GSFF shocker

Viewers faint watching 'visceral' short film.

by Jennie Kermode

Flamingo
Flamingo

Events took a dramatic twist yesterday when a film screening at the Glasgow Short Film Festival shocked viewers so much that two of them fainted. Bryan M Ferguson's Flamingo, which was screening in the Skinny Short Film Competition in support of his award-winning Caustic Gulp, led to one person becoming instantly unconscious whilst another became so pale and limp as to require urgent assistance.

Eye For Film's Andrew Robertson, who described the film as 'visceral', said that the woman behind him reacted so dramatically to what was shown onscreen that he was afraid she was going to throw up on his coat.

Flamingo, which stars Katie Armstrong, Stascia Bantouvakis, Kristopher Curran and Joanne Pirrie, tells the story of an aspiring dancer who befriends an obscene phone caller after they discover a mutual interest in self-amputation.

Fortunately, audience reactions as dramatic as this are rare. The last one we're aware of happened in August 2015, when horror fans at the Fantasia International Film Festival fainted and vomited during a screening of Chad Archibald's entomological transformation shocker Bite.

Share this with others on...
News

Spotlight on forgotten history Miwa Nishikawa on telling the story of post-war street orphans in Children Untold

A compulsion for cinema Thomas Bond on the secret of being a producer, the value of flaws, and Imposters

Streaming spotlight: off with their heads! Hold onto your noggin as we reflect on characters who have lost theirs entirely

'This has to be the beginning of a conversation' Peter Brunner, Caleb Landry Jones and other cast members on the social impact of Down The Arm Of God

The image of desire Adrian Chiarella on confronting re-emerging homophobia with Leviticus

Jeremy Thomas dies at 77 Producer passes away days before premiere of latest film

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival.



We're looking forward to Fantastic Fest, San Sebastian and Beyond Fest.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Venice Film Festival, Frightfest, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Muslim International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Venice announces winners


LFF Full programme announced


Venice Giornate degli Autori awards announce


Festival Scope Venice Sala Web offers chance to stream shorts for free


San Sebastian Naomi Watts to receive Donostia Award