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The British Silent Film Festival Symposium is an annual two-day event showcasing new research in all aspects of film making and film going in Britain or across the British empire before 1930. Illustrated research papers will be complemented by film screenings with live piano accompaniment

BSFFS 2019 Provisional Timetable 

THURSDAY 11 APRIL 2019 
Lucas Lecture Theatre, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

10.00 – 11.30 – Session One – Screening
Tony Fletcher introduces The Loves of Mary Queen of Scots (Denison Clift, 1923) [extract with piano accompaniment]

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee

12.00 – 13.30 – Session Two – Papers 
12.00 – 12.20 Ian Christie – A family business? The operation of Britain’s first film studio 
12.20 – 12.40 Peter Domankiewicz – Whatever Happened at Clovelly Cottage? 
12.40 – 13.00 Alex Kirstukas - “Every Detail Perfect”: Collaboration and Performance in the Films of G. A. Smith and Company
13.00 – 13.30 Discussion

13.30 – 14.30 – LUNCH

14.30 – 16.00 – Session Three – Papers 
14.30 – 14.50 Neil Pettigrew – Collette Brettel and her Shameful Secrets
14.50 – 15.10 Neil Parsons – on The Pageant of South Africa (SA 1910, 1500ft; UK 1911, 629ft)
15.10 – 15.30 Malcolm Cook – Animated Advertising in Britain in the silent period
15.30 – 15.40 Bonzo selection (with piano accompaniment)
15.40 – 16.00 Discussion

16.00 – 16.30 Coffee

16.30 – 18.30 Session Four – Screenings 
16.30 – 17.10 Jessica’s First Prayer (Bert Wynn, 1921) 35mm 40 mins. With piano accompaniment
17.10 – 18.30 The Maid of Cefn Ydfa (William Haggar, 1914) 38 mins. With piano accompaniment


FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2019
Lucas Lecture Theatre, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

10.00 – 11.00 Session Five – Papers
10.00 – 10.20 Liz Watkins – A Spectator Viewed: Gender, Emotion and the Polar Expedition Film
10.20 – 10.40 Toby Haggith – Roll of Honour Films 
10.40 – 11.00 Screening – Roll of Honour Films (extract with piano accompaniment)

11.00 – 11.30 – Coffee Break

11.30 – 1.00 Session Six - Papers 
11.30 – 11.50 Martin Spence - The Lord’s Day in Penge: cinemas, Sundays and local politics
11.50 – 12.10 Lucie Dutton – Contrary to the Public Interest: Lord Kitchener’s Death on Screen
12.10 – 12.25 Screening – How Lord Kitchener Was Betrayed (Percy Nash, 1921) [12 mins surviving extract with piano accompaniment]
12.25 – 12.45 – Discussion

12.45 – 14.00 LUNCH

14.00 – 15.30 Session Seven – papers
14.00 – 14.20 Ben Burrows – Seeing Sound in Silent Pictures
14.20 – 14.40 Laraine Porter – Women Working in the British Industry in the 1920s 
14.40 – 15.00 Geoff Brown – ‘Dead as the Wooden Battleship’: The fate of Silent British Features in the Transition to Sound
15.00 – 15.30 Discussion

15.30 – 16.00 Coffee Break

16.00 – 17.30 Session Eight – Discussion and Special Screening 
16.00 – 16.30 Discussion and preview of BSFF 2019: Bryony Dixon, Laraine Porter 
16.30 – 17.00 Special Screening: Toby Haggith introduces Peace on the Western Front (1930) with piano accompaniment and live narration

BOOKING IS NOW OPEN FOR THIS EVENT

One day pass: £20
Two day pass: £30

Book online at https://estore.kcl.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/academic-faculties/faculty-of-arts-humanities/department-of-film-studies/british-silent-film-festival-symposium-2019 

Queries to Lawrence.1.Napper@kcl.ac.uk

Event details

Arthur and Paula Lucas Lecture Theatre
Strand Building
Strand Campus, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS