2.Main Content
Digi Shorts
John Turrell
John Turrell, working with brother Tom Turrell, has made short films since the age of ten using basic camcorders and increasingly experimenting with a range of film genres. At 15, their first film was screened at a local festival, causing them to take a more serious interest in filmmaking. During 2004, six of their films were broadcast on BBC2 as part of a youth filmmakers initiative. From this point onwards, their film output grew more sophisticated, resulting in more shorts being screened in the region, and in 2005, at the 11th Bradford Film Festival. In 2005/6 they were approached by Spool Films to direct Flare (funded by the UK Film Council/EM Media) as part of the DV Shorts scheme. In the time since (and in the period leading up to their official bid this year for funding) they have concentrated on a number of self-financed projects. As brothers, John and Tom compliment each other as co-directors, drawing on their separate technical skills and knowledge. They admire the work of such filmmakers as Ridley Scott, Lynne Ramsay, Terence Davies and Jan Svankmajer.
John & Tom have been selected onto the Digital Shorts Scheme by EM-Media with the project Tandem
Tandem centres on Paul and Joan, an estranged brother and sister who meet up just once a year to celebrate Paul’s birthday. Paul, with an increasing drinking habit, still lives in the small confines of the family home, which he recently put up for sale. This year will be different though with the surprising rediscovery of the siblings’ old tandem bike. For the rest of the day, they agree to make their way across town on the tandem, in an annual pilgrimage to visit family, rediscover childhood hiding places and visit their father’s grave. This sets into action a dramatic and dark chain of events as emotions, once dormant, resurface. Throughout the course of the day, the siblings are forced to challenge the past, and to confront their own awkward relationship.