Cinema's fart-themed comedy festival deemed a blast

Farts and art were two of the main attractions at the 2022 SCOFF, Campbeltown Picture House’s homegrown Scottish Comedy Film Festival.

 

The usually annual festival, which had an enforced break because of the Covid-19 pandemic, made a welcome return last weekend.

 

Across the three-day event, the cinema screened a range of comedy classics, with a top trump double bill on Friday and the chance to enjoy a hidden treasure alongside a much-loved modern classic with Le Petomane and Shaun of the Dead.

 

The rarely seen short Le Petomane stars Leonard Rossiter, playing Joseph Pujol with his 'elastic anus' which made him an international star.

 

The highest paid artist of the Moulin Rouge had the amazing ability to control his farts and reduce audience members to hysterical wrecks – with nurses in attendance at his shows to assist those overcome with laughter.

 

Five-star classic Shaun of the Dead features Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two slackers forced to save their friends and families from flesh-eating zombies.

 

On Saturday, the cinema welcomed one of the world’s finest silent film accompanists to perform live, when musician, composer, television and radio broadcaster and writer Neil Brand presented Laurel and Hardy.

 

Fully illustrated with stills, clips – both silent and sound – and Neil’s superlative piano accompaniment, the show culminated in two of the world’s greatest comedy team’s best silent short films, Big Business and Liberty.

 

The fart theme continued on Sunday when the cinema held what's believed to be a world first ‘guff-along’ Captain Underpants.

 

Filmmaker Alasdair Satchel – dressed as a giant whoopie cushion – demonstrated the serious business of making a range of convincing chuff, guff, toot and parp noises.

 

The children of the audience, armed with free whoopie cushions of their own, then let rip along with the Fart Orchestra during the screening.

 

Throughout the weekend, people of all ages were invited to model characters out of plasticine under the expert eye of model maker extraordinaire Jim Parkyn of Aardman Animations fame.

 

Jim then combined the colourful characters on a painting of the cinema to create an eye-catching ‘Amazing Scene’ of comedy film characters.

 

"attachment_793729" "aligncenter" "300"] The finished ‘Amazing Scene’ made by cinema visitors and model-making maestro Jim Parkyn.

 

SCOFF producer Ailsa MacKenzie said: ‘We had a funny fantastic SCOFF weekend, with a rare screening of Le Petomane; Neil Brand, one of the world’s leading silent film accompanists, making his first visit to Campbeltown for his Laurel and Hardy show; trumpy fun with Captain Underpants, lots of whoopie cushions and the world’s first guff-along; and of course model-making maestro Jim Parkyn’s Amazing Scene Machine.’

 

‘SCOFF will be back in 2023,’ added Campbeltown Picture House manager Ellen Mainwood. ‘In the meantime, there’s a selection of the best international comedy films in SCOFF's Universally Funny programme to enjoy over the next few months.’