words: STEPHEN NOTTINGHAM

Soundtrack: The International Film And Music Festival has carved itself a unique niche as a festival celebrating the relationship between music and the moving image. After taking a year off, Soundtrack returns for a third year with its strongest programme to date. The festival runs from Wed 16-Sun 20 Nov in various venues in Cardiff and Newport, and includes screenings, interviews, discussion panels, workshops and live performances.

Festival director Pablo Janczur believes that it is particularly important to have film festivals in South Wales due to the growing influence of Welsh film and broadcasting: “There is a massive media industry based here. It is becoming a big regional centre with reorganisation in the broadcast industry, especially the BBC and the establishment of the new film studios in Cardiff Bay.�

New film festivals have tended to specialise in order to get noticed: “We were looking for an interesting theme for the film festival that also fitted the cultural landscape of Cardiff,� explains Pablo. With the organisers having a background in music promotion, a focus on film soundtracks seemed the logical choice, and the success of the first two years demonstrated that this was a good decision.

Soundtrack is bookended by major film previews at Cineworld Cardiff. “We are really pleased that in our third year, film distributors are giving us big films,� enthuses Pablo. On Wednesday evening, the festival officially opens with a screening of Steve McQueen’s Shame, which stars actors-of-the-moment Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. This New York-located drama is scored by Harry Escott and includes music by Blondie, Tom Tom Club and John Coltrane. “In a previous festival we showed Steve McQueen’s Hunger and had the composer David Holmes in conversation afterwards, so we are really pleased to have McQueen’s new film,� says Pablo. Proceedings are bought to a close on Sunday night with Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut Coriolanus, in which Shakespeare’s play is set in a modern-day Balkan warzone. The play has been adapted by John Logan and composer Ilan Eshkeri provides a dramatic score.

Spillers Records present the music and documentary strand of Soundtrack at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. This includes a screening of Paul Kelly’s new film Lawrence Of Belgravia on the Saturday, followed by a Q&A with the director. This documentary, filmed over six years, follows the fortunes of the musician Lawrence: former frontman of Felt and Denim.

On Thurs 17 Nov, Berlin-based rapper and prankster Chilly Gonzales stars in the screening of Ivory Tower, a film about two brothers involved in the world of jazz chess (no winners, just beautiful moves) who fall for the same woman. Chilly also wrote the film and provides the music in collaboration with Boys Noize. On the Friday, Cee Karlsson and Frederick Egerstrands’ highly original documentary The Extraordinary Ordinary Life Of José González concerns the Swedish musician of the title.

The music and documentary strand of the festival climaxes with the legendary Don Letts In Conversation, following a screening of his 2005 film Punk Attitude. “He’s an interesting guy: a filmmaker, musician and commentator,� says Pablo. “We are really excited about his participation and I am sure he has a lot of interesting stories to tell.�

Don Letts says of the festival: “It’s putting what people like myself do under the spotlight. It helps get the word out, because a lot of documentaries get limited runs or are released only on foreign territory, so it’s a good opportunity for like-minded people to share our wares.� In addition to touring with the reformed Big Audio Dynamite, his international DJ work and presenting the twice-weekly Culture Clash Radio show on BBC 6 Music, Don has two new documentary film projects planned: one on British subculture and one on photographer Richard Young. He insists that his film Punk Attitude is not just a nostalgia trip: “It’s not about the history, I did not want to put the past under a microscope.� He instead suggests that the spirit of punk is still alive and can be tapped into: “It has an ongoing dynamic, it has heritage, it has a future, it has possibilities, and if people are brave enough and if they have a good idea they can be part of it, because it was not about mohawks, it was about attitude. It’s very important for me to get that message to people, especially in a cultural climate where it feels like punk never happened.�

Soundtrack’s diversity is evident in two very different live performances. On the Friday, Guillemots perform at The Coal Exchange in Cardiff, and in addition to playing tracks from their recent album Walk The River, they will improvise a special re-scoring of a film. The title of the film has yet to be revealed, but Pablo Janczur says, “It’s an interesting choice.� If symphonic Norwegian black metal is more your thing, then Dimmu Borgir will be a must at the University Great Hall on the Sunday. There is a pre-show screening of the documentary Until The Light Takes Us, which relates the controversial history of black metal in the 1990s.

