In only its second year, the 2 Days’ Laughter April Fools' Screenings and Awards Event was voted another resounding success by the audience. Film entries involved 179 filmmakers from all over the South East and UK.

Comedy fans packed out the stalls of the historic Georgian building, thanks to
sponsorship by Thanet District Council, to watch Matinee and Evening Screenings of no less than 29 funny films. The standard of the films was really high and the audience was fantastic.

16 films were produced in the South East region (12 Kent, 4 Margate). 10 films were entered from London, 2 from Wales and one film made in Consett, Co.Durham.

The event is organised by Beeping Bush Productions, in Margate’s Old Town.  Since January 2009, budding filmmakers have been taking up the challenge to make a laugh-out-loud mini-movie in under 48 hours. 

The organisers have also directed a sister event, 2 Days Later, a 48 hour horror short film competition and screenings, every October since 2003. 232 films have now been specially made only for these competitions involving over 4000 participants from all over the UK and Europe.

2 Days Laughter Co-director, Mick Etherton, says: “There was a fantastic atmosphere on Saturday and it's always great to see so many previous 2 Days Competition filmmakers returning again and again with new films. 12 of the 29 films entered were from Kent. The standard was so high and the wonderfully diverse styles made it very difficult for the judges to compare clear winners.”


David Fynn (centre) receiving the Best Actor Award from judges Mike Shaw (left) and
Paul F. Taylor (Right) for his role as Stephen Murphy in Amazing People: the man with the wobbly hand

The judging panel – which included Ramsgate-born actress Brenda Blethyn, Time Out Magazine’s Comedy Editor, Tim Arthur, comedian turned academic, Dr Oliver Double of the University of Kent, and BBC comedy writer John Holmes – eventually decided that the film that raised the biggest laughs was The Man with the Wobbly Hand, to win Best Short Film, a spoof documentary about a young man with a surgical conundrum. Winning directors, Paul Heinz & Eddie Green, were particularly delighted, as they had traveled down from London. They won a selection of TV comedy DVDs, T-shirts and other entertainments, and each film that won an award received their film-still image depicted as a full size cinema poster. They also triumphed in the Best Director, Best Editor, and as Best Actor (David Fynn) categories, making this the first short film in a ‘2 Days Laughter’ event to pick up four Judges' awards.

Canterbury UKC graduate Dan Thompson, from Hartley in Kent, (who has  recently moved to The Isle of Dogs, East London) was the runner-up Best Film with Edd the Duck:Ducking the Past - a parody about the current misfortunes of old TV puppet show characters. The 180 strong audience however, decided that Ed The Duck was their favourite film of the Evening Performance making Dan a very happy man, winning the Audience Most Popular Shortlist Film vote by a landslide!


Dan Thompson receiving the Best Stand-Up Award

Dan Thompson's other film entry also won Best Stand Up, narrowly beating last year's local winner Martin Solomon from Margate

Philip Robinson (centre) receiving The Audience Most Popular Matinee Film Award from judges Mike Shaw (left) and Paul F. Taylor (Right) for the film Oswald Dumper Goes Metal Detecting

The audience overwhelmingly voted for the disastrous tale of Oswald Dumper Goes Metal Detecting, as their favourite film of the Matinée Screenings; winning The Audience Most Popular Matinée Film vote. This very popular choice was produced by Philip Robinson of Herne Bay and directed by Calum Syers

David O'Reilly (centre) receiving the Best Screenplay Award from judges Mike Shaw (left) and Paul F. Taylor (Right) for the film Pepper: an actor's life

Pepper: an Actors Life, a spoof documentary that follows the life of a jobbing cat-actor by filmmaker David O'Reilly from Putney was also one of the day’s big winners. It was awarded Best Sound and Best Screenplay was a runner-up in a number of other categories, including Best Editor.

Nicholas Peel from The End Of The Pier Show (centre) receiving the Best Cinematography Award from judges Mike Shaw (left) and Paul F. Taylor (Right)

Best Cinematography and runner up Best Editor went to The End of The Pier Show produced by regular competition film entrant Mike Facherty from Reading.

Other winners included Leoni Kibbey, East Ham London as Best Actress for the film Chasing.

Best Student Film went to Awkward by Nicholas Brown from Southampton, about a desperate times and desperate measures.

Presiding over events was stand-up comedian and 2 Days Laughter Judge Paul F. Taylor with a hilarious musical spot performed by comedian Nick Helm - accompanied with his acoustic guitar and an unfortunate member of the audience!

Paul F. Taylor presented the prizes, along with fellow judge Mike Shaw from The Void to the thrilled filmmakers. Paul’s razor sharp wit and delivery ensured the evening ended with the audience in the highest of spirits as they made their way down to the after party at Westcoast Bar, in the old town harbour, with music provided by Eli on the decks.

To find out about the 2 Days Later Horror Short Film Competition, which will again be open for entries in June 2009, go to www.2dayslater.co.uk.

A selection of films will be available online by the mid April.

Click here to see the full film category result winners.

Click here to download a pdf document (9.4 MB) of all the showlistings for the day and evening screenings.

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