reviews / press

'McLellan and team accomplish something in ABE’s short 7 minutes that Hollywood can’t seem to muster up the talent or courage to in a 90-minute feature: Scare the goddamn bejeezus out of you with words and ideas [...]  I’m probably not focusing enough on the summer-blockbuster-worthy CGI rendering of the titular robot, the dynamic close-quarters cinematography or the genuine look of terror in actress Claire Huskisson’s eyes – but that’s only because those are well-produced and laudable elements of a much greater overall achievement. In a single scene, ABE trumps most recent big-budget serial killer films by demonstrating how to effectively strike lasting, thought-provoking fear into the hearts of your audience without evoking a guttural, gross-out response. This is a stunning, terrifying short in the grand robotic tradition of Asimov. You owe it to yourself to see a movie that brings comparison to science fiction’s grandest icon.' C. Ryan Stemple, Quark Magazine review 06/05/13

'I was hugely impressed with UK filmmaker Rob Mcllelan's philosophical sci-fi short ABE. It's simple, great looking and the visual effects are spectacular. I have rarely seen a CG character with such presence and weight onscreen, and certainly not from an indie venture. If only Hollywood held such high standards.'  The Horror Section,review Jay Clarke, 27/05/13

'The breathtaking cinematography of the reconstruction footage (beautifully shot by DoP Kate Reid) is contrasted with the grainy, handycam scenes filmed by the extremists themselves, which chillingly recall the infamous terrorist hostage videos that have become a staple part of news media in the digital age. A fascinating and emotive film debut that is as nail-bitingly tense as it is thought-provoking'  Bradford International Film Festival 

'Cinematographer Kate Reid captures the rugged beauty of the landscape'   Nigel Floyd, Time Out London, Issue 2119, April 2011

'...Cinematographer Kate Reid does a terrific job in capturing the bleak beauty of the Isle of Mull, with plenty of aerial shots to reinforce the island's rugged charm. The images, meshed with Ilan Eshkeri and Jeff Toyne’s stirring score, give the film a classy feel....'   Mark Adams, Chief Film Critic, Screen Daily, March 31st, 2011   

'BLOODED is worth a watch, if only for attempting something different among the slew of found footage/mock docs we’ve had in the last few years and for DoP Kate Reid's work; if she can produce images like this again (which the movie is a little too reliant on) then she'll be the best cinematographer we've produced in Blighty since Sam McCurdy' - Displacement Activity, March 19, 2011 

'Picture-Postcard beautiful and very frightening'  - Nev Pierce, Empire Magazine  

'A stunning debut and thrillingly tense- a genuine British must - see'   - Michael Deeley, Prodcer of The Italian Job, Blade Runner and The Deer Hunter

'A bold and thought-provoking film that will get your blood-pumping' Adam Woodward, Little White Lies

The Joy of Six* Review: Scrubber (Directed by Romola Garai) The only female director in this compendium also offers up its best film, a genuinely mysterious and disturbing suburban nightmare about a young mother's fondness for various devient nighttime activities. Playing with the notion that childbirth inevitably leads to a life of parental servitude, it's a film which adopts an extreme situation as a metaphor for the realities of living life at the near-total service of another. Boasting beautiful wintery photography by one-to-watch cinematographer Kate Reid and a commanding, chillingly naturalistic central performance from Amanda Hale, the film presents Garai as a remarkable directorial tallent who clearly has a firm grasp of what cinema is and what it can be used for. Here's hoping its not too long before she decides to go feature length. 

- David Jenkins, Little White Lies, 8/11/12  Read the full review here

Film Review: The Joy of Six (Short Films) '...Garai’s camera constantly lurks around the corner from her characters, slowly creeping up on Amanda Hale’s engrossing, conflicted female. Caught between her desires and responsibilities, Kate Reid’s stunning cinematography presents the remote landscape as Jenny’s literal and emotional limbo...'

Ivan Radford, I-Flicks.net  Read the read the full article here

'Scrubber, the aforementioned title directed by Garai, is perhaps the collections most intriguing and well-executed entry. It centres on Jenny (Amanda Hale), a single mother who decides to leave her baby with a next door neighbour and explore the area surrounding her house. When she reaches the road, she's picked up by a passing stranger and forced to choose between the unfamiliar and the familiar. Garai's direction, much like her acting, is tight and fixed, with Kate Reid's cinematography perfectly capturing Jenny's inner conflict.'

- Jamie Neish, CineVue Joy of Six* DVD review 

Her Film Project interview and my involvement in the film

'It’s a stirring story that is skillfully rendered [...] Throughout the tight, well paced film, Williams emerges as a colorful, combative, articulate presence.' Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter 06/20/13

'It's a well-made film..., the movie taut, compact, and strong—just like its titular star.' Jonathan Scott, Tennis, 04/07/13

'While DuVernay keeps the focus on these insights and the facts, she also wisely fills VENUS VS with nail-biting game footage that should captivate even non-tennis fans and have audiences rooting for Williams from the start. This dynamic documentary shows us how Williams also forced the walls to close in on Wimbledon.' Alison Loring, Film School Rejects, 24/06/13

'Ava DuVernay's documenary on Venus Williams' fight for equal pay for female tennis stars is a promising start to ESPN's 'Nine for IX' woman-focused series.' Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times 02/07/13

'The effect of this contrast in compositions makes the clear the change in public (and publicly expressed) attitudes as well as in the ways athletes and their stories are told and understood. These visual choices, so striking and so precise, open up Venus Vs. to yet another set of contexts, extending beyond the ongoing effort to achieve women’s equality in sports. These choices speak subtly to the ongoing transformation of sports as entertainment, the possibilities of documentary and the art of storytelling, and the many sorts of language and image that help individuals understand one another.' Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters, 02/07/13

'People, pop the popcorn, grab your sodas and get comfy because "Venus Vs." is a must watch film.'  Viva La Feminista 02/7/13

Writer/director Leanne Welham nicely utilizes a throbbing soundtrack to accentuate her short film Nocturn. Tamzin Malleson, Jennie Jacques and Gregg Chillin star in this English film about a family woman who is seduced by sex and danger into joining a very passionate young couple on an overnight romp through the countryside. Forced to confront long dormant feelings, the woman is left shaken in her stance on life.  Welham's short film is beautifully shot - nicely utilizing the thick, lush shadows cast on the trio's nocturnal shenanigans. The short’s trio of actors all turn in great performances — never slipping into late-night Cinemax territory although the subject matter could have certainly lead them astray.

- Robert Saucedo, SXSW'11: Spotlight on Shorts   

'Welham does a lot with very little in her film [...] It’s refreshing to be able to experience an entire story through a short, voyeuristic peek into a character’s life.' - Article on Nocturn by Alice Gray / Sight and Sound / March 2011 

Article in the Guardian by director Leanne Welham

'...the most thought provoking and enjoyable film was Nocturn (2010), which scooped both the producing and XX awards.'  Anna McNay / Review of the Underwire Winners Screening at LSFF/ Jan 2011