The 23rd Leeds International Film Festival 2009
Programme Review of Events planned for 4th-15th Nov at Carriageworks
Apr 30, 2009
Film submissions are open between 25th May to 31st July for the 2009 festival so as we wait for the coming programme to be announced, we can gear up for the events, by taking a look back at the highlights of the 22nd festival programme.
Special Event Venues in Leeds
The festival takes place in thirteen diverse venues in and around Leeds city centre including The Carriageworks Theatre which acts as the festival hub, The Hi Fi Club and The Wardrobe.
The Six Distinct Sections to the Festival Programme Including Fanomenon
Official Selection showcases the work of emerging filmmakers from around the world who are constantly pushing cinematic boundaries. At the recent festival Sita Sings the Blues, 2008 by director Nina Paley, was a popular film within this category.
Cinema Versais where you will find ground breaking documentaries of which the two principal themes last year were music and human rights. Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terror Dome, 2007 by director Dr Robert Patton-Spruill and Chomsky And Co, 2008, directed by Olivier Azam were both well received.
KiNETIKA! highlights experimental films which aim to play with our senses and stream of consciousness. Sector 16 from Hanover were the special guests last year and to compliment this collection were films such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Fear Eats The Soul, 1974.
Fanomenon, otherwise known as the festival's home of genre cinema, is packed with horror, sci-fi, fantasy and anime. Whether your pleasure is blood and carnage (Tokyo Gore Police, 2008: Yoshihiro Nishimura) or the uncanny (Nightmare Detectives, 2006: Shinya Tsukamoto), the festival will not disappoint. The special horror themed events, named Day Of The Dead and Night Of The Dead are firm festival favourites.
Thought Bubbleis a four day event celebrating sequential art with free writing and art based workshops led by industry professionals. Marvel talent spotter C.B. Cebulski attended the recent festival.
Finally, new for 2008 was the ShortFilmCity section, which gave viewers a rare chance to enjoy a selection of 160 unique films within 25 distinct programmes. Fantasy shorts included The Attack of The Robots from Nebula 5, directed by Txema Garcia Ibarra. This is a charming and surprisingly playful short about a loner who insists that the world is about to end but no one believes him. Also commended was a short from the Incommunicado programme, Pop Art, by director Amanda Boyle. It is a short film primarily about the death of Toby's mother and his subsequent friendship with Arthur, a new boy at school who is, in fact, inflatable.
Volunteers Crucial to the Leeds Film Festival
The festival relies upon volunteers and film enthusiasts in order to return to Leeds each year where it never fails to deliver an outstanding array of independent cinema. Tickets start from only £3.50 and you can buy a pass to the entire event for £70. For more information on the films and how to book visit the official festival website or call the box office on 01132243801.
