Do you know what is the British sense of humour? Sarcasm and irony which Brits love as much as they like fish and chips in a pub or dipping biscuits into tea – well that’s an institution.‘Deadpan humour’, the ability to see the Absurdistan of our life with a portion of ability to laugh at everyday life’s situations.
This everyday life. .. without any knee-slapping moments, but a lot of cringeworthy moments when you can’t believe someone has done or said what they have… and luckily, Brits usually tend to see the funny side of this normal. Packed with this knowledge you could be sure to enjoy the 2023 Annual DAFTAS Comedy Awards as much as I did! Daftas is the address for spoofs on the BAFTA-nominated films and for the fourth year in a row, BAFTA films received their spooftastic treatment through the lense and talent of seven teams of independent comedy creators. The DAFTAS awards ceremony was held at the Museum of Comedy on March 24th, and was co-hosted by the hilarious comedians Tom Ward and Dominic Frisby.
The film challenge and awards were launched in 2019 by London-based journalist and Film Producer Tamara Orlova, the dedicated supporter of young filmmakers and actors. In just four years, the DAFTAS has provided a platform to over two hundred filmmakers – both behind and in front of the camera. And with newly-launched Mentorship Programme, the founder aims to create a fertile ground for more democratic comedy. The rules are strict: all short spoofs must be shot in two days alone, and on a shoestring budget of £300.
As for Rohmir – my mission was to announce the winner of the Best Female Actor – Eva Wallis (Lidia Tar) in Tar: Beethoven’s Fist. Eva received a special sponsor price for the best actress created by Rohmir and will be pampered in a big Rohmir showroom. They say – clothes make the man. But more importantly – life is too short to wear boring clothes. It’s amazing to watch the tiny shards of the British national satire – probably the best way to understand British humour and when do Brits laugh.
Here is the list of the shortlisted films:
1. All Quiet on The Weggstern Front (Adam McNicol)
2. Living Dead (Mark Haldor)
3. Evlis (Bec Wallen) 4. Banshees of Bexley Heath (Benjamin Oxford) 5. Snowjob (Artie Brennan)
6. Horne (Will Stan and Josh Jean-Luc) 7. Tar: Beethoven’s Fist (Hudson Hughes)
Dr Olga Roh
ROHMIR Creative Director