John Hurt at Keswick Film Festival

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Hello film lovers,

Have you picked up the hot news from our website, the newspapers or other sources – John Hurt is coming to the Festival. He and his film producer wife will be with us all through the event. He will be introducing a number of his films and there will be an ‘In Conversation’ session on Sunday. It’s always a gamble when guests are not able to confirm until quite late on whether they will be there but now it feels a good decision to be showing In Love with Alma Cogan, Sailcloth and Lou, Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York as a double bill, and Melancholia. All are interesting films in their own right but given a certain extra quality by the presence of the actor.

We have had a bumper number of entries for the Osprey Awards this year. The judges are grumbling about how hard their decisions are again! It just goes to show that creative Cumbria is alive and well. When they can decide on the shortlist we will be letting the entrants know and screening them on the Saturday.

And two late bookings secured by David for the closing films – both pre-releases of which he is particularly proud, Carancho from Argentina and Babycall from Norway.

The brochures have arrived. If you are local collect one from the Alhambra, they will be sent out by the Theatre with passes now.

See you soon

 Ann Martin

 Festival Director

Ways to Live Forever

This prize-winning film is our free family screening this year. It is based on a novel by Sally Nicholls which won prizes for Best Childrens' Book. Just heard 15 of her family are going to come and see the film as they live in the north and haven't seen it before. And Alex Etel will be there too we hope.

More Garlands for A Seperation?

This contemporary Iranian tragedy, already the winner of a Golden Globe and nominated for a BAFTA, has now been nominated for the 2012 Best Foreign Film Oscar.  The National Society of Film Critics agreed and also gave it the Best Screenplay award.  Enough nudges to make it a must see at Keswick (15.00 Sunday 26th Feb)?

Looking Good for Thrill Seekers at Keswick

This year’s selection of the best from recent film festivals around the world features four cracking contemporary thrillers.  Cell 211 (Friday 17.30) from Spain is a claustrophobic prison drama with an award winning performance by Louis Toser as the leader of a prisoner’s revolt.  

For fast pacing and uninhibited screen violence try Yellow Sea (Friday 20.30) from South Korea.  Is Phillip French’s observation ‘one of the bloodiest movies I’ve ever seen’ a recommendation or a warning!?  

And for the final film on Sunday will you choose Carancho (TbtL) or Babycall (Alhambra)?  From Argentina, Carancho, pitches an emotional love story against the background of commercial exploitation of injury and death from car accidents while the Norwegian Babycall engages us in a psychological dilemma: ‘how far would you go for the ones you love?’

John Hurt coming to the festival

Great news! John Hurt and his film producer wife Anwen Rees-Myers are going to be joining us for the whole Festival. We are opening on Thursday with In Love with Alma Cogan a film she produced, directed by Tony Britten (who will be here too) with a cameo part by John. Then on Saturday we will be showing Lou with the short, Sailcloth and the double-billing of The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York. On Sunday at 3pm John will be 'In Conversation' , and at 5.30 we are screening Melancholia

Melancholia wins US Critics Best Film award

And did you see the news that Melancholia (Sunday 17.30) has just won the US critics best film of 2011 award...

Feeling Very Good

Are you signed up for our email newsletter? If not, here is the latest email message from Ann:

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year and are now following your new resolution to see more films! Last night the Keswick Film Club started again with over 180 coming to see The Well-Digger’s Daughter. Maybe the numbers were so high to support Tom Rennie, longtime Manager of the Alhambra and great backroom worker for the Festival who has taken over the cinema, saving it from closure. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-16389049.

The Festival programme is almost complete and this week the brochure should be going to press. Most of the films and the programme are now on our website and tickets and passes are on sale from Theatre by the Lake. In previous mails I have described two of our themes, Looking Good, and Sounding Good. One of the others is ‘Feeling Very Good’ bringing some of the funniest of international film with Welcome to the Sticks from France Pardon from Turkey, Mia Sarah from Spain and No Pain, No Gain from the US. Will they travel well? Come and see.

The other is ‘Feeling Good?’ – this theme includes the free family film Ways to Live Forever, Lou with John Hurt, and the award-winning 50/50. There’s so much to say this year – next time – more about ‘Doing Good’, the ‘Homage to John Hurt’, the Shorts competition and guests.

 Ann Martin

 Festival Director