Please arrive by 730. Films will begin at 8
Celebrating the long and rich collaboration of Mike Stubbs and Roland Denning, two remarkable
independent filmmakers pushing the boundaries of non-fiction storytelling. We will be screening a selection of work by both, as well as a series of collaborative films made by under their joint production company METAMEDIA, active from 1994 to 2005. Hosted by Isobel Landell Mills
The films will be the following:
Metamedia Productions
Homing (11mins)
Little England (4mins35)
Gift (14 mins)
Man Act (4mins20)
Mike Stubbs
Zero (10 mins)
Who can eat the hottest curry? (58secs)
Cultural quarter (10mins20)
Life Water (5mins4)
Roland Denning
Everything is Under Control (6mins25)
Your order is now complete (4mins40)
Everything we know about you (7mins)
Roland Denning is a freelance filmmaker with a career spanning several decades. Specialising in
documentary and drama, he has worked as a cameraman, director, producer, and writer. His
projects range from art films to feature documentaries, including his work with METAMEDIA
(1994-2005), co-founding Perception Management Productions, and collaborating on the feature
documentary Mirage Men. Based mostly in London, Denning also engages in personal creative
ventures involving found footage, photography, and writing, and previously worked at Cardiff’s
Chapter Arts Centre. Known for his eclectic work, Denning creates both narrative observational
films and more experimental pieces, often utilising archive material and found footage. His films
explore themes of modern life, technology, and human behaviour, blending sharp humour with
visual storytelling. His work has won awards at the Portobello Film Festival.
Mike Stubbs is an artist, filmmaker, and curator whose work explores how people find meaning
in daily life, focusing on themes like machines, innovation, ecology, and class. His practice blends
early video art, filmmaking, performance, and curating, often through interdisciplinary research
and collaboration. Stubbs has worked internationally as an arts leader, with significant roles
including Director of FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), Head of Program for
ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), and founding director of Hull Time Based Arts.
Born in Welwyn Garden City and raised in Bedford, Stubbs’ personal experiences, including his
father’s work in innovation, deeply inform his artistic approach. He has produced and
commissioned over 350 exhibitions, including high-profile collaborations with Nam June Paik,
Pipilotti Rist, and Krzysztof Wodiczko. His films often capture surreal, ambiguous scenarios,
reflecting his interest in the precariousness of life and humanity’s impact on the planet.
Stubbs has also co-founded METAMEDIA, a production company with Roland Denning, and
several art festivals including Abandon Normal Devices (AND) and the ROOT (Running Out of
Time) Festival. His work continues to make an impact in the realms of arts leadership and
advocacy.
Isobel Landell Mills is a curator and filmmaker, interested in personal and collective myth making. She is curating a season of film screenings at the Torriano and is currently working on several independent documentary projects.
