At HOME with the film-makers of the future

Twenty four is a strange age to be. No one actually expects you to have your life together yet, but it’s definitely the last birthday you’ll celebrate before your family explodes with the inevitable questions about careers, wedding dates and just how long mum will have to wait for grandkids.

It’s an easy age to get a little lost and feel like you haven’t accomplished everything you’d hoped.

It gets even worse, however, when you discover that the Playback Touring Expedition, a travelling gallery of Britain’s most talented up-and-coming directors, is coming to HOME in Manchester. It gets even worse when you learn that these directors, with a filmography numbering an almost-ludicrous 200 short films, are all aged between sixteen and twenty four.

Despite their young age, none of the artists involved are afraid of using their films to create an uproar.

Every director has kicked open the door to entire universes of imagery and sound, unique to their own experiences.

There’s no limit on creativity, either. Hand drawn animation is set side-by-side with interpretive dance and unsettling-bordering-on-terrifying surrealist movies. An unmissable, unchained, imaginary feast for the soul.

Some use their films to explore the city and the potential the future holds for it. Others are more  sombre, going beyond Manchester to imagine a dark future for all humanity in a way that could be seen as either hopeful or deeply chilling, especially considering that many of these young artists will be shaping the face of Manchester culture for years to come.

They’re stunning, they’re exciting and each one buzzes with a manic energy you won’t see at your local multiplex.

Amongst the emerging artists are several Mancunian contributors, including Yandass Ndlovu, a dancer, performer and a member of the prestigious Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company.

Yandass is a talented all-round artist with a bright future ahead of her. She was also selected for the Future Leader Scheme at Global Grooves, a programme aimed at developing the skills of talented young people to lead Manchester’s cultural scene in the years to come.

Her passion for the city and its people are obvious. She describes Manchester as “more of a home than where I came from. I fell in love with it. I know a lot of back streets. I couldn’t get lost in Manchester. It feels like a place where I am grounded.”

Also involved in the exhibition, and a member of the exhibition panel, is Jack Gill, a Manchester based writer/director who has already had a career which includes impressive collaborations with the British Film Institute and Creative England. His second short, A Life Hereafter, will also be screened at the exhibition.

On a countrywide tour of our most highly acclaimed art venues, the Playback Touring Expedition is at HOME this month. The real event to see will be the Q+A, consisting of a panel featuring many of the directors themselves, as well as industry experts sharing their opinions and insights on the work generated.

The panel takes place on August 22. Seats are extremely limited so book as early as possible. More information is available here.