A lighter mood is guaranteed when comedian Adam Buxton hosts Bug: The Evolution Of Music Video at Cineworld on the Wednesday. His Bug shows have proved popular in London and Edinburgh, and offer a rare opportunity to see new music videos on the big screen. “You can expect comedy and music video, with quite an interesting take on the music videos,� explains Pablo. “One of the reasons we wanted him is that we were keen to examine or involve other forms of film music, and music video was one of the things we were keen to look at.�

Soundtrack is supported by the Film Agency For Wales and has a prominent Education Industry Strand. “There are a lot of media courses in the area, at universities, colleges, and down to primary school level,� notes Pablo. “We are trying to bring together the education and industry sectors, and engage with the film-makers and composers of the future.� There are special industry events for university students and Key Stage 2 school pupils. “We have linked up with Newport Film School, who specialize in documentary film,� says Pablo. Newport Film School are presenting their Shorts At Soundtrack from Thursday to Sunday with films made by students on their documentary film & television course, accompanying documentary screenings at Chapter over the festival.

Of the films from emerging film-makers, Pablo particularly likes Evan Glodell’s directorial debut Bellflower: “A truly fearless example of modern independent film-making.� This low-budget horror flick apparently has a suitably sinister score by Jonathan Keevil. It screens at Cineworld on the Thursday, and is followed by a pre-recorded interview with the director. Cult films are also represented at the festival, as Soundtrack marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange with X Banned!, an event curated by Joâo Serejo and Núria Campreciós, before its screening at Chapter Arts Centre on Sun 20 Nov. Cult Japanese director Takashi Miike’s Hara Kiri: Death Of A Samurai – a remake of the classic Masaki Kobayashi film – also screens at Cineworld on Fri 18. The new film is scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

“There will be something for everybody,� says Pablo of Soundtrack 2011. You can’t argue with that.

Soundtrack, various venues in Cardiff and Newport, Wed 16-Sun 20 Nov. Tickets: prices vary. Info: www.soundtrackfilmfestival.com

Don Letts Q&A

DON Letts will be In Conversation following a showing of his 1975 documentary Punk Attitude which is to be screened at Soundtrack on Sun 20 Nov.

What is a punk attitude?

Punk Attitude is possibly my favourite documentary, simply because people think of punk as this thing that happened in the late 1970s and belittle the bigger idea. It is not a dead thing, it has an ongoing dynamic – it has heritage, it has a future and it has possibilities – and it’s very important for me to get that message to people, especially in a cultural climate where it feels like punk never happened. I don’t understand why there has not been some kind of backlash against all this culture of celebrity. So I’m just trying to get people to realise that if you are brave enough and have a good idea, then you can be part of this punk heritage. It was not about Mohawks, it was about attitude.

How did you become a filmmaker?

I wanted to pick up a guitar but the stage was full, so I picked up a Super 8 camera instead. I was inspired by a couple of films: The Harder They Come, Jamaica’s most famous film, which impressed me because of its cultural depth and because it is informative and entertaining at the same time, and also Nick Roeg’s Walkabout. I knew I wanted to express myself through this medium, but I couldn’t then see a way forward. Then came the punk rock explosion with its DIY ethic, and I just picked up a camera and re-invented myself as Don Letts Film-maker.

What does the future hold?

I am looking to do a documentary on British subculture and to follow-up my film on photographer Bob Gruen for Sky Arts’ series Rock and Roll Exposed with one about Richard Young. That’s with juggling my radio show for 6Music and DJing all around the world. Creative people these days are diversifying, but I have always done that; for me it is something I embrace.