Real to Reel was launched by the Crafts Council and Crafts magazine in May 2016 at the Picturehouse Central in London’s West End during London Craft Week. Following an open call, 36 films were selected from over 300 submissions, covering the gamut of styles from animation to satire and from documentaries to surreal art pieces. As diverse as the films are, each looks at our relationship with materials and making in different ways. Highlights included award-winning director Liam Saint-Pier...

Calling all filmmakers! Applications now open for 2018 edition Produced by the Crafts Council and Crafts magazine, Real to Reel is the first UK festival dedicated to craft and moving image. Now in its third year, the festival highlights the extraordinary talent and technique of the making and film communities. Real to Reel will return to Picturehouse Central London on 8th, 9th and 10th May 2018, to coincide with London Craft Week. Applications for submissions are now open,...

Making documentary films is a challenging and rewarding career path. Too many documentary filmmakers fall into the trap of creating the ‘talking heads’ documentary where they simply interview people against interesting or artistic backdrops. However, this form of documentary filmmaking leaves a lot to be desired. The bottom line is that ‘talking heads’ are boring to watch. If people are just going to speak about their experiences, then an account of the situation in written format woul...