Buxton festival presents films from around the globe

Prepare to take your seats for a feast of passion, comedy, colour, action, suspense, documentary and music for lovers of film from every corner of the globe.
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in Philomena.Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in Philomena.
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in Philomena.

Over the course of six days, 17 films in nine different languages will be screened across two venues as part of The Buxton Festival of World Cinema 2014.

Tickets are already selling fast for the 2014 festival, which opens on Tuesday March 25 and is hosted by Buxton Opera House and the Pavilion Arts Centre, in conjunction with Buxton Film.

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Keith Savage, of Buxton Film, said: “One theme of the festival is the experience of children at different times and in different cultures. This is explored through a number of classic films as well as more recent releases.”

The opening three days of the festival take place in the intimacy of the 40-seat Paupers Pit theatre at The Old Hall Hotel.

The first evening will feature two films by acclaimed directors. Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is, in part, an autobiographical account of his teen years where a young boy comes into conflict with the authorities.

This will be followed by a rare screening of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s Where Is The Friend’s Home?, about a young boy’s efforts to get homework to a class friend who lives in the next village.

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From Friday March 28 - and for the weekend - the focus switches to the Pavilion Arts Centre where nine full-length features will be screened. Continuing the childhood theme there are presentations of Wadjda - the first film to be made by a Saudi Arabian woman and a life-affirming story of a girl and her bicycle.

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Some recent critical and commercial successes will also be on offer. There is the chance to see Cate Blanchett’s Oscar-winning performance in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine and Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in Philomena.

Le Week-end stars Lindsay Duncan and Jim Broadbent as a middle-aged professional couple who go to Paris - where they honeymooned - in a bid to save their marriage.

There is a screening intended for families during the afternoon of Saturday March 29 with a pair of films also set in Paris - the classic The Red Balloon and the animation crime-caper A Cat In Paris.

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The festival draws to a close on the Sunday evening with Sunshine On Leith, based on the songs of The Proclaimers.

WHAT’S ON

Tuesday March 25 -

Paupers Pit Theatre

7pm - The 400 Blows (PG) France

9pm - Where Is The Friend’s Home? (U) Iran

Wednesday March 26 -

Paupers Pit Theatre

7pm - Lore (15) Aus, Ger, UK

9pm - Elena (12) Russia

Thursday March 27 -

Pauper’s Pit Theatre

7pm - The Bicycle Thieves (U) Italy

9pm - The World of Apu (U) Bangladesh

Friday March 28 -

Pavilion Arts Centre Studio

2.30pm - Blue Jasmine (12A) USA

5pm - Wadjda (PG) Saudi Arabia

7.30pm - Le Week-end (15) UK

Saturday March 29 -

Pavilion Arts Centre Studio

2.30pm - Frances Ha (15) USA

5pm - Like Father, Like Son (PG) Japan

7.30pm - Philomena (12A) UK

Saturday March 29 -

Paupers Pit Theatre

2.30pm - The Red Balloon (U) France

& A Cat In Paris (PG) France

Sunday March 30 -

Pavilion Arts Centre Studio

2.30pm - Nothing But A Man (12) USA

5pm - Monsoon Wedding (15) India

7.30pm Sunshine On Leith (PG) UK

Tickets for screenings are priced £4, with special Paupers Pit double-bill tickets available for £6. They are available from the opera house on 0845 127 2190 or via www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk. For full programme details, visit www.buxtonfilm.org.uk.