  Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories including Best Film, Best Writer and Best Performance.  There will also be an audience vote for most Popular Film.  The filmmakers are competing for the opportunity to develop their career by winning places on top film industry courses from Insight Education and Raindance, plus a year’s PR contract with Close-Up Film. 

Those films that narrowly missed the shortlist will screen from 3pm and will also be eligible for an audience vote.

Stand-up comedian Gary Colman, of London-based comedy club Electric Mouse, will be Master of Ceremonies. 

The judging panel includes actress Brenda Blethyn, Time Out Comedy Editor Tim Arthur, writer and broadcaster Jon Holmes, film director Pratibha Parmar, and stand-up comedian and leading academic, Dr Oliver Double, of the University of Kent.  Event patrons include actor and comedian Omid Djalili, and the broadcaster and Radio Times Film Editor, Andrew Collins.

The night will end with the audience and filmmakers joining the party at The
Front Bar, Mansion Street, Margate, for a Ska Night featuring The Dualers.  This popular duo will soon be heard in the new Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson film ‘Fool’s Gold’. 

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