mentalbunny
23rd July 2003, 18:31
Franny Armstrong/ Spanner Films
US & Canada Speaking Tour - Fall 2003
-------------------------------------------------
-> The UK Director of 'Drowned Out' and 'McLibel' will be touring the
USA & Canada for three weeks: October 20th -> November 8th 2003.
Please contact <[email protected]> for more information or
to bring Franny Armstrong to your college/film society/cinema.
London-born Franny Armstrong, 31, spent her formative years playing
the drums in various semi-successful pop groups. Then she read about
a trial in which the fast food company McDonald's were suing a gardener
and postman for libel. Three years later, August 1997, Franny's first
documentary, McLibel - the inside story of England longest-ever court
case - was released to great critical acclaim.
'McLibel's infamy quickly grew after the film was pulled by lawyers
at both the BBC and Channel 4. Although never broadcast in the UK, it
has now been watched by an estimated 11 million viewers - on eight
mainstream TV channels worldwide, on countless cable & satellite
channels, Spanner's website (1500 people per month), at film
festivals, at schools and colleges, and at community screenings in
Canada, Peru, England, Israel, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, Australia,
India, France, China, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, Scotland, Hungary,
Turkey, Northern Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Croatia,
New Zealand and Portugal.
Franny's second major documentary, 'Drowned Out', (2002) follows the
fight against the Narmada Dam in India. She filmed it over three
years, battling against illness, rain, solar battery chargers, six
language barriers and police arrests. The 75 minute film was recently
runner-up for Best Documentary at both the OneWorld Media awards ("a
masterfully crafted study of a stand-off between the powerless and
the powerful ") and the San Francisco International Film Festival ("
a film of enormous heart, grit and insight that is both taut
political essay and enormously moving plea."). Hopefully Drowned Out
will follow McLibel's lead and be seen by millions of TV viewers
worldwide.
Franny's films are produced through Spanner Films, the independent TV
production company, based in London, England, which she founded in
1999.
Both films can be viewed online at: http://www.spannerfilms.net/watch.htm
Franny has spoken at more than 80 film festivals, seminars and
colleges around the world. She has been interviewed for TV news and
chatshows (inc BBC and ABC Australia) and written articles for books,
newspapers and magazines (inc The Guardian). Last month, she was a
guest speaker at the prestigious Flaherty Film Seminar in New York.
Drowned Out & McLibel are relevant to many fields of study, including
anthropology, Asian studies, human rights, ecology, geography,
marketing, business studies, film & media studies. Franny is happy to
host screenings of either or both McLibel and Drowned Out and to lead
discussions about any of the issues they raise, or about the Narmada
Dam or McDonald's libel case generally. She can also take smaller
groups or classroom workshops about independent filmmaking and
distribution.
The honorarium and expenses are negotiable depending on the events
you'd like Franny to lead, the size and location of your college and,
of course, your budget.
Please contact Stephanie Smith on <[email protected]>.
Or visit our website:
http://www.spannerfilms.net/news/pages/tour2003.htm
US & Canada Speaking Tour - Fall 2003
-------------------------------------------------
-> The UK Director of 'Drowned Out' and 'McLibel' will be touring the
USA & Canada for three weeks: October 20th -> November 8th 2003.
Please contact <[email protected]> for more information or
to bring Franny Armstrong to your college/film society/cinema.
London-born Franny Armstrong, 31, spent her formative years playing
the drums in various semi-successful pop groups. Then she read about
a trial in which the fast food company McDonald's were suing a gardener
and postman for libel. Three years later, August 1997, Franny's first
documentary, McLibel - the inside story of England longest-ever court
case - was released to great critical acclaim.
'McLibel's infamy quickly grew after the film was pulled by lawyers
at both the BBC and Channel 4. Although never broadcast in the UK, it
has now been watched by an estimated 11 million viewers - on eight
mainstream TV channels worldwide, on countless cable & satellite
channels, Spanner's website (1500 people per month), at film
festivals, at schools and colleges, and at community screenings in
Canada, Peru, England, Israel, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, Australia,
India, France, China, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, Scotland, Hungary,
Turkey, Northern Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Croatia,
New Zealand and Portugal.
Franny's second major documentary, 'Drowned Out', (2002) follows the
fight against the Narmada Dam in India. She filmed it over three
years, battling against illness, rain, solar battery chargers, six
language barriers and police arrests. The 75 minute film was recently
runner-up for Best Documentary at both the OneWorld Media awards ("a
masterfully crafted study of a stand-off between the powerless and
the powerful ") and the San Francisco International Film Festival ("
a film of enormous heart, grit and insight that is both taut
political essay and enormously moving plea."). Hopefully Drowned Out
will follow McLibel's lead and be seen by millions of TV viewers
worldwide.
Franny's films are produced through Spanner Films, the independent TV
production company, based in London, England, which she founded in
1999.
Both films can be viewed online at: http://www.spannerfilms.net/watch.htm
Franny has spoken at more than 80 film festivals, seminars and
colleges around the world. She has been interviewed for TV news and
chatshows (inc BBC and ABC Australia) and written articles for books,
newspapers and magazines (inc The Guardian). Last month, she was a
guest speaker at the prestigious Flaherty Film Seminar in New York.
Drowned Out & McLibel are relevant to many fields of study, including
anthropology, Asian studies, human rights, ecology, geography,
marketing, business studies, film & media studies. Franny is happy to
host screenings of either or both McLibel and Drowned Out and to lead
discussions about any of the issues they raise, or about the Narmada
Dam or McDonald's libel case generally. She can also take smaller
groups or classroom workshops about independent filmmaking and
distribution.
The honorarium and expenses are negotiable depending on the events
you'd like Franny to lead, the size and location of your college and,
of course, your budget.
Please contact Stephanie Smith on <[email protected]>.
Or visit our website:
http://www.spannerfilms.net/news/pages/tour2003.htm