China Blue scores international first

Documentary event uses new technology for live-streaming Q&A.

by Chris Docker

The first ever international live Q&A session was held at Edinburgh Filmhouse on September 14, following the British premiere of Amnesty Award-winning film China Blue.

Docspace, in association with CinemaNet Europe, used new technology to link six cinemas in Britain and the Continent to stream the Director's responses to questions from all the audiences live on the screen.

Rosemary Burnett of Amnesty Scotland and Amy Hardie of Docspace were on hand to coordinate the Scottish questions as Director Micha Peled was web-streamed live from Amsterdam after the screening of his moving documentary about two young teenage girls in a Chinese sweatshop.

A further cinema technology event - Audiences On Screen, a World Playtime & Workshop - takes place on Saturday September 30 at the DCA in Dundee.

As part of the Discovery Festival, Docspace is enabling audiences to be instant screen stars. Three short documentaries from around the world are to be followed by a workshop for children in the audience, which ends up on the screen within 15 minutes.

Using the latest digital technology, the children's response to the films will become a short music film itself.

Tracey Fearnehough, the Edinburgh-based director of the new Scottish short for children, How Many Sleeps to the Moon, says: "Docspace has brought creativity into the cinema-going experience. This is a real 21st century innovation, and will change the way we view films in the future."

For details of the Dundee event call the DCA Box Office on 01382 909900.

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