Rating: ★★★★

Today’s short is a 15 minute long documentary that follows one of Manchester’s biggest and best art events, known as . For a while, the founders of the event chose to keep out of the spotlight… until now! Sophie and John have taken us as an audience behind the scenes for the very first time, showing us just how much work goes into putting these events together.

Art Battle sees ten independent artists as they go head-to-head, creating their best artwork in 30 minutes which is then judged by the audience. The person with the most votes wins the event. It’s a simple concept, easy to follow, and open to all art lovers.  It’s actually something that I would personally love to attend one day!

The film was directed and captured by , following Sophie and John as they face the challenge of transforming a derelict cotton mill into a suitable venue. I thought it was a well-made project and very informative, my only criticism being the slight sound issues throughout that often made it difficult to hear what people were saying.  Aside from that, I was thoroughly entertained and loved getting a glimpse into this passion project.

As well as Art Battle’s founders, we also see a few vox pops from artists taking part in the competition. It was fascinating to see the different styles and personalities of participants from all over the UK, which really made me realise just how big this event was. If people are travelling to take part, then it must be worth it. This documentary is a great way to help even more people learn about Art Battle, and I’m happy to be spreading the word!

It’s really lovely to see people supporting independent artists like this, so if you have an interest in art, this documentary is such a good watch and very heartwarming too. You can watch the full documentary on YouTube below.

Do let me know your thoughts in the comments as I always love hearing what you all think!