Hebden Bridge Film Festival 2020's full programme announced and 'surprises' planned

The full programme for the Hebden Bridge Film Festival has been announced - with highlights revealed and organisers saying "a few surprises" are planned.
By John Blow
Published 4th Mar 2020, 12:00 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2020, 10:14 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Films from around the world and UK features will be included at the event, which boasts actress Maxine Peake as patron, on the weekend of March 27 to 29.

Read More
Hebden Bridge Arts Festival will not take place in 2020 and this is why

It comes after organisers say the inaugural festival was a "huge success" last year.

Jessie Buckley in Misbehaviour. Picture: HBFF.Jessie Buckley in Misbehaviour. Picture: HBFF.
Jessie Buckley in Misbehaviour. Picture: HBFF.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Festival passes for the upcoming event have sold out but individual tickets for each film are on sale.

Louise Wadley, festival director, said: “Following the huge success of the inaugural Hebden Bridge Film Festival in 2019 we are back with an eclectic range of films to suit all tastes.

"We have films from all around the world, telling a variety of important and powerful stories.

"There will be a range of very special guests and a few surprises planned.

The Australian Dream. Picture: HBFF.The Australian Dream. Picture: HBFF.
The Australian Dream. Picture: HBFF.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We urge everyone to take a look at the full programme and to come along and be part of Hebden Bridge Film Festival 2020.”

Misbehaviour also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Phyllis Logan, Lesley Manville, Rhys Ifans and Greg Kinnear.

BAFTA-winning director Philippa Lowthorpe and writer Gabi Chiappe will take part in a Q&A, joined by two of the original activists, Jo Robinson and Jenny Fortune, at Hebden Bridge Picture House on Friday March 27 from 7pm.

And Then We Danced. Picture: HBFF.And Then We Danced. Picture: HBFF.
And Then We Danced. Picture: HBFF.

Director Daniel Gordon and former Chelsea captain and Show Racism the Red Card representative, Ken Monkou, will both take part in a panel session relating to documentary The Australian Dream at the cinema on Saturday March 28 from 8.15pm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Swedish-Georgian drama And Then We Danced, a LGBTQ+ love story set in the world of professional ballet, will be presented in partnership with Happy Valley Pride at the same venue on Sunday March 29 from 6pm.

The UK premiere of Beloved, a documentary following Firouzeh, an 82-year-old cow herder high in the Alborz mountains of Iran, will also be shown at 11.45am in the town hall on the last day of the festival.

Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, a documentary about the celebrated political columnist and Texan, will be on from 5pm during the Saturday at Hebden Bridge Picture House.

Rocks, Grand Jury Prize winner at Les Arcs European Film Festival, about a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother will screen on the same day from 2.45pm at the picture house.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a patron's message, Maxine Peake said: "Hebden has always has its own unique way of resisting the status quo and in a world of increasing inequality, where ordinary people are being 'othered', it's important to have film festivals like HBFF, which celebrates different voices."

The festival's full programme can be viewed at: https://www.flipsnack.com/858FF75BDC9/hbff-2020-programme.html