In the week before the British theatrical release of his new documentary My Winnipeg and the BFI retrospective of his films, Guy Maddin came to London to introduce some preview screenings of his work. Alex Fitch caught up with the director and they chatted about My Winnipeg, Guy’s interests and influences as a filmmaker and his career on screen so far.
Interview by Alex Fitch

As befits his style, Guy Maddin has chosen incidents from the city’s past that benefit from Byzantine retelling – the horrific tale of a herd of race horses trapped in a frozen river, a local bridge that was destined for Egypt and dreams of foreign climes, the buffalo stampede that destroyed Happyland, an amusement park reclaimed by the homeless and re-erected on the city’s rooftops.
Feature by Alex Fitch

Guy Maddin learned his craft as part of a local filmmaking initiative, the Winnipeg Film Group, which exists both as an art-house cinema and as a resource for local filmmakers. Alex Fitch talked to Cecilia Araneda, executive director of the WFG, about the work of the organisation and Guy Maddin’s involvement with it.
Interview by Alex Fitch

2008 was a year of innovations for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Not only did it move from its usual August date to an earlier June slot, but it also unveiled a brand new section entitled ‘Under the Radar’, described by the festival organisers as ‘celebrating the true spirit of “cult” film’.
Feature by Virginie Sélavy

Without doubt, the pick of the festival was Swedish director Tomas Alfredsson’s excellent Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in), an intelligent, well-paced vampire movie, which deservedly won the top award for best narrative feature at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Review by Pamela Jahn

Olly Blackburn, the director of the risque new British feature Donkey Punch, talked to Electric Sheep at the Edinburgh Festival about genre cinema and the making of a British thriller. Actors Jay Taylor and Rob Boulter were also on hand to talk about the characters they play in the film and the moral dilemmas they face.
Interview by Sarah Cronin

Alone at last, Bette Davis reaches out for the object of her desire: a deliciously alluring mink coat. Caressing the fur, Davis envelops herself in its sensual embrace, looks longingly at her own reflection and twirls around the pokey living room.
Feature by Eleanor McKeown

The rules of the straight 8 competition are simple; apply to compete, get sent a registered Super 8 cartridge and get three months to make your film. The only editing allowed is what you can do on the camera itself and the suspense of darkroom development is magnified by the competition, as the winners see their films for the very first time when they are being screened to an entire cinema audience.
Feature by Lisa Williams

Bochum Welt, aka Gianluigi Di Costanzo, combines day-time toiling in Silicon Valley with nocturnal recordings for the Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label. Here, he discusses his 10 favourite movies.
Interview by Nick Dutfield