Tag: cinema

Award-winning nature film completes line up of upcoming Wildscreen Film Festival showcase

  • Wildscreen has announced the full programme for their upcoming two-day natural world storytelling film screening showcase, with tickets available for as little as £12.
  • Four-time Panda Award winning film, ‘My Garden of a Thousand Bees’, and an impressive list of Scottish artists and filmmakers complete the line up.
  • Additional networking opportunities will give delegates, both professionals and enthusiasts, a chance to connect with key players in the Scottish natural history TV and film industry.

Wildscreen, the leading conservation charity, has revealed the full line up for their two-day natural world storytelling film showcase, taking place at the Glasgow Science Centre on 18th-19th March, 2023, with tickets available for as little as £12.

‘My Garden of a Thousand Bees’, winner of the coveted Golden Panda Award at the 2022 Festival and Royal Television Society Programme Award 2023 nominee, joins the jam-packed agenda alongside other film screenings exploring the lives of some of nature’s most underrepresented and enduring stories.

The showcase will also feature talks and Q&A sessions from global filmmakers and conservationists, with a celebration of renowned and emerging Scottish talent speaking at the event.

New to the Glasgow Roadshow is ‘My Garden of a Thousand Bees’, winner of four Panda Awards AKA the Green Oscars and it has been recently nominated in the Science & The Natural World category at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2023.

Directed by acclaimed Bristol-based wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, it explores the fascinating lives of bees living in his urban garden during lockdown. Following the screening, a Q&A, featuring two of the team who worked on the film – Glasgow-based music composer Fraser Purdie and Olivia Massey, will take place providing a chance to uncover the secrets behind this inspiring nature documentary.

The panel will also feature Jasmine Isa Qureshi, ambassador for the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust and will be chaired by Jackie Savery, Director and Founder of Glasgow production company Maramedia.

Other screening highlights, including ‘Panteras, Living Among Wild Cats’ and ‘Wild Romania’, allow attendees to experience the lives of the last wild cats on earth and the best-kept secrets in Europe’s wilderness. The Young Programmers Selection sees a carefully selected series of short films curated by local creative talent.

There will also be a collection of films exploring the latest efforts in ocean conservation featuring an expert panel, including Save our Seas’ Science Communicator, Dr. Isla Hodgson and Scottish Artivist, Rachel Brooks.

Lucie Muir, CEO of Wildscreen, said: “Glasgow has a long history as a hub for natural world storytelling and environmental action, as a previous European City of Culture and home to the recent COP26 conference.

“This Roadshow allows us to bring our selection of acclaimed films to Scotland, whilst giving a platform to local filmmaking talent. Delegates will get a chance to understand some of nature’s most fascinating stories at a time when climate action and conservation are most needed. If you have an interest in natural history, this is not one to miss.”

A separate networking drinks reception, at the Saramago Terrace Bar, CCA on Friday 17th March, will take place before the showcase, with opportunities to catch up with existing colleagues and make new connections in the natural world filmmaking industry. The Glasgow Roadshow is supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland, and it is sponsored by the Save our Seas Foundation.

Tickets are still available from as little as £12 with a variety of passes and concessions available to those seeking employment, in full-time education, registered disabled or over the age of 65. Free tickets and attendance support are available to local community groups working with underrepresented young people. Please do reach out to find out more.

See the full programme here.

Bringing nature films into the city! Glasgow hosts Wildscreen screenings

  • Glasgow has been selected to host Wildscreen’s two day film screening and networking event.
  • A brand new gathering for the city sees a clutch of screenings from Wildscreen Festival’s Official Selection 2022, including ‘Panteras, Living Among Wild Cats’ and ‘Wild Romania’.
  • The event is supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland and sponsored by Save our Seas Foundation.
  • Tickets are now on sale with both day and weekend passes available.

