Our Handmade: Cinema Curator Alex Jackson
As the festival approaches we thought it might be interesting to give you an introduction to the team behind Handmade and what they’re looking forward to at this year’s festival. First up, Cinema curator Alex Jackson.
Hey Alex! What has your contribution been to Handmade this year? This year I have had the privilege to once again, team up with We The Conspirators’ Fraser West and curate Handmade Cinema.
What do you think is special about the festival? The festival has grown really quickly and given a platform for artists from many different mediums to come together and collaborate. It offers people across Leicester and beyond the chance to engage in a way which builds on other great cultural offerings whilst being completely unique.
What particularly stands out in your mind from previous years?It certainly wasn’t fun at the time but during the Handmade Cinema rig at Wyggeston House in 2012 Fraser, Paul and I were trying desperately to black out all the windows and get the tech tested in time to open without damaging the beautiful 500 year old building, when a “Tour of Historical Leicester” came into our not very finished auditorium and the leader proceeded to talk for 17 minutes about the buildings various incarnations and inhabitants, all the while looking less than pleased at us lot sat quietly at the back of the room covered in gaffa tape and dust. I’m pretty sure an American couple thought we were some kind of performance art troupe.
Which three acts are you most excited about seeing at this years festival and why? There are so many music acts I can’t wait to see along with the art installations but I’ve got to say I’m most looking forward to Handmade Cinema and getting to see William Castles’ 1959 “The House on Haunted Hill”, Lukas Moodysson’s 2013 Swedish drama “We Are The Best!”, and especially the East Midlands Music Video Showcase. We have some incredibly talented musicians and filmmakers in the region and the showcase celebrates that talent.
Around The Internet