Rookie Films presents - Mr Wongs Lullaby

11/10/2022

We are delighted to announce that “Lies and Rumours” by Anni Swinburn will feature on BBC Radio Sheffield's BBC Upload Show on October 14th between 8-10pm alongside an interview with Anni!

06/07/2022

On July 5th 1852 Frederick Douglass delivered his 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?' speech to the Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester.


Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. He was nationally recognized as a prolific orator who worked tirelessly for the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and during the decades following the war, he was arguably the most influential African American leader in the nation, renowned for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings.

At the time of this speech, tensions over slavery were high and The Fugitive Slave Act passed by Congress was bitterly resented by the Northern states. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel about slavery, ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ had been published a few months before and unexpectedly became a national bestseller. Across the country, people were thinking and arguing about slavery, abolitionism, and the future of the nation.

"It is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused… Nations do not now stand in the same relation to each other that they did ages ago. No nation can now shut itself up from the surrounding world, and trot round in the same old path of its fathers without interference…
Change has now come over the affairs of mankind; Oceans no longer divide, but link nations together."

05/07/2022

🎞 Wahoo - thanks so much for making Mr. Wong’s Lullaby a finalist in your 2022 festival!

🎞 “Sunday At The Park with Shorts is what we call our live in person screening at The Park Theatre. A light, fun Sunday afternoon vibe of an event. Make connections with talent and judges and also build a network for future projects, all in a super relaxed no-pressure atmosphere in one of Vancouver's most historic theatres.

Our first round judges are avid-movie goers and film lovers … and our Industry Judges are weighted professionals in all departments of the film industry - we even boast an Oscar winner on the panel.“

🎞 Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew, and congratulations to fellow filmmakers and finalists!

18/06/2022

🎞 Thanks so much to Sam and all the team for publishing this write-up about Mr. Wong’s Lullaby.

🎞 “The first takeaway from this experience is that your team is everything. A film set is like a well-oiled machine when you have all the right people on your side,

The second is catering – don’t scrimp. A well fed crew is a happy crew and a happy crew will help you make the film you want to make!

Beyond that, try to relax and not stress the small things. It’s a privilege to be able to make films so enjoy the process!”

🎞 NowThen is a brilliant Sheffield based publication who have supported us from the beginning- check them out!

https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/how-we-made-an-award-winning-short-film-mr-wongs-lullaby

16/06/2022

🎞 Ahhhh thank you for the double nomination nod!

🎞 Mr. Wong’s Lullaby is nominated for… drum roll please
🥁
🥁
🥁
Best In North West

AND

Best In Fest

Thank You!!!

🎞 We are honoured and delighted! Congrats to all fellow filmmakers and nominees.

🎞 Thanks as always to our cast, crew, supporters and festival organisers!

🎞 The festival takes place at the beautiful cinema from June 24th - 26th and you can catch all the amazing films in competition!

01/06/2022

🎞 After a fantastic film festival tour in Ireland, we’re now back in the UK with an official selection from the brilliant

🎞 "To be a filmmaker, you have to lead. You have to be psychotic in your desire to do something. People always like the easy route. You have to push very hard to get something unusual, something different.” - Danny Boyle. The North has always been at the forefront of British cultural expression and creativity.

🎞 Run by film-makers for film-makers, this festival is destined to become a significant annual event on the cultural calendar in the Northwest of England. Our simple aim is to showcase the very best short films from around the world. The festival venue is the purpose-built Bijou Cinema, a community enterprise project that shares both our joint passion for film in all it's forms, as well as a desire to share this passion with the whole of the community. (https://southportbijoucinema.co.uk)

29/05/2022

🎞 And that’s a wrap… on this year’s - thanks so much for having us! It really is the world’s friendliest film festival.

🎞 Brilliant events including talks from Aisling Walsh, Maureen Hughes, Ciaran Hinds, Stephen Rea, Lenny Abrahamson and many more!

🎞 Fantastic hospitality from the local establishments. And the sun made an appearance for the occasion (have slightly burnt shoulders to prove it🌞🕶)

🎞 Congrats to all fellow filmmakers with officially selected, shortlisted & winning films! Can’t wait for the next one!

🍎

20/05/2022

🎞Thanks so much to David Hennessy from for this write up about Mr. Wong’s Lullaby and our journey through filming and doing the festival circuit!

🎞We are so looking forward to attending the next week with screenings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

🎞 We show the competition films in the village hall, pubs, restaurants, shops, galleries and on the sides of buildings. We ask the question “What is a cinema, anyway?” and look for answers in every corner of the village. These are exciting times for the viewing public…we try to reflect this at our festival. Our commitment is to focus on the craft of filmmaking and to encourage an exchange of ideas, aspirations and expertise among established filmmakers, young filmmakers and those who may never have picked up a camera before.

🎞 For Centuries the Fastnet Rock has kindled our imaginations. Known as the ‘Sharp Toothed Rock’ by the Norsemen and as ‘An Charraig Aonair’ or Lone Rock by the Irish it marked the edge of the known world in days gone by.
Its impressive rock lighthouse constructed at the beginning of the 20th Century is a magnificent achievement and is one of the most iconic and best known
in the World. It has inspired poetry, songs and legends and is the object of insatiable curiosity as thousands sail towards and around it every year as they try to see as much as possible of its structures and to imagine how life must have been for its light housekeepers.
But the Fastnet remains elusive for all but the few. The constant turbulence of the waters that surround it means that landing is rarely possible and its inner workings remain a mystery to us.
But now, this virtual reality tour brings you to every nook and cranny of the lighthouse in the company of former light housekeeper Gerard Butler.

25/04/2022

🎞 Thank you so much for the nomination. We are honoured!

🎞Can’t wait to attend next week. Congrats to all fellow nominees and filmmakers!

24/04/2022

An honour to be nominated in such great company! Congrats to all 🎬🏆

24/04/2022

What a great bunch! If the first year is anything to go by, this is a festival to watch!

Congratulations to all the Film Makers and Creatives who took part at Coventry Phoenix Film Festival!

24/04/2022

Can’t wait!!!!! 🎞🎬📽🇮🇪