Returning to the city for the first time since 2016, Glasgow will host the first ever Wildscreen Roadshow event, a two day natural world storytelling film celebration. Taking place on 18th – 19th March at Tower North in the Glasgow Science Centre, the event has several film screenings, talks and Q&A sessions.

The films, from Wildscreen Festival’s Official Selection 2022, include ‘Panteras, Living Among Wild Cats’ and ‘Wild Romania’, as well as a series of three ocean films and the Young Programmers Selection. In addition, leading industry filmmakers and conservationists will be taking part in discussions and presentations, bringing global storytellers to Scotland.

Opening the event, which is supported by Screen Scotland, is the Wildscreen Festival Official Selection Programmer Prize Winner 2022 ‘Panteras, Living Among Wild Cats’, directed by Andoni Canela (Spain). It follows the renowned nature photographer and his son as they travel in search of the last wild cats on the planet. The full Saturday programme is set to be published in the coming weeks.

Sunday will begin with a series of ocean conservation films, including ‘CAUGHT’, directed by Emma Silverstone Segal (Canada) and ‘Whales in a Changing Ocean’, directed by Richard Sidey (New Zealand), followed by a Q&A with underwater filmmakers and marine conservationists.

The Young Programmers Selection will feature a carefully selected collection of short films curated by young programmers. Closing the two-day event, ‘Wild Romania’, directed by Dan Dinu and Cosmin Dumitrache and Wildscreen Festival Official Selection Audience Award Winner 2022, will follow the four seasons of the year to unveil the best kept secrets of Europe’s wilderness.​​​​​​

Gail Robertson, Screen Education Officer at Creative Scotland: “This event addresses a continued and vital need to provide young people with an opportunity to engage with climate change issues, natural filmmaking, and the screen industry.

“We hope it encourages their future involvement in all these arenas and tells them that their presence and voices in this area are not just welcome, but a necessity.”

Lucie Muir, CEO of Wildscreen, said: “Following our most successful festival to date alongside the launch of our Global Hubs in 2022, our Glasgow Roadshow will help us to further the crucial discussions around natural world storytelling. We must bring filmmaking into cities where people perhaps feel more of a disconnection from wildlife but still have a curiosity about nature.

“As the planet and biodiversity face increasing threats from climate change, our showcase will help to highlight some of the most underrepresented stories and voices from across the world whilst inspiring those in Glasgow and across Scotland to find their own stories closer to home. The time for action is now and we invite you to join us next month in what is our first of many Roadshows.”

Glasgow was chosen to host the showcase as it is considered the home of natural history in Scotland, with leading television and film production companies, including Maramedia and Hello Halo, also based in the city. As a previous European City of Culture, it has a long heritage and history with arts, creativity and storytelling.

Tickets are now on sale from as little as £12 with a variety of passes and concessions available to those seeking employment, in full-time education, registered disabled or over the age of 65.

The event is supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland, who is providing funding specifically to help underrepresented young people in the area, and it is sponsored by Save our Seas Foundation.

Find out more here.

Love around The Quarter!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for love? 

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for that someone special, or you’re planning the ultimate date night, St James Quarter is your go to destination. 

From heavenly scents at H Beauty, champagne truffles from Hotel Chocolat, jewellery to treasure at Beaverbrooks, premium beauty at Rituals and Aesop, luxury leather goods at Coach and Kate Spade, stylish homewares at John Lewis and new season fashions at Boss and Zara – there’s plenty of gift ideas that are sure to put you in your Valentine’s good books!   

If it’s a memorable date night you’re after, you’ll be spoilt for choice with an array of enticing eating and drinking destinations. There are creative cocktails in The Alchemist, authentic Mediterranean sharing platters at The Real Greek and mouth-watering burgers at Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger.

For the early birds out there, EL&N are pulling out all the stops, providing the ideal date day with Insta-worthy shimmering mocktails and ruby pink hot chocolates, perfect for Cupid himself, alongside delicious cakes coated in lashings of heavenly buttered cream.  

