Film festival out to reel in fans
Vintage bus launches event
A distinctive vintage cinema bus has heralded the start of the 28th Filmbath Festival. The bus, complete with old newsreels of Bath, attracted a crowd in Southgate when it arrived to promote the event. The festival, formerly the Bath Film Festival, will feature 44 films shown across the city in its 11-day schedule starting today, and several have already sold out. But with a line-up including world cinema, foreign films, documentaries, LGBTQ films, and of course films with the festival’s F-rating – celebrating both women on screen and behind the camera – there’s still plenty of cinematic gold to choose from. Filmbath’s executive director Holly Tarquini said: “The Vintage Mobile Cinema bus was such a fun way for people to learn more about the festival and the superb films we’ll be showing. “We have already been overwhelmed by the support for this year’s festival and many films have already sold out. But there are still plenty more exciting films to see, including Can You Ever Forgive Me?, with a standout performance from Melissa Mccarthy, and Colette starring Keira Knightley and Dominic West in a fun, frothy, feminist biopic.” The Vintage Mobile Cinema was sponsored by Visitbath, and its executive chairman Craig Jenkins said: “Visitbath is delighted to support the Vintage Mobile Cinema at this year’s Filmbath Festival - a fantastic cutting-edge event that shows Bath has a modern, vibrant side as well as being a city steeped in history and heritage. “Visitbath is particularly keen to work with businesses, events and organisations in the arts and culture sector and see this area of the city offer grow.” This year the festival also boasts some free films, The Other Side Of Everything, Happy As Lazzaro and U – July 22, a poignant film which follows the 2011 Utoya shooting in real time. There’s also a screening of cult film If… and a question and answer session with one of its actors David Wood. In addition, 55 per cent of the festival’s films are directed by women in order to champion female film makers and redress the balance in the film industry. A team of eight people watch more than 600 films over nine months to decide the schedule. Films that have already sold out include Korean thriller Burning, Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and French wedding comedy C’est la Vie! For more details and to book tickets go to www.filmbath.org.uk