» Cinecity Festival returns
Brighton’s annual film festival, Cinecity , returns for a sixth year this week at the Duke of York’s
Brighton Cinecity returns for its sixth edition this year from 20 November to 7 December. Presented in partnership with the Duke of York’s Picturehouse and the University of Brighton, Cinecity features a global mix of UK premieres and previews, treasures from the archives plus the latest digital adventures and all round cinematic glee.
Cinecity screens right across Brighton and Hove in all the city’s cinemas and a host of other locations. This year promises to explore the cinema of New Europe; examining the work of the extraordinary Brothers Quay with a special exhibition; and celebrating the film-making talent in Brighton with its own homemade Brighton Screening Day.
In 2007 the festival wooed the crowds with high profile screenings and premieres of Ang Lee’s Lust Caution, Cannes award winner 4 Months, 3 weeks, 2 Days, the superb animation Persepolis, and the Gallic award magnet Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This year the festival truly hits its stride with premieres from around the globe. Things kick off in exotic fashion as Woody Allen’s new film Vicky Cristina Barcelona opens the festival on Thursday 20 November. Set in Spain with a stellar international cast that includes Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz, this heady and often erotically charged effort should see Allen finally clamber back to the top of his idiosyncratic comedic perch. Other intriguing additions see the much anticipated Patti Smith: Dream of Life documentary from director Steven Sebring screened on Friday 21 November. Shot over 11 years, this superb feature sees Patti Smith finally get our full and undivided attention. After the recent clutch of superb if not slightly testosterone fuelled music documentaries on such luminaries as Joe Strummer, Leonard Cohen, and Scott Walker, it’s refreshing to find a genuine female icon centre stage. Later in the festival we find the sure to be fantastic Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell. This documentary of the inspirational musician is a low key affair which showcases the multi-talented musician whose highly influential and tragic career incorporated work in pop, classical and disco. If music isn’t your bag of choice then you might want to sample the comedic delights of Hamlet 2 starring our very own Brighton resident Steve Coogan on 23 November. This surprise hit at the recent Sundance Festival is a sardonic freakout that sees Coogan as a failed high school drama teacher who stages his own musical sequel to Hamlet in order to save his career and his department. Written by Pam Brady – responsible for such comedy corkers as South Park and Team America: World Police – this thrifty little effort should see Coogan leap into that Hollywood mainstream he’s been so fervently pursuing in recent years.
Cinecity is supported by Brighton & Hove City Council, Screen South / UK Film Council and the University of Brighton and offers screenings at Duke of York’s, Cineworld, the University of Brighton and the Sallis Benney Theatre. This is only a selection of what’s on during Cinecity. For full listings and to book tickets visit www.cine-city.co.uk
