Day 2

There was something of a slow turnout for this charming US documentary about New York kids learning to ballroom dance. But do not let that put you off when this is put on general release at the end of the month.

There's been a spate of 'easy watching' documentaries over the past few years and this is yet another one. In the vein of Spellbound and the brilliant French documentary Etre Et Avoir, Mad Hot Ballroom introduces us to the latest trend in New York's schools: ballroom dancing.

This is a fascinating film made so by its unusual subject matter. Of all we're fed about New York, the stories of street kids, drug pushers and corrupt lawyers it's surprising to learn that such an unlikely hobby has taken off within inner-city schools.

Three schools, out of 60, are profiled in the weeks running up to the city-wide competition. We are introduced to the children and their teachers and are delighted, not only to the dancing practice and event, but to the kids' insights to the world they see around them. Living in NY it can only be expected that they will be subjected to sights you and I are far less accustomed to. Yet, it is somewhat unsettling to hear 11-year-old girls discuss their opinions on the city's drug dealers – and often with greater perspective and less prejudice than many 'informed' adults.

Seeing children that can easily and subconsciously be slid into the category of 'troublemakers' become so wholly enthusiastic about something so unexpected is truly inspiring. Their determination rarely wavers and their disappointment at not getting through can be excruciating to watch.

Mad Hot Ballroom is easy viewing. It's undemanding and heartwarming and could convince even the sternest child-hater that kids aren't all that bad really. At times the teachers become harder to watch than their charges. Being still people in development, children can be excused for certain annoying tendencies, adults have no such justification. Possibly the worst nail grater is the young teacher who can be driven to tears at the sight of an untied shoelace and verges on nervous breakdown at the thought of having to choose which of her pupils to put forward.

Despite certain gaps in the narrative due to more material than they know what to do with I would defy anyone to exit the cinema without a small urge to enrol in a ballroom dancing class. After all, as the boy Michael so aptly puts it: "It's like a sport that hasn't been invented into a sport." Bless. 

Day 3

The Welsh premier of the French film Cockles and Muscles had its first of two festival screenings at Cineworld last night, with directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau present to answer questions. The film is being shown as part of the Gay and Lesbian showcase and the Glitter strand this year.

As we all know few do flamboyance better than the French. Add a few screaming queens to the mix and you know you're in for a raucous 90 minutes. This particular production is still considered to be crossover, which essentially means there are some straight people in it. It features a family who, whilst on holiday, all undergo some changes within their sexual choices and preferences.

The cute teenage daughter is quickly disposed of in the first few minutes, by packing her off to Portugal with a biker. We are then left to concentrate on the changing relationships between a mother, husband and son.

The characters here are extremely sensitively written, which is always refreshing to see. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but the father is clearly outed as a repressed homosexual from the first few scenes.

It is a common feature in foreign films that the characters' emotions are always held so near the surface; something us Brits are far less used to. Often this is why some love foreign cinema so much as it allows them to witness a different perspective to life. Yet, it can also seem somewhat unnerving and frustrating as one can only feel that they could approach certain situations better by not continuously taking out their moods on those around them!

Occasional underdevelopment, such as the father's relationship with the plumber, and certain avoidable clichés do mar this production but such quibbles are little more than nit picking.

On the whole this is a jubilant, quirky cinematic delight which couldn't fail to impress. It is laugh-out-loud funny and fascinating to watch and yes, it is camp too. If your tolerance isn't at it's highest it may be wise to leave a few minutes before the end to avoid the One of the Campest Ending in History. Though if you appreciate a bit of gaudy fun then you will be clapping your hands in delight.

There followed a quick chat with the filmmakers. Having arrived in Cardiff for the very first time yesterday they were somewhat taken aback by the masses of sports fans who were occupying the city centre at the time!

Day 4

Last night I saw my favourite film of the festival so far. Fair, it's too early to call overall favourite and it's likely this honourable title will be shortly usurped by another accomplished production. But there you have it: The Proposition was good.

