THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS: No Dress Rehearsal

enquires mark.ashmore@futureartists.co.uk

@Futureartists on twitter

 

 

Welcome to the ‘Greatest show never seen’

the mysterious world of an invisible circus, on the fringes of society,

hidden away in Bristol’s underground art scene.

JOIN US!!!!!!! HERE

Invisible Circus : No Dress Rehearsal

Genre: Documentary (Arts), Runtime : 98min

Director: Naomi Smyth, Distributer : Future Artists

 

Meet the ring master of this invisible circus Doug Francis as he leads Bristol’s anarchist circus from margins to mainstream with the motto ‘If it’s not impossible, we’re not interested’.

The film’s 3 year span takes them from chaotic squat crew to licensed building managers with huge show budgets – via rotting garages, crumbling cathedrals and a takeover of Bristol’s ex-police HQ. Doug collaborates with developers to use derelict space for circus spectacles and working arts spaces. Relationships in the close team reveal the gain and the pain of success, but they’re still working for free. Profit or loss?

 

SCREENING AT A CINEMA NEAR YOU

Cube Cinema Bristol (Preview) 7th Feb : SOLD OUT

Watershed, Bristol, Saturday May 28th 2011, 2pm, SOLD OUT!!!!

Nationwide release from 29th SEPTEMBER host/book a screening…

Or contact Mark.Ashmore@Futureartists.co.uk

BUY THE DVD

Now on Amazon…. Limited Edition Release 100 copies (as of 6th july 2011 – 67 left)

Unique 1 to 100, Handcrafted by the Director herself…

Each disk is full colour printed with limited edition art work,

Each Disk comes with a copy of the ‘Carny Times’ with a free magic lantern show!

the magic lantern show is called a dvd! each one is number individually 1 to 100 and SIGNED by the film’s Director, and priced at £12.99 each for a work of art + Film

Each one comes in a protective 12 inch cover, and bubble packed… dispatched within 48hours…

Close up on the Disk, Original Art work created for the film!

 

Above: Carny times and magic lantern show, this is number 35 of 100 copies only!

Find out more, click the link below and head over to Amazon now!

WATCH ONLINE : INSTANT STREAMING

 

 

What the critics have said

“Naomi’s film is a look at one of the most exciting stories to happen in Bristol in recent years and she was in a unique position to document Invisible Circus supremo Doug Francis and his cohorts as they let their imaginations run riot.” (Bristol Culture)

“The fascinating characters drew me in, both as a filmmaker and on a personal level, and 3 years later I had 300 hours of footage and a LOT of editing to do. In that time the circus had occupied a Wetherspoons pub, a washing machine showroom, a small police station, a huge wrecked Cathedral, and finally an enormous Police & Fire station in the centre of town (Bristol). They had also created and performed around 17 new shows and facilitated hundreds of other artists to showcase their work. It was full power, no-budget creativity and it put them all under a lot of strain- but exhilarating too.” (Encounters film festival)

 

“There is one circus, The Invisible Circus, who hold all and more of the magic that comes with the old and new; from the hard graft and creativity, to the luxury/despairs of liberation. I’ve been fascinated with them since I moved to Bristol, where they’re based.” (Amelia’s Magazine)

 

Meet the film’s director, and chat about the film online, tweet the director, join the

facebook fanpage

 

My Name is Naomi Smyth I have produced a self funded feature documentary on the

Invisible Circus.

(Drop me a tweet! here)

 

 

I am distributing the film during 2011

Invisible Circus is the story of a community of artists and anarchists with a kaleidoscope of talents and a novel approach to Bristol’s glut of derelict buildings.

From squatting a four-storey garage and turning it into an open arts centre for four months, they earn the support of the council and end up negotiating with developers for temporary use of their buildings. The community first renovate a gorgeous cathedral and stage two months of stunning performance and art events.

When they move out so the owners can turn it into flats, leader Doug negotiates the keys to Bristol’s old Police HQ for two years, hoping they can create a European-style centre for art and ideas in the middle of the commercial district.

But in the wave of development sweeping Bristol clubs, pubs, theatres, galleries and community spaces are under threat from lucrative apartment and office blocks. Is the trade-off worth it, or are the team being used as a PR tool while the creative heartbeat of Bristol is stilled by corporate development?

 

Get fan updates, we want you to come to our secret screenings and

 

parties, send you behind the scenes film and extras

 

that we can’t fit on the dvd and loads of other cool things.

 

But not too much, one e-mail a month is enough!