Franny Armstrong

Franny Armstrong is a documentary film director.

Biography

Franny's first documentary, McLibel (1997, 2005), told the inside story of the infamous McDonald's libel trial. Filmed over ten years with no commission, no budget and a voluntary crew - including Ken Loach, who directed the courtroom reconstructions - it shot to notoriety after getting stopped by lawyers at first BBC1 and then Channel 4 on its first release in 1997. Eight years later - after the 'McLibel Two' had defeated the British government at the European Court of Human Rights - it was finally broadcast on BBC2 to excellent viewing figures (1 million at 10.30 pm on Sunday), and fantastic reviews. It was then broadcast on TV in 15 countries - including Australia, Canada and America - and released on DVD worldwide. [http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com Cinema Libre] distributors released McLibel in American cinemas and DVD stores in summer 2005 and Revelation followed in the UK in 2006. McLibel was nominated for (but never won) numerous awards, including the [http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson_2007.htm Grierson Documentary Award] and the British Independent Film Awards. It was recently picked for the British Film Institute's prestigious series, "Ten Documentaries which changed the World".

Franny's second feature doc, 'Drowned Out' (2002), follows an Indian family who chose to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada Dam. It too sold around the world, was nominated for 'Best Documentary' at the British Independent Film Awards 2004 and was released theatrically in America and DVD worldwide in 2006.

With zero backing from the UK TV industry, Franny's films have been seen by more than 56 million people. She has been working full-time on [http://www.crudemovie.net 'The Age of Stupid'] (formerly known as 'Crude') since December 2004.

Filmography

*"McLibel (film)"
*"Drowned Out"
*" [http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/ba.html Baked Alaska] "
*"The Age of Stupid"

Reviews

"A beacon to the grassroots filmmaking community" - [http://www.documentary.org/resources/magazine.php International Doc Mag]
"When, in a few years' time, Franny Armstrong is being discussed as one of the key documentary film-makers of our generation, you can say you were in there at the start" - [http://www.dvdoutsider.co.uk/ DVD Outsider]
"Insatiable... inspiring... revolutionary... your hero" - [http://www.channel4.com/ Channel 4]

External links

*
* [http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/stories/s416896.htm ABC Australia interview with Franny, 28.09.1999]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1150496,00.html Guardian article on film-making with no money by Franny, 18.02.2004]
* [http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=1505 Camden New Journal "Franny's fight to keep villages above water", 26.08.2004]
* [http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=1520 Filmmaker Magazine "Best Kept Secret", 21.10.2004]
* [http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=1564 Time Out "Don't Miss..." 03.11.2004]
* [http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=1818 Shooting People interview with Franny about McLibel 05.04.2005]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/franny-armstrong.shtml BBC Storyville Director Interview, 07.05.2005]
* [http://www.dvdoutsider.co.uk/articles/articles/s/spanner.html DVD Outsider "A Spanner in the Works", 01.06.2005]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2002346111_mclibel24.html Seattle Times "Daring to fight the Golden Arches", 24.06.2005]
* [http://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/081805/f081805_01.htm Camden New Journal "Spanner in the Works", 18.08.2005]
* [http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/mclibel/veganmagazineautumn2005.html Vegan Magazine "McLibel: Making a Stand", 01.09.2005]
* [http://www.broadcastfreelancer.com/broadcast/content/ViewEditorialContentStory.do?contentId=1282 Broadcast Freelancer report from the Sheffield Documentary Festival, 18.10.2005]
* [http://www.channel4.com/blogs/page/fourdocs?entry=crude_franny_armstrong_s_new BBC FourDocs interview with Franny, 18.10.2007]
* [http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=3090 Feature Doc: The Films of Franny Armstrong, 04.11.07]
* [http://www.oneclimate.net/group/spanner-films?oc_sectionid=22 OneClimate.net article about Drowned Out, 14.11.2007]
* [http://www.crudemovie.net/pathauto/franny_armstrong Franny's page on the making of The Age of Stupid, 2008]
* [http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=Northlondon24&category=fscamdentown&itemid=WeED03%20Jan%202008%2014:05:44:793&tBrand=Northlondon24&tCategory=search Hampstead and Highgate Express interview with Franny, 03.01.2008]
* [http://undercurrentsvideo.blogspot.com/2008/02/age-of-stupid.html Undercurrents Alternative News "Preview Screening to raise final cash for The Age of Stupid", 14.02.2008]
* [http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/arts_entertainment/film_tv/petes+green+documentary/1580147 The Age of Stupid on Channel 4 News, 17.02.2008]
* [http://www.oneclimate.net/2008/02/18/the-age-of-stupid/ One Climate.net article about The Age of Stupid, 18.02.2008]
* [http://www.slnn.com/index.php?SCREEN=article&about=age-of-stupid-screening Second Life News feature about The Age of Stupid, 25.02.2008]
* [http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/2008/frannyarmstrong.htm Franny is on the Best Documentary Jury at the Bird's Eye View Film Festival, 6-13.03.2008]