Lindisfarne's Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story

Director:

Ged Clarke

Producer(s):

Tony Parker, Malcolm Gerrie, Geoff Wonfor, Ray Laidlaw

Footage Archive Producer:

Camilla Wheeler, Samantha Peters

Archival Sources:

BBC, ITV, Universal, Screen Doncaster (Howard Johnson), Mawson & Wareham Music

Production Company:

Daisybeck Studios

Country of Production:

United Kingdom

Synopsis

Brit Award winner Sam Fender goes in search of a musical hero from another era - the late, great, Alan Hull of Lindisfarne.

Sam is amazed how few people outside of his native North East know much about his hero’s work. He’s now on a mission to win back Hull’s place in music history.

In this film he traces the career of the man whose words and music put Newcastle and supergroup Lindisfarne on the musical map in the 1970s. Alan continued to write classic songs until his early death in 1995.

He spoke of love and life, championed the underdog and the misunderstood, and celebrated working-class people and his hometown - both of which he loved with a passion. Alan lived and wrote through turbulent times - writing eloquently about the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and the miners’ strike.

Sam digs out great archive interviews, performances and unseen footage, and meets friends, family and bandmates who knew Alan Hull best.

He also hears from top stars like Sting, Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler, Dave Stewart and Peter Gabriel. All were huge fans of songs such as Lady Eleanor, Fog On The Tyne, Winter Song, Clear White Light and Run For Home. But Sam also finds that Alan inspired an entire new generation of musicians like Kay Greyson: a young rapper from Tyneside. To his surprise, Sam discovers “Hully” also took the lead role in an acclaimed BBC TV primetime drama.

He reveals a complex man - a political animal, a drinker and an agitator, beset with his own insecurities but one who could break hearts and inspire minds with his lyrics and melodies.

King Rocker

Director:

Michael Cumming

Producer(s):

James Nicholls

Footage Archive Producer:

Stewart Lee

Archival Sources:

BBC Motion Gallery (Getty), ITV, MACE, Warner Music, Music Convoy

Production Company:

Krocker Film Ltd

Country of Production:

United Kingdom

Synopsis

Comedian Stewart Lee and director Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast of London), investigate a missing piece of punk history: Robert Lloyd, best known for fronting cult Birmingham bands The Prefects and The Nightingales, has survived under the radar for over four decades.But how, if at all, does Robert want to be remembered? The anti-rockumentary King Rocker weaves the story of Birmingham’s undervalued underdog autodidact into that of the city’s forgotten public sculpture of King Kong, eschewing the celebrity interview and archive-raid approach for a free-associating bricolage of Indian food, bewildered chefs, vegetable gardening, prescription medicines, pop stardom and pop art.

Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story

Director:

Bruce Ashley, Michael Donald

Producer(s):

Ian Penman, Andy Woodford, Celia Moore

Footage Archive Producer:

Kalbir Dhillon

Archival Sources:

Getty, BBC, Homer Sykes - My British Archive, Nicola Tyson - Sadie Coles Gallery, Sheila Rock Photography

Production Company:

Get Blitzed Ltd.

Country of Production:

United Kingdom

Synopsis

In strife-torn 1979 Britain, against a backdrop of strikes, blackouts, racism and homophobia, out of one small London venue called The Blitz came a generation of outrageous teenagers, working-class and art school kids, who would define the look, the sound, the style and the attitude of the ‘80s & beyond. Inspired by David Bowie and driven by a gender-bending, genre-busting desire to make it, these penniless superstars in the making from Boy George & Culture Club to Spandau Ballet, Visage, Ultravox & Sade would go on to change the face of fashion, music, sexual expression and culture across the world. This is their story.