Guests looking to celebrate in style can visit Everyman Cinema to enjoy a first-class movie going experience and cosy up on a comfortable love seat. Those wanting to indulge in a little luxury can visit acclaimed restaurant Duck & Waffle to enjoy a specially curated Valentine’s Day set menu with champagne on arrival, snacks for the table, a choice of specially created dishes and delightful pink truffles to finish. 

As part of St James Quarter’s Valentine’s celebrations, from Thursday, 9th February, guests are invited to visit the ‘Crazy in Love’ booth on Level 2, outside John Lewis, to record a video reciting the craziest thing they did for love to be in with a chance of winning an incredible date night experience at St James Quarter; to be enjoyed with your Valentine, Galentine, best buddy or favourite family member – the choice is yours!  

On 11th and 14th February, St James Quarter will be sharing its own tokens of affection with guests by giving away a limited number of beautiful fresh red roses to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Those who are lucky enough to get their hands on one of these beautiful blooms will also be in with a chance to win a £50 gift card through an exclusive prize draw, redeemable at The Quarter.  

Are you #CrazyInLove #LoveAroundTheQuarter 

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “Love is truly around The Quarter this Spring. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or your significant other this Valentine’s Day, St James Quarter is the go to destination for that perfect gift or date night with a difference. 

“We are looking forward to hearing all the crazy in love stories and are inviting guests to vote for the winner via our YouTube channel.” 

Valentine’s day activities and retailer events will be taking place at St James Quarter from 9th – 14th February.

Keep up to date with the latest info via the @StJamesQuarter Instagram page or by visiting the website: https://stjamesquarter.com/event/valentines-day  

Which Christmas movie-inspired jumpers are the UK’s favourite?

  • The Dr. Seuss classic Grinch is the UK’s most popular Christmas jumper inspired by a Christmas movie 
  • Die Hard is the second most popular Christmas jumper  
  • Home Alone and Gremlins are 3rd and 4th most popular Christmas movie jumpers.    

A new study reveals the most popular Christmas jumpers inspired by Christmas movies, with jumpers themed from Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch being the most popular.    

The research conducted by Boohoo analysed the monthly UK search volume for the Christmas movie-themed clothing to establish which Christmas jumper is the most sought-after this festive season.    

(1) The Grinch 

 The most popular Christmas jumper is none other than Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch. Searches for the term ‘Grinch Christmas jumper’ average 4,700 times per month in the United Kingdom, proving how much fans are willing to be seen wearing a Grinch-themed jumper.  

The Grinch first hit screens as a TV special on CBS in December 1966, which featured the green cartoon storybook character causing mayhem in the world of Whoville. Then, in the year 2000, Jim Carrey took on the role of the Grinch and brought Whoville to the big screens in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The most recent film within the Grinch franchise, The Grinch, was released in 2018 as an animated adaptation of the Christmas classic.   

(2) Die Hard 

 The second most popular Christmas movie jumper is worn by Karl Vreski, portrayed by Alexander Godunov, in Die Hard. Karl is the film’s main antagonist’s right-hand man and the only character not killed by John McClane (Bruce Willis) in the movie. The Christmas jumper in question is a grey knitted number with ‘Now I Have a Machine Gun – HO HO HO’ written on the front, paired with a Santa hat.  

Searches for ‘Die Hard Christmas jumper’ receive 2,400 searches per month, on average. Many speculate whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie due to its action/thriller genre, which caused the writer to note that the film is set at a Christmas party during the holidays and features many Christmas songs, meaning it is a Christmas film.   

(3) Home Alone   

The 1990 classic Home Alone places third in the rankings, which features a young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left home alone at Christmas time and faced with scaring off two burglars from breaking into his house.

During the film, Kevin looks cosy in a few different winter knits, but the most iconic is the heathered red knit that surprisingly can hold his entire weight when he is hung on a coat hook. Despite the red knit not being the craziest of prints, it hasn’t stopped film fans from wanting to get their hands on a Home-Alone themed jumper for themselves. 

