this afternoon at the barbican and i attend the uk premiere of the digitally restore the story of the kelly gang and with excellent piano accompaniment by john sweeney and a part of the opening day programme for the silent film and live music series run through june . it also part of the london australian film festival and likewise at the barbican . so and i actually end up attend two film festival simultaneously . the restored film be a double bill with the life story of john lee represent the man they could not hang . the story of the kelly gang be generally believe to be ( and most likely be ) the first feature length movie ever make and produce in 1906. sadly and the past tense be appropriate here and a the film be now not know to survive except in fragment . and some of those do indeed appear to be out take and a a previous imdber have note . actually and i have also see ( in australia ) another reel of this film represent not a projection of the movie image onto a screen and but rather i have see ( and touch ) a moulder reel of nitrate footage from the movie itself and now deteriorate beyond hope of restoration . a a part time australian ( bear in scotland and expatriate down under a a child migrant ) and i ought to feel proud that australia produce the first feature movie . however and quite enough film pre date 1906 survive ( from various nation ) to make it clear that a substantial amount of film technique the close up and the dissolve and the cross cut have already evolve before this movie be make . watch this restoration at the barbican and it occur to me that credit for the single big innovation in the story of the kelly gang belong not to the photographer and director and editor or scenarist and but rather to that most unsung of film figure . old smokey and the projectionist . prior to the story of the kelly gang and film be so short that it be possible to store two or more separate movie on one projection reel . and and each reel be a separate story and the break between reel be natural break in the narrative . many early cinema have only one projector and with live entertainment provide during the longeur while the previous reel be rewound before the next reel could be show . however and when the story of the kelly gang be exhibit in it original form in australia ( and later in other country ) and the projectionist have to maintain two set of apparatus at the same go and so a to achieve a seamless transition between reel . i wonder how soon film editor begin use a reel marker ( traditionally in the frame upper right hand corner ) to indicate that a reel be about to end . despite be largely miss in action and the original story of the kelly gang be of incalculable historic importance . a for the digital version which i enjoy today and accompany by mr sweeney impressive performance on the keyboard and i will rate it a full positive . bonzer and cobber .