37th CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL Announce Programme Highlights Including Microcinema Programme, Family Film Festival and more

A MICROCINEMA PROGRAMME, THE FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL, AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, CAMERA CATALONIA STRAND, NEW VIRTUAL REALITY STRAND AND A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE KOREAN CULTURAL CENTRE

The UK's third longest-running film festival returns this autumn for its 37th edition. The Cambridge Film Festival will take place 19th – 26th October at the Arts Picturehouse Cinema and other venues across the city. The Cambridge Film Festival is operated by the charitable Cambridge Film Trust and backed by the BFI’s Film Festival Fund, which awards National Lottery funding to UK film festivals, giving audiences the opportunity to see a broad range of British and international films.

One of the UK’s most prestigious and well-respected film festivals, the 2017 edition will present a typically diverse, top quality film programme that offers something for everyone; from UK premieres of must-see anticipated features, to classic retrospectives, insightful documentaries, discovery titles from the global stage, family favourites, and late night boundary-pushing cult movies.

After 40 years of presenting the very best films from around the world, new partnerships with India Unboxed and the Korean Cultural Centre will add to the Festival’s diverse programme, further establishing Cambridge Film Festival’s reputation as a champion of high quality, world cinema.

Returning by popular demand is Camera Catalonia. Now in its sixth season, Camera Catalonia is a strand dedicated to contemporary Catalan cinema, which profiles the varied and creative output arising from one of Europe’s oldest cultures. Highlights include: THE ONE-EYED KING, a dark comedy from writer-director Marc Crehuet; and the Spanish Civil War epic, UNCERTAIN GLORY, based the novel of the same name, considered by many to be one of the best Catalan novels of all time.

A continued partnership with the Cambridge African Film Festival will put African cinema centre stage, with five of the best African films from the last year, including award-winning coming-of-age feature THE WOUND, directed by John Trengove.

This year’s Microcinema programme is organised around the theme of ‘Archive and Memory’ and will encompass both contemporary and historical work. Highlights include a newly commissioned film by the 2016 winner of the Margaret Tait award, Kate Davis, entitled, CHARITY, alongside a rare screening of Tait’s seminal work, ON THE MOUNTAIN, and a newly restored piece by the avant-garde filmmaker Margaret Raspé, BLUE ON WHITE EDGES AND FRAMES. Works by Cordelia Swann, Sarah Wood, Gair Dunlop, Sam Ashby and Dick Jewell complete the programme. All Microcinema sessions will be free of charge and feature an introduction and artist Q&A with James Mackay, programme curator.

The ever-popular Archive Strand will feature new restorations from major European and US archives, including classics of the sound era and silent re-discoveries with live music by Festival regulars Neil Brand, Stephen Horne and John Sweeney. Highlights will include a new restoration of THE WAGES OF FEAR, Henri-Georges Clouzot's nerve-racking suspense thriller, and rare German silent THE WOMAN MEN YEARN FOR, with Marlene Dietrich in her first great starring role.

In addition, for the first time, there will be a specially curated Virtual Reality Strand providing a glimpse of where new technology will take us in the future.

The Cambridge Family Film Festival returns 21st - 26th October with a bumper programme of much-loved film and television characters old and new, presented in a family-friendly environment. For the young viewers there is KATE IN OZ, a special ‘Wizard of Oz’ inspired episode from CBeebie’s Kate and Mim Mim. There’ll be the new series of Peppa Pig, and Michael Rosen’s classic children’s story WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT in a short animated film.

Did you know MOANA is Disney’s 56th animated feature film? There will be a screening of the sing-a-long version, as well as Disney’s very first animated feature - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS which celebrates its 80th birthday this year.

Older children are catered for as well with a great selection of features and shorts from around the world including: the spellbinding documentary THE EAGLE HUNTRESS; Studio Ghibli’s THE RED TURTLE; Indian film I AM KALAM; Hong Kong short film THE INFAMOUS CHALK GIRL; and the magical, timeless French short RED BALLOON.

The full film programme including Opening and Closing night galas, main features, and themed festival strands, along with details of UK Premieres, visiting filmmakers, and special events will be announced in late September with tickets going on sale in early October.

The Cambridge Film Trust is a charity founded to promote film culture in the East of England. Established in 2007, the Trust's main event is the annual Cambridge Film Festival, attracting well over 12,000 admissions every year. Audiences select from a rich, varied and very full programme of hundreds of films and events incorporating new and old, independent and studio, local and international, fiction and documentary, short and feature length, animated and live action. The Cambridge Film Trust also helps to promote other film festivities.

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