Searches for ‘Home Alone Christmas Jumper’ average 1,600 searches per month in the UK.   

(4) Gremlins   

Fourth place in the rankings goes to Gremlins, released in 1984 and follows the shenanigans and destruction forced upon the small town of Kingston Falls, by a horde of mischievous monsters. The comedy-horror, written by Home Alone director Chris Columbus, is an unusual tale for a Christmas movie but presents some of the most valued messages common in holiday films, such as the importance of loyalty and kindness. 

Searches for ‘Gremlins Christmas Jumper’ average 1,000 searches per month in the UK, proving just how popular the miniature furry beasts are and how much fans want to rock a green Gremlin-themed jumper.   

(5) Arthur Christmas   

The 2011 animated family-adventure film Arthur Christmas places fifth in the rankings and is undoubtedly a film for all ages. The film’s overall premise is to answer the most important question of them all: how does Santa deliver everyone’s presents in one night? The film’s budget is estimated to have been $100 million (£81 million) and ended up seeing $147 million (£120 million) worldwide gross. 

Searches for ‘Arthur Christmas Jumper’ average around 750 searches per month in the UK; despite the show being an animated film, the main character Arthur (James McAvoy), rocks some festive and colourful jumpers throughout the film.   

A spokesperson from Boohoo commented on the findings: “Christmas movies are the ultimate way to get into the Christmas spirit.

“With office parties, family photos and Christmas jumper competitions taking over this time of year, it is exciting to see just how many of our most iconic and beloved films influence our Christmas wardrobes and how many people want to get their hands on a festive-themed jumper”. 

The most iconic Christmas movie jumpers in the UK   

Rank Movie Search Term Average Monthly Searches 
1 Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Grinch Christmas Jumper 4,700 
2 Die Hard Die Hard Christmas Jumper 2,400 
3 Home Alone Home Alone Christmas Jumper 1,600 
4 Gremlins Gremlins Christmas Jumper 1,000 
5 Arthur Christmas Arthur Christmas Jumper 750 

REVEALED: How much Kevin’s electricity bill would be if Home Alone was set in 2022

KEEP THE CHANGE, YA FILTHY ANIMAL!

New data has predicted that Kevin McCallister would have racked up a £66.19 (or $80.65) energy bill in his three days Home Alone if the film was set in 2022.

Although it was released 32 years ago, in many ways, Home Alone is a timeless classic. However, if you’ve started your Christmas movie marathon already this year, you may be shocked by the HUGE amount of electricity that young Kevin McCallister uses in his time ‘Home Alone’. 

In light of the cost of living crisis, researchers at interiors brand, Bobbi Beck, have analysed the film to estimate how much money Kevin’s escapades would cost his parents if the film was set in the modern day:

The Bill

Researchers calculated that Kevin McCallister would have used at least 472.22kwh of energy in his three days left Home Alone. Based on the average residential electricity rate in his hometown of Chicago (Source: EnergyBot), Bobbi Beck predicts that Kevin’s energy bill would be AT LEAST $80.65 (or £66.19).

For context, in the UK, the average daily energy bill is around £2.70 (Source: Uswitch).

It is estimated that Kevin would have spent almost FIVE TIMES more than the average in his local area of Chicago, where the typical daily energy bill is $4.57 (Source: Energy Sage).

The Setup

How did Kevin rack up such a huge energy bill? We know that Kevin is alone for a total of three days (Source: IMDB) in a huge Chicago house, with six bedrooms and six baths (Source: Zillow). The house is apparently 4,243 square feet on a lot over half an acre in size (Source: Realtor). 

Kevin uses a lot of electricity in his various schemes, from heating up the doorknob with an electric barbeque lighter to using a record player and toy train track to mimic a party.

