Lightning McQueen races into Bradford

IMG_2062City Park was bursting with life today, as families turned up in their dozens to take advantage of the many free activities going on. Visitors to the film festival were impressed with the colourful deckchairs laid out as part of the Olympic Fanzone taking place in front of the Big Screen this month. While the Bradford climate is not known to be the best weather for sunbathing, the blue skies held and the summery seats did not look too out of place!

Today’s film was the 2006 Pixar comedy-adventure film Cars, starring Owen Wilson as the voice of racing hotshot Lightning McQueen, who is forced to spend time with the locals of small town Radiator Springs when he is sentenced to repair a road that he has damaged. And did I mention all the characters are cars?! The movie, also featuring the voices of Paul Newman, George Carlin and Michael Keaton, was met with positive reviews on its initial release, and today it was met with similar enthusiasm, bringing in crowds of approximately 200 people.

Many of those who attended were BFFF regulars: “We love it,” said Christine Stokes, visiting with her grandkids aged 4 to 18 years. “We come down every Wednesday – it’s amazing for the kids if there’s good weather.” Colleen Lewis, of Light of the World Church and Community Centre, had a similar view: “It’s exciting, and the children enjoy it. It’s a nice day out in the fresh air, and the children can interact with the other people who come.”

This morning there was even more fun thanks to an audience cam, which broadcast live footage of the audience on the Big Screen. This thrilled many young kids (and a few not so young!) who were excitably waving at themselves. Bradford City of Film were on hand to livestream the event through the Periscope app – the videos are now up on twitter so check
them out!

 
Next up for BFFF is Alice in Wonderland at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley, but unfortunately that event is now fully booked! Nevertheless, the current exhibition, entitled ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ is still worth a visit, so if you’re at loss for what to do in Bradford when there’s no BFFF screening… Then it’s over to the Bradford Playhouse for Saturday’s screening of Short Circuit 2, and be sure to join us in City Park for Rio 2 next Wednesday.