‘Our customers, when they have a bit of time, they all talk to us. We are like their family as well because we tend to know them coming here for a long time to eat. They are very very friendly people here’ – Ismail Mallu
As the 16th edition of Kinofilm Festival approaches this March, we are finally bringing the festival run of A Bit of This & A Bit of That to a close. The last year-and-a-half has seen Blue Shoes take our first short documentary film to festivals all over the UK and Europe. Our film originally screened in Manchester as part of ‘Migration and the Modern City’, and was introduced by TV historian Michael Wood and producer Rebecca Dobbs from Maya Vision International. Since then, it has been screened in Sunderland, Wigan, Bolton, Hertford, Turin and Pollenzo, with three further Manchester screenings to come.
Ribbon of Dreams Festival 2019, Hertford
Online, our film managed to generate significant traction, and has been viewed almost 60,000 times by people from all over the globe. Our film is also held in the permanent archives of Manchester Museum, the North West Film Archive and the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Centre for research purposes as a micro-study into migration from the Indian Subcontinent to the UK.
As we continue to develop our new film projects, we hope that the prevalent themes of diversity, religious tolerance, and community spirit continue to resonate with viewers. The example set by Ismail is one that people should look toward for inspiration; his kindness and determination has made him an exemplary figure of what it means to be Mancunian. A Bit of This & A Bit of That shows that anyone can make a positive difference to their community and facilitate the changes needed to make the world a better place for everyone.
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2019, Sunderland
It has been wonderful to share our film with so many people, and we look forward to our final screenings in March. Make sure you check out both of our screenings at Kinofilm Festival as part of Greater Manchester Filmmakers, which will take place at Barclays Eagle Lab on the 23rd March and the Old Bank in Withington on the 28th. We will also have our film screened by Film Vault Presents at Gulliver’s on the 24th March, where we will answer some questions following the screening. Keep your eyes on our social media pages for updates on some of our upcoming projects, and whatever you do, make sure you head down to This & That in the Northern Quarter for a banging rice and three!
Wigan and Leigh Film Festival 2019, Wigan
Full list of festivals and screenings:
Migration and the Modern City 2018, Manchester, June 2018
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2019, Sunderland, May 2019
Ribbon of Dreams Film Festival 2019, Hertford, May 2019
Migranti Film Festival, Pollenzo & Turin (Italy), June 2019 (Finalist)
Grindhouse @ Zoetrope II, Bolton, May 2019
Manchester Student Film Festival, Manchester, June 2019
Wigan & Leigh Film Festival, Wigan, October 2019
Film Vault Presents, Manchester, March 2020
Kinofilm Festival 2020, Manchester, March 2020
Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival Online, Manchester, March – April 2020
COLONY X KINO: Short Film Night, Manchester, Summer 2020