However, the most significant energy usage comes from the lights, both indoors and outside. During the infamous booby trap scene, we can see that every single light is on, but Kevin does turn them off when he leaves for church (Source: Youtube).

To calculate Kevin’s energy bill, Bobbi Beck investigated three areas of electricity usage: outdoor lights, indoor lights and TV use. 

Outdoor Lights

The data estimates that Kevin would have used £7.57 (or $9.22) on outdoor lighting alone if the film was set in 2022. With each side of the house stretching around 20 meters, around 10 sets of lights would be required, guzzling an estimated 54kwh for the three days (Source: Simply LED). 

Indoor Lights 

Kevin spent an estimated £58.59 (or $71.39) on indoor lighting. Researchers calculated that his home is  2.49 times bigger than an average U.S. house, meaning that they would have an estimated 99.60 lights inside (Source: Visual Capitalist).

The lights are likely to be an older, less energy-efficient model, most likely 100W in the estimation of Bobbi Beck’s researchers. They use 0.1kw an hour (Source: Ideal Home) and, because an average eight-year-old boy sleeps for around 10 hours (Source: Sleep Foundation), the lights would be on for roughly 42 hours. Therefore, Kevin would use 418kwh on indoor lights.

TV Use

Although it’s only a minor cost, researchers also uncovered that Kevin would have spent just 3p (or 4¢) on TV use. One of the most memorable Home Alone scenes sees Kevin watching a gangster film. He has a TV that is typically less energy efficient than a plasma and uses about 100 Watts of electricity (Source: Scientific American). An average film lasts 2 hours and 10 minutes (Source: Statista), so the gangster film alone would use up 0.217kwh.

James Mellan-Matulewicz, CEO of luxury wallpaper brand Bobbi Beck commented: “Most of us are currently feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis, with energy costs and food prices soaring. Not only does this impact our day-to-day finances, but it can also change our perspective on things – and Christmas movies are no exception …

“Home Alone is arguably the best Christmas movie of all time, particularly well known for its spectacular festive interiors. But when watching the film back, the amount of electricity that Kevin uses is really shocking! That’s why we wanted to crunch the numbers to find out just how much money he would have cost his parents in his three days of chaos.”

“We investigated Kevin’s lighting and TV usage to find that his energy bill would have been at least $80.65 for three days – that’s £66.19 in pounds. His TV use only cost a measly 3p, whereas his indoor lights have racked up a £58.59 bill. Given the average daily electricity bill in the UK is £2.70, it’s really shocking to see how much energy he used!”

These calculations were released by luxury, sustainable wallpaper brand Bobbi Beck, which provides a number of wallpaper designs to suit a range of tastes and personalities. 

Britain’s EV-friendly horror movie road trip

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It’s Halloween tomorrow and car buyer Goodbye Car has researched and created an EV-friendly horror movie road trip, for those looking to be spooked!

EV-friendly horror movie road trip

Location and film: 

  1. Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland – The Wicker Man
  2. Tantallon Castle, Lothian, Scotland – Under The Skin
  3. South Bay Beach, Scarborough, England – St Maud
  4. Westminster Bridge, London, England – 28 Days Later
  5. All Saints Church, Fulham, England – The Omen
  6. Crickadarn Village, Wales – American Werewolf in London 

Total length: 743 miles
Estimated time taken: 14 hours 52 minutes
EV Charge Stops: 6

Recommended EV charging stops

 Miles BetweenCharge RemainingAddress
Stop 1142 miles29%Grantshouse Village Mansefield, TD11 3RN
Stop 2118 miles22%Lidl, North Ormesby, TS3 8AL
Stop 3112 miles24%Hatfields Pub & Restaurant, DN7 6JH
Stop 4115 miles23%Harvester Grange Park, NN4 5EZ
Stop 5112 miles25%M4 Services Reading (West), RG30 3UQ
Stop 6111 miles25%Morrisons Abergavenny, NP7 5TR
Destination26 miles67%Builth Wells LD2 3PJ

GoodBye Car’s comprehensive guide covers film locations for the likes of Harry Potter, James Bond and many more. They also cover the scenes that were filmed there, how many miles your trip will be, and where you can charge your EV along the way.

