Do you remember that ever-so controversial advert from a few years ago where a bunch of tanned Australians told us about all the wonderful things we could experience were we to visit their country, but which then ended with the question (which I have paraphrased to avoid risking offence), “so where the ruddy heck are ya?” Well, right now, as I write this, we are in the middle of the August festivals, and I think I know how they felt!

We’ve all these amazing films on but such a distraction is the world’s largest arts festival the audience for film seems overwhelmed by the choice afforded them elsewhere. (Or, perhaps, you all just stay out of town during August!) I’ve... grumbled... about all this before in the vain hope that swathes of you will read it and head our way, but my plaintive cry is drowned out by sheer festival fervour! It’s a challenge for sure, but not one we will shirk from any time soon.

But we really don’t want you to miss out, so we’ve made sure you still have an opportunity to see some of these unmissable August-released films in September (thinking of you even as you weren’t thinking about us!), especially Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood (oh how much time was spent discussing where in the title that ellipsis should go!) and Almodóvar’s thoroughly wonderful Pain and Glory. On top of those, The Souvenir is undoubtedly Joanna Hogg’s finest film to date (I’ve watched it twice already, the second time only deepening my appreciation of it) and we’re getting terribly excited about how much you’re gonna love The Farewell. John (Brooklyn) Crowley’s adaptation of Donna Tartt’s bestseller, The Goldfinch, gets its release toward the end of the month, and just before that we host the annual, inspirational Take One Action Film Festival, which, now in its 12th edition, only gets more urgent and relevant as the years go by.

Rod White, Head of Programming

 

Download the programme here

Women and man dance on film set in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood