Skip to main content

Day Six: Saturday 19th August

London to Brighton director makes a Freudian slip discussing his initial financing

by Chris Docker

"How did you fund the film?" The audience are listening to the struggles of an emerging director of gritty films with one ear, suddenly perking up when he says, "This man put some money in my shorts!"

"Errrm... that's not quite how it sounds," says flustered London to Brighton Director Paul Andrew Williams. He was referring to his previous short films, and the Cameo audience suppress their smiles of discomfort. He is dressed very casually, almost like one of the thugs in his movies. I ask him if he has ever met any dodgy characters - that he might have based his story on. He confesses to working in pubs and bars. When the audience realise he made his film with about £80,000 and friends cajoled into acting they probably forgive him any shortcomings in what is quite a polished movie.

The Filmhouse and Cameo Bars have a strange atmosphere just now. You can almost walk up to any stranger and start talking about movies. Anyone who wanders in with anything else in their head feels distinctly out of place. I have an intense discussion about last year's sci-fi hit Serenity and the true meaning of the word 'reavers'.

Tonight looks fun. Guest list for the EIFF Birthday Party includes many of the stars already seen about town, plus Sean Connery, Mike Leigh and Tilda Swinton, to name but a few. Our story about the US bias of the Festival movie Charlize Theron produced reached the Beeb. Come back Charlize! We love you! Really!

Till later...

News and features

Paul Rowley on moving to New York, the Pulse massacre, and Gays Against Guns

Going ape Antonin Niclass on character creation, empathy and animated short Into The Forest

Freeform Will Niava on grief, new immigrant experiences and Jazz Infernal

In silence Emir Kumova on child marriage in Türkiye, moral challenges and making The Witness

Taking a ride into liminal spaces Katharine Round on making documentary Ghost Town

Flying blind Michael Woloson and Scott Tinkham on improvisation, experimental writing and Littermates

In deep water Dominic Curran on internet overexposure and A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing

More news and features

Festival coverage

Festivals
Cannes festival coverage, 2026

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Cheltenham International Film Festival, the Leeds International Film Festival, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights.



We're looking forward to the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and Grimmfest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.