You can view the full guide and research via GoodBye Car’s blog.

Original research: https://www.goodbyecar.uk/blog/uk-movie-road-trips 

Film programme celebrates cultural heritage through UK-wide events

Changing Times inspires curious film experiences that connect future and past

A programme of special events is underway across the UK, all of which use film to connect us in these ever-changing times.

The Changing Times: Curious screen heritage programme, which began in earnest at Thurrock Film Festival, uses archive film to find new ways to celebrate the human desire to learn more about the people and things around us, bringing heritage cinema to new audiences in many different ways. The programme from the BFI Film Audience Network is made possible thanks to National Lottery funding.

Later in the autumn, The Box, in partnership with Plymouth Arts Cinema and Compass Presents, will show a selection of films as part of Changing Times: Curious, which allow audience members to expand their connection with the work in the galleries. 

CURIOUS About British Art Show 9 will feature screenings that highlight the ways in which encounters between British and other cultures have enriched our society throughout history.

This follows the events in Thurrock by the Anglo Asiatic Arts and Heritage Alliance (AAAHA), which honoured several socio-historic milestones, namely the 75th anniversary of the Independence of India and Pakistan, the 50th year since the expulsion of South Asians and Sikhs from Uganda, and the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong.

Similarly, Re:Score was part of The Freedom Festival 2022, an annual feast of music and performance arts held since 2007 in honour of Hull’s slave trade abolitionist, the MP William Wilberforce. It featured commissions by The Broken Orchestra (UK), providing specially created scores to breathe new life into seemingly forgotten pieces of silent archive footage, featuring a Black May Queen in wartime Britain, and a charity supporting the families of local fisherman in the 1960s.

Journey to the Isles, Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, a new commission from the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival offered a glimpse into the landscapes, folktales and songs that inspired one of Scotland’s great early collectors of traditional arts.

The tour of the piece across Scotland, including at Sea Change Festival by Screen Argyll in Tiree, Dundee Contemporary Arts, and An Tobar and Mull Theatre, concluded at Eden Court in Inverness and featured a performer Q&A, plus a live stream for international audiences.

In collaboration with the East Anglian Film Archive, Reel Connections in Norwich will host an archive package entitled Sounds of Silents: Curious Youth at the Octagon Unitarian Chapel in the city on 27 October.

The event will include live scores by local musicians Broads, featuring Jess Blake, Kitty Perrin and Milly Hirst. A short film version will then be made available for screenings at community venues in partnership with Creative Arts East, later in the year.

This will be followed by I Ken Whaur I’m Gaun (I Know Where I’m Going) by Cinetopia at The French Institute in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town between 27 and 31 October.

The event, which will explore how folk songs have acted as a form of storytelling in Scotland over time, includes archive film screenings, live musical performances using material extracted from the National Library of Scotland’s moving image archive, and a looped audio-visual installation that will be on display throughout.

Having started on October 13 at Berneray in Borve, Uist Film will screen Gaelic documentary Dúthchas (Home) through the UK, accompanied by a minority language archival film programme using materials from across the UK’s film archives. 

Dúthchas (Home) is a touching and emotive exploration of what it meant – and still means to people, especially women, to have to leave the island of their birth.

For the finale of Yorkshire Silent Film Festival on 6 November at Morecambe Winter Gardens, No Dots Ltd will present Echoes of the North: Four Chapters in Time, the world premiere of a silent film made from more than 100 fragments of archive film, together with an all-brass live score performance from Brighouse and Rastrick Band.

The event will be complemented by a selection of short films scored by Morecambe and Lancaster-based musicians. 