Starring Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone, directed by John Hillcoat and written by, none other than, Nick Cave, this was never going to be a bad film. It was always going to be beautiful and it was always going to be violent.

Set in 19th century Australia, The Proposition tells the story of a family of fugitives, responsible for the horrific rape and murder of a pregnant woman along with the murders of her husband and baby. Winstone plays the colonial lawman set on finding them and bringing them to justice. When he manages to capture two of the brothers he decides to keep the youngest with the promise of hanging him in nine days time if the other does not find and return the remaining members of his family.

The inner turmoil that even the most hardened of criminals can suffer is beautifully depicted here. Initially we are led to assume that Guy Pearce is playing his standard 'good guy' role with Winstone being the corrupt, brutal lawman. Instead Pearce's Charlie Burns is the smartest member of the Burns gang who is forced to wonder where his loyalties lie. Captain Stanley, on the other hand, we discover to be a man with a loving wife who is merely trying to clean up the messy world he sees around him, yet burdened by the responsibility of the lives and wellbeing of those in his care.

Be warned there's no sidestepping the violence. It's visceral and brutal and striking as a result. The vicious nature is used in perfect contrast to the stark, incredible scenery of the Australian outback. Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme makes full use of all that is available to him without descending into showing off.

It all makes for a worthy couple of hours. Cave reveals himself to be a talented man indeed and each cast member surpasses the high expectations we've all come to possess for them.

Audience member Ryan Owen, from Blackburn, deemed it: "Like a Peckinpah For a Few Dollars More with emblematic Cave feedback overlaid and indelibly beautiful landscapes." I think he liked it too. The Proposition gets a repeat showing at Cineworld today, don't miss out on your chance. 

Day 5

Yesterday the Duplass brothers were at Cineworld to talk about their experiences of indie film-making, reports CATHERINE GEE. They both confessed that most people under the age of 25 do not know how to make good films. The brothers' ability to know what was going to be effective on-screen had come from years in an editing studio and practising making bad short films themselves. They happily admit their first attempts were terrible – an important message to an angsty 18-year-old who thinks he’s just made the cinematic equivalent to a Radiohead album.

Getting recognised is also one of the biggest challenges out there. The brothers recommend not sending off scripts to agents as they will never be read. The best approach is to make a short film – preferably of less than ten minutes – that is either part of your feature idea or similar to what you have in mind and get it shown at a film festival, where agents are likely to see it.

Day7

Race You To The Bottom is showing on Friday at Chapter. CATHERINE GEE looked in on an earlier showing:

Despite having been shown at many a gay and lesbian festival, Race You To The Bottom doesn’t really fall into that category, as writer-director Russell Brown admitted to me later.

More ‘just a film with some gay people in it’, it tells the story of a complicated relationship between a girl and her bisexual male lover.

The two twentysomethings are both dissatisfied with their boyfriends, and so have been conducting an affair for the past six months. Nathan (Cole Williams), though camp and cocky, is a non-scene bisexual who is going out with an immature toyboy. When, as a travel writer, he is given an assignment to explore some vineyards he takes his lady with him. Maggie (Amber Benson) is also feeling trapped in an arid relationship with ‘square’ Milo.

As they embark upon a weekend together, Maggie begins to consider their future. Unfortunately, neither seems to have matured much beyond their teens and the situation soon turns sour with malicious jibes being thrown back and forth.

Amber Benson, best known for her role as lesbian Tara in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, stretches her wings and shows off her true abilities as an actress, though doesn’t manage to get her overactive lips under control – the excessive chewing and pouting can grate a little.

Race You To The Bottom is a strange entity. It’s well written, acted, shot and put together; yet somehow it falls a bit short of the mark. That said, it is still enjoyable and entertaining. So long as you can put up with the pair’s brattish tendencies.

Afterwards, writer-director Russell Brown explained why he made the film: “I hadn’t seen a film that captured the complexity that exists between gay men and women: it can be erotic, sensual, complicated, tender, horrible and all sorts of things.”

