Wednesday night saw the UK premiere of Things We Lost In The Fire. The British tabloids were given the opportunity to latch onto a catchy triple fire-related coincidence.

Firstly, is the name of the film. Secondly, before the premiere, a fire broke out in the Rugby Blue Bar, across Leicester Square from the Odeon West End cinema, sending up plumes of smoke. By the time the stars had arrived around 8 o’clock, the fire was well under hand, and had no actual effect on the screening.

Thirdly, Halle Berry in attendance at the showing of the not really fire-related film, has a California home that is currently at risk from the Hollywood fires, along with the homes of several hundred thousand other Americans.

Brilliant. The film is drawing comparisons to Monsters Ball and is said to be an accomplished feature. Co-star Benicio Del Toro has done some distinctly dud features in the past, such as Way of the Gun, but will hopefully be on good form for 2008, which will see him play Che Guevara in Steven Soderbergh’s Cuban Communism double bill The Argentine and Guerilla.

The night also saw the premiere of Unrelated, telling the story of the middle-aged Anna (Kathryn Worth) and the crisis that she faces over her identity whilst visiting an Italian family.

Joanna Hogg’s debut feature has gained praise for its honest and credible analysis of the character, and could be the start of a promising career.

Meanwhile, the ironically titled Death to Short Film 2 gathered a selection of films from as far a field as Israel, Poland, France, and the UK. Covering subjects ranging from romance, family, and schoolyard tribulations over the use of hallucinogenics.

It is a credit to the festival that screenings like this take place, presenting material that would all too easily be missed in the pile of mass-marketed blockbusters.