May 08, 2008

Indie Film, Control, Screening in Singapore

By News Desk

MTV Asia and Lumina Live! are proud to premiere Control, the long-awaited movie about seminal English band Joy Division's late frontman, Ian Curtis. Hailed as "the best film of the year: a tender, bleakly funny and superbly acted biopic of Curtis" by The Guardian newspaper in 2007, it is directed by veteran music video director and photographer Anton Corbijn. The film focuses on the tumultuous last years of Curtis' life before he committed suicide in 1980, shortly before the band was to depart for its first American tour, at the age of 23.

Organised by Lumina Live! Pte Ltd, ticketed public screenings of Control at The Substation Theatre from May 10 - 11 2008. The black and white biopic stars BAFTA (Orange British Academy Film Awards) nominee Sam Riley as Ian Curtis, and Samantha Morton as his wife Deborah Curtis. CONTROL premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim and won the Best British Independent Film and other key awards at the British Independent Film Awards. The screenplay is based on the book, Touching From a Distance, by Curtis' wife, Deborah, who was the co-producer of the film.

To pay tribute to one of the most influential bands from the UK and commemorate the premiere of CONTROL in Singapore, the cinematic experience will be enhanced through additional elements organized by Lumina Live!: an exhibition of the film and of Joy Division, as well as a Joy Division design-inspired Gibson guitar charity auction.

Contents of the exhibition include an informative look at the movie, as well as the band. Exclusive and rare footages of Joy Division's past interviews and performances will be shown as part of the entire experience. Visitors will also enjoy the Gibson Sound Booth at the exhibition, where they will be allowed first hand experience to try an amped-up Gibson guitar.

5 Les Paul Studio electric guitars, 4 donated by Gibson Guitar and 1 by Lumina Live!, will be custom-designed by 5 established local creative agencies:
1) Asylum
2) Ffurious
3) H55
4) Phunk Studios AND
5) Werk

Each agency will customise the guitar based on inspiration from the band and its music. The guitars will be available for public auction online on Ebay from May 1 - May 11 at http://www.ebay.com.sg/control and showcased at the Substation from May 9 - 11. All proceeds will be donated to the appointed charity, Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), for the event. Log on to www.luminalive.sg for more bidding information.

Tickets are available for sale at S$14 each from http://www.gatecrash.com.sg/events/CONTROL.php and covers single entry to the movie. More information on screening times is available below in the 'Public Screening Details of Control section.