Bumper Line-Up Released for Winter Gardens Film Festival
7 March 2019
by Visit Blackpool
Blackpool’s Winter Gardens Film Festival is set to return this March with a packed programme of cinema and events.
Now in its fifth year, the festival is fast becoming a mainstay of the Blackpool calendar, offering an eclectic collection of classic cinema alongside brand-new releases.
Taking place Friday 15 to Sunday March 17 the festival opens with a special relaxed screening of Jailhouse Rockin the afternoon and a glittering opening night party, packed with Hollywood glamour, as audiences are treated to That’s Entertainment.
Full programme information and tickets for the Winter Gardens Film Festival are available now and can be purchased online at www.wintergardensfilm.co.uk or through the festival app at http://bit.ly/WGFFApp
Festival director Catherine Mugonyi said: “We’re delighted to be back for 2019 and to have increased the number of screenings and events that we’re able to offer for locals and visitors alike.
“The opening night party is sure to be a highlight as ever and we’re very much looking forward to seeing our loyal cinema devotees donning their finery to help us start the festival with a bang.
“We’re also extremely pleased to have the support of Arts Council England, allowing us to expand our programme across the weekend which offers something to suit every taste.”
Classic musical The Wizard of Oz starts the programme on Saturday morning with families invited to dress up and join Dorothy on her journey along the yellow brick road, with two free children’s tickets available for each paying adult.
Blackpool is the star of the screen on Saturday afternoon with a double bill of films recently shot in the town, followed by a Q&A session with the both directors. Comedy thriller The Other Side With Valerie Hopesees a washed up physic kidnapped and held in an abandoned B&B by a seemingly crazed fan; while coming of age comedy Sequinsfollows the story of 17-year-old Paul as he begins his dazzling discovery of the world of drag.
Dystopia Utopia: Die! Goldsteinwill transform the Opera House into a live cinema performance on Saturday evening as audiences are invited to step inside a beautiful yet jarring cinematic landscape, offering a harsh but hopeful journey through societies most pressing issues and using images from across the globe.
Sunday’s programme begins with a chance to return to the 1940s with Millions Like Us, a wartime propaganda film following the lives, loves and work of a group of women employed in an aircraft factory, followed by a tea dance in the beautiful surroundings of the Grand Foyer.
During the afternoon the festival welcomes the Independent Cinema Office who will launch Britain on Film: Protest!, a new collection of archive footage telling the story of a tumultuous social, political and economic century and the constant, dynamic presence of public dissent and its effects as a weapon of change.
Still to be announced are a series of cinematic workshops and talks for lovers of the big screen, plus there are a host of other screenings on offer throughout the weekend and the all-important short film competition and awards ceremony taking place on Saturday afternoon.
Full programme information and tickets for the Winter Gardens Film Festival are available now and can be purchased online at www.wintergardensfilm.co.uk.