Amber Benson, in particular, he feels was a wise choice. “She was the first person to read for the part and I was immediately smitten, he smiled. “I wanted her to look different to how she looked in Buffy, to have an earthy quality.”

The US director has planned a busy few days in Wales. “I wanted to come here because my grandfather is Welsh. There’s a ton of places I want to visit, I’ve got my guide book and I’ve circled about 30 things I want to see.”

There is then an amusing moment as I watch the man from LA try to pronounce Caerphilly.

With another script written and in the pipeline, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of him.

Day 8

WTC View, which received its European premiere at the festival last night, is both a remarkably powerful and fascinating insight into a set of gay people's experiences of  9/11, writes CATHERINE GEE.

It tells the story of Eric, a gay man who places an ad for a flatmate in his ‘WTC view’ home the night before the World Trade Centre attacks.

Set only 12 blocks from what is now Ground Zero he could see the entire event out of the window of his spare room. We see him meet the applicants who reply to his ad,  each describing their experiences of that fateful day. Based on Russell Brown’s stage play, which he then developed for the big screen, it is set merely within the apartment, creating a very claustrophobic atmosphere. As the film progresses we learn about Eric’s own experiences of 9/11 and the devastating effects it has had on him.
The performances are captivating, especially that of film newcomer Michael Urie. He possesses the whole film, truly catching your attention.

Brian Sloan later told the Chapter audience the film was based on his own experience. He'd placed an ad the night before the attacks only to then forget about it. He discovered the many messages left on his answering machine when he returned a few days later.

After the film I asked an audience member for his verdict:: “I found it brilliant, the best so far,” said Paul Rees from Neath, who’s also seen Cockles And Muscles, Wilby Wonderful, Arisan! and Night Watch.

“It was intense. I thought it would be very depressing but it wasn’t. The performances were spot on and I was totally drawn in. It’s one of those films that will stay with you and make you think about it. I’m glad I came.”   Finally,  Arisan! scriptwriter Joko Anwar was touched by the warm welcome he received on his first visit to Cardiff. Before leaving, the Indonesian writer told artistic director Berwyn Rowlands he'd been to a few festivals, but "this one feels like home".

Day 10

Last night also saw the Welsh premiere of Where The Truth Lies. CATHERINE GEE reports:   If you like a bit of gratuitous sex and nudity in your films then you may well like Where The Truth Lies. It's also very handy if you've ever fancied seeing Colin Firth trying to have anal sex with Kevin Bacon. Not on your 'to do' list? Me neither.

There is remarkably little about this film that actually works. Not Firth and Bacon's strained double act, not the gaping plot holes nor the empty attempts at being risqué. What may initially appear well meaning tends to turn into self-indulgent flailing attempts at being controversial.

Set in both the 1950s and 1970s, the film is told in confusing flashbacks and overly-used lazy voiceover to make up for lack of coherence. Firth and Bacon play a Hollywood double act. Each has his own two-dimensional personality: Firth the straiter-laced Brit and Bacon the loudmouthed womaniser. Director Atom Egoyan tries to show us Hollywood's seedier side through them but rather than being eye-opening it all just doesn't seem to fit.

Alison Lohman is the young aspiring journalist seeking to tell the long-buried story of what happened before the two actors split, when the body of a young girl is found in their hotel bath tub and the crime never solved. As a result, she is sucked into the seedy world of Hollywood drugs, sex and debauchery. Well there's a plot-line we've never heard before.

Set up as a psychological thriller/whodunit there are some captivating sequences as well as the occasional use of jibing humour. Lohman's performance is subtle and well performed. Being a very attractive, softly spoken strawberry blonde she could have easily come across as dizzy but effectively side-steps that possible trap. Individually, even Bacon and Firth's performances aren't bad.

Both still maintain that on-screen charisma they are famous for.

Really this film could have been so much more. Much like Egoyan's overuse of voiceover, make a few changes and there could have been a good film there.