Bristol Silents was established by Chris Daniels and Norman Taylor in 2000 to promote and celebrate

silent cinema A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

in the

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

area and in the United Kingdom. The first ever event the organisation put on was a selection of

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an cultural icon, icon of the flapper culture, in part due to the bob cut, bob hairstyle that she helped ...

films in October 2000 at the Arnolfini, Bristol.Bristol Silents celebrate 10 year Anniversary
, South West Screen. The group aimed to present a range of silent films along with educational programmes in order to raise awareness and appreciation of the Silent era amongst the film going public. January, 2005 saw Bristol Silents establish the

Slapstick Festival Slapstick Festival is an annual celebration of silent, visual and classic film comedy held every year in Bristol, Southwest England. It is one of a select few events, dedicated to showcasing silent visual and classic comedy, featuring rare archi ...

in the city of Bristol. Since then, the festival has returned to the city every January and has included guests such as

Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...

Christopher Chaplin Christopher James Chaplin (born 8 July 1962) is a Swiss and English composer and actor. He is the youngest son of film comedian Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife Oona O'Neill. He is the grandson of Eugene O'Neill. Biography Christopher Chap ...

Jean Darling Jean Darling (born Dorothy Jean LeVake; August 23, 1922 – September 4, 2015) was an American child actress who was a regular in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects series from 1927–29. Prior to her death, she was one of four surviving cast ...

(of Our Gang fame) and

Diana Serra Cary Diana Serra Cary (born Peggy-Jean Montgomery; October 29, 1918 – February 24, 2020), known as Baby Peggy, was an American child film actress, vaudevillian, author and silent film historian. She was the last surviving person with a substantial ...

(aka Baby Peggy).Return of Slapstick
BBC Bristol Entertainment.

Supporters

Regular supporters of Bristol Silents have included:

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

(Film Historian and Author),

Paul McGann Paul John McGann ( ; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...

(Actor),

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

(Film Historian and Author),

Peter Lord Peter Duncan Fraser Lord CBE (born 4 November 1953) is a British animator, director, producer and co-founder of the Academy Award-winning Aardman Animations studio, an animation firm best known for its clay-animated films and shorts, particu ...

(Aardman Animations),

Chris Serle Christopher Richard Serle (13 July 1943 – 16 September 2024) was a British television presenter, reporter, and actor, best known for being a presenter on ''That's Life!'' Early life and career Serle was born in Henleaze, Bristol, on 13 July ...

(Broadcaster),

David Sproxton David Alan Sproxton (born 6 January 1954) is a British entrepreneur, best known as one of the co-founders, with Peter Lord, of the Aardman Animations studio. Sproxton was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 17 J ...

(Aardman Animations) and Richard Williams (Animator).Bristol Silents Patron Paul McGann presents: Louise Brooks at 100
Watershed, Bristol.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Bristol Silents

Slapstick Festival
Festivals in Bristol Film festivals in England

Supporters

See also

References

External links