Pier into the Past at the Winter Gardens Film Festival

The Winter Gardens Film Festival in Blackpool has today announced dates for Retroscope, part of the nationwide programme launching the BFI’s ‘Britain on Film’ Coast and Sea collection supported by the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), taking place at coastal locations around the UK, with funds from the National Lottery, and lead by Film Hub Central East (Broadway Cinema Nottingham).

Unlocking film and TV history for new audiences, ‘Britain on Film’ is a major digitisation project drawn from the BFI National Archive, Regional and National Archives and rights holders from across the UK, revealing new and unseen stories of our lives through the history of film. The launch of ‘Britain on Film’s latest collection Coast and Sea has made over 600 newly digitised films accessible online, available mostly for free on BFI Player via an interactive map.

Complementing Coast and Sea the BFI FAN programme of screenings and events offers audiences ways to discover, explore and engage with the UK’s diverse coastline and local stories in their area. Retroscope, takes archive film out of the lecture theatre and invites the whole family to immerse themselves in the Blackpool of the past in a new interactive way.

Produced by voluntary arts organisation Aunty Social, the event takes place on Saturday 29 July and will provide something for everyone, with walk-around screenings, seaside themed creative workshops, a deckchair theatre and live sideshow performers, all adding up to a great day out.

Tickets are on sale now priced £2.00 per adult (children go free) and are available from www.wintergardensfilm.co.uk or from Charabanc Shop, 1 Olympia Buildings, Coronation St, Blackpool, FY1 4NY on Saturdays or Sundays 11:00 - 16:00. 

Catherine Mugonyi, Aunty Social Director, said: “We’re thrilled to have teamed up with the BFI as part of their Britain on Film Coast & Sea season.

“Retroscope is a brand new way of experiencing archive film that rarely sees the light of day and most people will never have come across.

“Thanks to the support of the BFI we’re able to offer this fantastic, family friendly event, at an extremely low price – you couldn’t ask for more.”

Films chosen  from the BFI and North West Film Archive collections will give people the chance to step back in time and discover a world of archive film showing beautiful, breezy Blackpool through the ages, see bustling beaches, bathing belles and all the fun of the fair in the Pavilion of Blackpool Winter Gardens.

Families are invited to grab their bucket and spade on hold onto their swim-hats as Rhubarb Theatre’s Big Dippers set off on their splendid seaside adventures, dipping their toes into the waves of adventure and diving deep into hi-jinks and hilarity.

Visitors can also try their luck in the penny arcade, have their picture taken in the Edwardian dress-up photo studio, see vintage illuminations, chat to colourful characters from the past and much more.

Another highlight of the day is the Parasol Parade, where local individuals and groups will compete for the prize of best dressed brolly.

The Winter Gardens Film Festival was founded in 2015 as a partnership between the Winter Gardens Trust and Aunty Social CIC. The festival was created to expand and diversify Blackpool’s film offer; showcasing black and white film in particular and to encourage people to actively engage with the wonderful Winter Gardens - a Grade II* listed heritage venue.