A barrel of laughs at a fun slapstick weekend
Some film funnies are guaranteed at Campbeltown Picture House (CPH) next month. Following the inaugural, rib-tickling, Scottish Comedy Film Festival (SCOFF), in May, the brand’s Slapstick Weekend, part of the British Film Institute’s (BFI) Comedy Genius Season, aims to have cinemagoers rolling in the aisles between November 23 to 25. SCOFF has been awarded funding via the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) to present the special weekend. Comedy Genius, which runs in London from October 22 to January 31 2019, is being billed as: ‘The UK’s greatest ever celebration of film and television comedy.’ The weekend will include screenings, workshops, Scottish comedy from the archives and more as CPH joins in with this nationwide celebration of film and television comedy. Audience members will be invited to create the soundtrack during a Saturday afternoon screening of Mabel Normand shorts – instruments provided, but no experience necessary. Mabel was the first person to throw a custard pie on film in 1913 – the same year that CPH opened – and SCOFF organisers hope to hold a custard pie fight during the weekend to celebrate. In addition there will be two free workshops during the weekend led by professional filmmaker and composer James Gray and professional filmmaker and clown actor Alasdair Satchel. The Sound of Funny will work with participants to find out how sound enhances the action on screen, and will produce and perform a soundtrack to go along with one of the Mabel Normand shorts. Physical Comedy and Slapstick will look at how to be funny on screen, taking inspiration from classic film and TV moments. CPH welcomes back guest curator Shona Thomson, who presented Bunkered! during the first SCOFF. Shona will present a programme of Scottish Comedy Genius from the film and TV archives – putting some great performers back on the big screen. For more info about Mabel and the films go to: www.independentcinemaoffice.org. uk/films/the-marvellous-mabelnormand/ Further details of the weekend will be announced soon.