The FilmBath Festival returns for 10 days to screen over 40 films across the city of Bath, showcasing a wonderfully diverse selection of cinema from around the world, many of which were screened at this year’s London Film Festival.
On the back of this summer's cinematic wave of Barbie and Oppenheimer, FilmBath offers its audiences something different: a chance to explore the films never to be shown in Bath again, a chance to see the hottest new films months before they hit the cinemas nationwide and a chance to support a film festival that champions filmmakers both upcoming and established.
Opening the festival is Poor Things from Yorgos Lanthimos, which features Emma Stone and has already collected five stars reviews from The Guardian and Telegraph following its screening at Venice Film Festival. This will be your chance to see this Oscar tipped film before anyone in the country, so book early to avoid being disappointed.
Image: Poor Things
Other bold new previews include mystery All of Us Strangers with Claire Foy and Paul Mescal, which has also received five star reviews, the mouth-watering The Pot-Au-Feu starring Juliette Binoche, which centres on a chef in a late 19th century restaurant, and The Bikeriders, which follows the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club and features Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy.
Image: All of Us Strangers
As well as looking ahead to some key new releases, FilmBath will also be recognising the work of industry legends Danny Boyle and John Hodge. The festival will therefore be screening a triple bill of films in which the director and the writer have collaborated together, including the 90s classic Trainspotting, alongside a special Q&A with the pair.
As is tradition for the festival, several other FilmBath screenings will be accompanied by interviews with directors and writers, including Carol Morley (Typist Artist Pirate King), Paul Sng (Tish) and Sheila Hayman (Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn).
FilmBath prides itself on its very own ‘F-Rating’ status, which guarantees that a minimum of 50% of the films shown have been directed and/or written by women. With titles such as How to Have Sex, Is There Anybody Out There? and Your Fat Friend, this year’s programme has developed a natural theme around the female gaze and the relationships women have with their bodies.
Image: How to Have Sex
This year, FilmBath have created various strands and special events teaming up with fellow film festivals and local organisations to offer even more flavour:
- The festival kicks off the spooky season with Korean psychological horror The Other Child, which will keep audiences guessing at every turn, and Hiroakzu Koreeda’s Monster, which leaves audiences questioning who the real monster is.
- As a perfect half term treat for the family to enjoy, the festival will also be celebrating Disney's 100th birthday by surfing a Hawaiian wave with Lilo and Stitch and, ahead of its sequel later this year, showing a classic from the Bristol based studio Aardman Animations, Chicken Run.
- As they celebrate their 30th anniversary, the Museum of East Asian Art will introduce Chinese crime drama Lost in the Stars, showcasing recently uncovered footage recorded by their late founder which captures his time in Hong Kong in the 1960s.
- They have also teamed up with Afrika Eye to bring you Burundi-based film Neptune Frost, a mash-up of genres, ideology, poetry and dream imagination.
- Bristol-based Queer Vision Film Festival are championing the films in the programme that tell the stories of LBGTQ+ people from around the world, including the struggles of a Russian drag queen in Queendom and the intense love affair between two young women in a Jehovah’s Witness community in You Can Live Forever.
- Ahead of the screening of the heart breaking and touching Love Life, audiences can enjoy authentic Japanese snacks from Bath's only Izakaya & Sake Bar, Budō.
- FilmBath have also worked with Dorothy House, Kilter Theatre and both the University of Bath and University of Bristol to create an interactive event which invites audiences to cross the divide and envision a future where digital immortality becomes a reality.
- They are also delighted to welcome Bath Spa University music students to perform at their screening of Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn, the untold story of the greatest female composer you’ve never heard of.
This year’s festival will take place across The Little Theatre Cinema, Odeon, Widcombe Social Club, Rondo Theatre and, for the IMDb New Filmmaker Awards, Komedia. Following the success of the Pay What You Can pricing scheme which they launched last year, FilmBath will continue the scheme for 2023 to encourage all to come and enjoy the power of film from just £5. Tickets go on sale to the general public on 22 September, but those who join the e-mailing list can gain access 24 hours ahead.
There is something for everyone at the 33rd FilmBath Festival, including mind-expanding documentaries about life, photography, memory, music and more; as well as a mix of drama, romance, comedy and thriller features. Many of these films will never be screened in the Bath area again, so don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to see them.
FilmBath are a charity and rely on the generosity of its supporters and would like to thank the BFI, IMDb, Visual Impact, GWR, The Bird Hotel, Hawkers Joinery, The Group of Seven, The Norie Trust, TSL Consulting, Mayden Foundation, The Raven, Resolution Design, Anthony & Sylvia Mackewn, Jenny Mackewn, The Raby Family Trust, Mallory’s Jewellery, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Bath Box Office. They would also like to thank their team of volunteer programmers, stewards and film note writers who allow the festival to happen.
Jasmine Barker, Festival Director, said: "I encourage everyone in Bath to come and explore the beauty of experiencing other people’s lives and stories through the lens of cinema. Film is a universal language that transcends borders and brings us together, and our film festival is the place where these stories from around the world take centre stage and spark conversations that resonate far beyond the screen. There are many flavours of film to get your teeth into, whether you come on your own or with family this festival is a chance to experience something a bit different, it’s time to grab the popcorn and support your local film festival!"
Discover more about the festival at filmbath.org.uk.
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