Throughout November, Birds’s Eye View will present Queerious, an archive programme with short films from national archives that’s touring the UK, exploring a multitude of desires on screen in ways all too rarely seen in cinema, including stories of sexual awakenings and re-awakenings, and queer love through a feminist perspective.

Venues include the Exeter Phoenix, Glasgow Film Theatre, Broadway in Nottingham, London’s Rio and Genesis, the Showroom in Sheffield, Chapter in Cardiff, and Depot in Lewes.

Venues in Glasgow, Leeds and Erith this month and next will showcase After Hours, co-curated by Invisible Women and T A P E Collective to explore the significance of nightlife and safe cultural spaces through a queer/feminist lens.

Meanwhile, audiences in Walton, Liverpool can enjoy Walton Wonders under Cinema Nation’s The Spirit of Liverpool banner, a series ofscreenings and community events celebrating unexpected archive discoveries, including a Home Movie Day and a pop-up cinema at the Rice Lane Underpass in collaboration with the North West Film Archive.

A double bill of Welsh Horror films from the 1970s will be shown by Matchbox Cine in collaboration with the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive. Screenings will take place at Weird Weekend, Glasgow on 30 October, and at Abertoir – The International Horror Film Festival of Wales in Aberystwyth, starting on 15 November.

And last but not least, Belfast Film Festival is to host Vox Populi: The Voice of the People, a walk-through installation at the Bank of Ireland building in the city featuring informal street interviews recorded between 1959-1969 from the Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive, offering an insight into the area’s social history and highlighting unexpected attitudes of the day which both differ from, and echo, those held today.

Sheffield International Documentary Festival 2019

Screen Heritage Producer Andy Robson was a key decision-maker selecting projects to make up Changing Times: Curious. Speaking on the theme of curiosity, and the forthcoming events, he said: “The last few years have forced us to look at life through a new lens. Through disruption and isolation, we’ve recognised things we may have missed or never considered before.

“Through multiple lockdowns, we gained a new awareness of our communities and neighbourhoods, made discoveries of previously unacknowledged places on our doorsteps, and found satisfaction in personal passions and curiosities.

“However we experienced it, we were asked to question and learn something new, to understand the unfamiliar and seek solutions. Through film’s unique ability to transport us, illuminate ideas and to spark a conversation, we can seek those solutions and understand those experiences together.”

Visit individual venues and organisations to find out more about events and to book. And to find out more about Changing Times: Curious, visit

filmhubnorth.org.uk/curious. 

Live from Covent Garden: La bohème in cinemas this week

THIS week, Puccini’s opera of passion, friendship and heartbreak hits the big screen. On Thursday 20 October 2022, La bohème will be broadcast live from Covent Garden to 900 cinemas in 34 countries around the world.

Puccini’s masterpiece has enchanted audiences since its premiere in 1896, quickly becoming one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide. Richard Jones’ production offers superb lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin and stunning sets and costumes by Stewart Laing – starting with a freezing garret under the stars, and perfectly evoking fin-de-siècle Paris. A timeless love story, it is both the perfect starter opera for cinema fans, and a treat for even the most seasoned operagoers.

Kevin John Edusei makes his Royal Opera debut conducting a world-class, international cast: American soprano Ailyn Pérez as Mimì; Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Rodolfo; Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Marcello; Australian-American soprano Danielle de Niese as Musetta; British baritone Ross Ramgobin as Schaunard; and British bass-baritone Michael Mofidian as Colline. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 23 October 2022.

Our cinema programme has brought opera and ballet to audiences across the globe since 2008. For the 2022/23 Season, an astonishing 13 productions from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera will be broadcast to more than 1,300 cinemas from the UK all the way to New Zealand.

Each broadcast offers audiences the best seat in the house, and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and insights into the rehearsal process.

The programme forms an integral part of our plan to secure our future, expand audiences and continue to help facilitate the vital recovery of cinema domestically and internationally.