Well as was fairly expected we didn’t win anything, but well done to those who did. It sounds like there were a lot of good films shown, hopefully they’ll put some up on their website for us all to see. Here is their press release from the showing (by the way, I know I totally got the day wrong on the last entry):

2 DAYS LATER 2009 SHORT FILM COMPETITION

HALLOWEEN SCREENING & AWARDS @ THE THEATRE ROYAL MARGATE, 31st OCTOBER 2009

The Scots Steal the Show at Kent’s Biggest Short Film Festival!

Over 300 Filmmakers and audiences came from all over the UK and abroad to watch 59 films at the ‘2 Days Later 09 Competition Halloween Screening & Awards Event’ at The Theatre Royal, Margate. The second oldest Georgian theatre in the country is home to a ghost or two of its own and the venue provided a magnificent backdrop to Kent’s biggest and scariest film screening event.

“The filmmakers really got into the ‘spirit’ of the event and experienced a very diverse and innovative programme this year. We had everything from modern day humanoid aliens taking over Sheffield, to a classic 1950’s B-movie werewolf homage, which had them all cowering in the aisles with fright and laughter!”

Mick Etherton, 2 Days Later Co-director

Since July 2009, entrants from across the Europe have been downloading the competition brief from the 2 Days Later website and then taking up the challenge to make a their mini-horror masterpieces in under 48hrs that had to feature three items from a given list as part of their film productions.

From over 900 Internet downloads and 59 film entries to competition, the judging panel eventually decided that David Keith’s film, DEAD FUNNY, was dead good! A chilling tale of a group of campers, stalked by a clown. The Aberdeen-based director scooped BEST SOUND, BEST, EDITOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST DIRECTOR, & BEST SHORT FILM! Returning home with a car boot full of Horror DVDs and a week’s hire of a professional HD Camera Filming Kit from London sponsor’s VMI High Definition & Broadcast, worth £3000!

“There was a fantastic atmosphere here on tonight and it was great to see so many previous filmmakers return with their new films. 22 of the 59 films were made in Kent and we also had films made for the competition, from Wales, Scotland, and even Switzerland; and they all actually came over to Thanet for the screenings! The imaginatively diverse film styles made it very difficult for the judges to agree on clear winners as the standard was even higher than last year.”

Mick Etherton, 2 Days Later Co-director

The 300-strong audience had other ideas for their favourite film of the evening, as their AUDIENCE BEST POPULAR SHORTLISTED FILM vote went to the cannibalistic comedy, MEAT, by Basingstoke based director, Alex Loeseke. MEAT’s culinary lead role, played by James Burton, also won the Judges’ Award for BEST ACTOR.

From Kent; the BEST SFX Award went to Hythe based director Philip Mearns, for 1950’s B- movie homage-‘VENGENCE OF THE CREATURE FROM BEYOND’..

While previous competition prizewinners Ben Worsfield & William Thomas from Chatham, was nominated in five categories. Canterbury based filmmaker Bruce Parleton’s internet dating film LOL, was nominated for BEST FILM, BEST SCREENPLAY  and BEST ACTOR.

A SPECIAL MENTION Award went to Canterbury filmmakers Rosie Escott & Philip Benedict for the successful innovation in his stereoscopic 3 D horror ‘SHORTCUT’ using only a pair of twin mounted low-fi digital stills cameras!

BEST STUDENT FILM was won by Canterbury Christ Church University student,  Przemek Konieczny for his dreamy experimental horror ‘MOTH’.

Victoria Bailey won BEST ACTRESS for her starring role in the urban horror ‘RIAD’. shot in Sheffield city centre.

Swiss Director Sebastien Cornioley and his filmmaking team’s weekend dash across France was very worthwhile, collecting the audience vote for the BEST POPULAR MATINEE FILM, beating the other 46 matinee screenings.

The awards were presented by film industry judges; Wendy Ide (The Times film critic), Damon Wise (The Guardian film critic) and Screen South’s Co-Head of Production, Development and Training David Castro.

Murderous Marguerites were drunk by all and the fright night ended at 3.00am with an  after-party at The Westcoast Bar, Mansion Street, Margate.

This free filmmaking Event is organised by Beeping Bush, with the aid of UK Film Council’s regional film agency, Screen South funding, and prize sponsorship by VMI High Definition and Broadcast.

THE JUDGING PANEL

Kim Newman, Film Critic & Horror Author

Wendy Ide, Film Critic The Guardian / The Observer

Damon Wise, Film Critic The Times / Sunday Times / Empire Magazine

David Castro, Screen South Co-Head of Production, Development and Training

Mike Shaw, A Writer and journalist, who has contributed to various magazines & newspapers including NME, The Sun, The Independent, and The Telegraph.Film correspondent KM What’s On, Founder/editor-in chief of The Void, entertainments’ website

Barry Basset, Managing Director - VMI High Definition and Broadcast

Steve   Taylor, Operations Manager - VMI High Definition and Broadcast

2Dl09 FILM NOMINATIONS & WINNERS in BOLD

BEST ACTOR
Meat  - James Burton
Dead-Funny - Gavin Park
LOL  - Dave Reed

BEST ACTRESS
Raid – Victoria Bailey
The Lincolnshire Poacher – Rachel Button
Sarah – Nova Woodrow

BEST SFX
Vengence of the Creature from Beyond
Download
Dead-Funny
The Lincolnshire Poacher

BEST SOUND
Dead-Funny
Download
The Lincolnshire Poacher

BEST EDITOR
Dead-Funny
The Lincolnshire Poacher
Vengence of the Creature from Beyond

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dead-Funny
The Lincolnshire Poacher
Raid

BEST SCREENPLAY
Meat
LOL
Dead-Funny
Sarah

BEST DIRECTOR
Dead-Funny
Raid
Meat

SPECIAL MENTION AWARD
Cock Prosthetics – William Fitzgerald

SPECIAL MENTION AWARD
Steroscopic 3D - Shortcut

BEST GORE AWARD
Open Season
Cock
Dead –Funny
Dia Del Motor
Perfect Man

BEST STUDENT
Moth
Dead Late
MOV1

AUDIENCE BEST POPULAR VOTE MATINEE SCREENING
Holiday Bloodyday

AUDIENCE BEST POPULAR VOTE SHORTLIST SCREENING
Meat

BEST SHORT FILM
Dead-Funny
Meat
LOL

With over 900 requests for the competition brief,

59 film entries were accepted in time for screening. Of which;

32 films were from the Screen South Region,

22 films were produced in Kent

5 films were made in Thanet.