Bollywood, Vintage Hollywood
and Tomorrow’s Stars Today
Passes on sale now for 19th Bradford International Film Festival
in partnership with Virgin Media
including Widescreen Weekend and Filmmakers’ Weekend
www.bradfordfilmfestival.org.uk
The Bradford International Film Festival in partnership with Virgin Media returns to the National Media Museum and venues around Bradford and West Yorkshire for its 19th edition from 11th to 21st April, with cineaste’s favourite, the Widescreen Weekend dedicating an entire weekend to the joys of widescreen cinema from 26th to 28th April.
Passes are now on sale for the Festival, which for the second year is co-directed by Tom Vincent and Neil Young. Tom Vincent said: “From vintage Hollywood and celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema, to discovering tomorrow’s film talent today, this year’s 19th Bradford International Film Festival is proud to present an exceptional line-up. As well as the usual mix of UK Premieres, cult classics, guests, tributes, documentaries and family friendly events, the Festival will look to the past and pay tribute to cinema’s rich heritage – at home and abroad – as well as to its future, and throw a spotlight on young up-and-coming filmmaking stars.”
He continues: “ We celebrate Indian Cinema’s centenary in a special programme compiled to complement the National Media Museum’s exhibition ‘100 Years of Indian Cinema’. Also, as it reaches its 60th birthday, we commemorate the invention of glorious CinemaScope during our annual Widescreen Weekend, while at the same time giving voice to the true spirit of independent filmmaking in the Uncharted States of America strand. Yorkshire’s own Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy will present a master class to young film students in the Filmmakers’ Weekend, and we also delve into the Yorkshire Film Archive and give a rare public outing to the films of early Bradford documentary entrepreneur CH Wood.”
The full special guest line-up and festival programme will be announced in March. Confirmed highlights so far include:
* Filmmakers’ Weekend – This annual event (20/21 April), presented in association with the Northern Film School at Leeds Metropolitan University, to encourage new talent, will feature a weekend of workshops and master classes, with sessions on low budget producing and directing, finance, working with actors, composing for film, and developing screenplays. Highlights include a master class with Simon Beaufoy (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire), and end with the Shine Short Film and European Film Award ceremony.
* 100th Anniversary of Indian Cinema – A festival programme with special focus on the contribution that Indian filmmaking has made to world cinema, complementing the National Media Museum’s gallery exhibition 100 years of Indian Cinema which opens on 8 March, and other celebratory events taking place inBradford, UNESCO City of Film.
* Widescreen Weekend – WSW 2013 (26-28 April) will pay tribute to the 60th anniversary of 20th Century Fox’s cinematographic process CinemaScope. Highlights planned include new digital restorations of classic war films, The Great Escape and The Guns of Navarone, plus The Longest Day in a 70mm print, and Fox’s first CinemaScope feature, the 1952 comedy How To Marry A Millionaire starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. The widescreen format Todd-AO will be celebrated with two new 70mm prints of The Sound of Music and Hello Dolly showing on Pictureville’s curved screen, along with a 20th birthday screening for Gettysburg, showing in the year of the 150th anniversary of the actual battle.
* Uncharted States of America – BIFF’s annual survey of genuinely independent cinema from the USA provides an alternative to the Hollywood mainstream and studio output. This is the place to discover the unheard voices of America and tomorrow’s stars today. Already confirmed for this year’s section are British theatrical premieres of new films by Uncharted States favourites Mike Ott (Pearblossom Hwy) and James Benning (One Way Boogie Woogie 2012), along with exciting Uncharted ‘debutants’ like Andrew Brotzman (Nor’easter) and Robert Todd (Master Plan).
* Tribute to C H Wood – A programme of short films presented in partnership with the Yorkshire Film Archive dedicated to nonfiction film production company C H Wood of Bradford. YFA’s collection of Wood’s public information, promotional and vintage motorcycle films and videos features titles dating from 1920 – 2009. Capturing the people, places and industries of Yorkshire, the screenings will include sporting highlights such as Bradford City FC in the 1930s, Bradford North at Wembley in the 1940s, events at Odsal Stadium, a coach trip with Wallace Arnold, a peek behind the scenes at mail order catalogue company Grattan and a look back in time at West Yorkshire’s textile heritage. 
