Organisers of a film festival have confirmed the next online events in its 2021 programme.
Cambridge Film Festival at Home has announced its forthcoming talks for January and into February, following the success of the launch of the new enterprise earlier this month.
The initiative, which is available to anyone throughout the UK, kicked off on January 8 with respected film critics and broadcasters Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode and their choices for the hugely popular ‘A Film I Love…’ series. This includes a Pay What You Can Afford pricing structure for each film screening.
Coming under the CFF at Home umbrella, 'A Film I Love…' showcases special guests who choose, introduce, and talk about a movie they love and why it means so much to them – often prior to the screening of the film in question.
As part of CFF at Home, the online version of ‘A Film I Love…’ will continue to see fortnightly screenings on the Cambridge Film Festival website at camfilmfest.com.
Leading the line-up for the next two weeks are three of the UK’s top film critics and broadcasters.
From Friday, January 22 to Sunday, January 24, film critic and host of the Girls on Film podcast, Anna Smith, talks with Cambridge Film Festival trustee Jenny Nelson about the wonderful Booksmart by Olivia Wilde.
This is a painful and hilarious comedy about being young.
Olivia Wilde’s directing debut follows one chaotic day in the lives of two very smart girls who intensely love each other as best friends.
This film is a sharp, very funny reboot of the classic teen coming-of-age buddy comedy.
From Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 7, Observer film critic Simran Hans chooses Time, an American documentary film produced and directed by Garrett Bradley.
Time is a deeply personal portrait of a woman’s resilience and an intimate portrait of mass incarceration in America.
It follows Sibil Fox Richardson, fighting for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year prison sentence.
Culture writer Simran describes how Bradley’s masterful integration of video diary material gives the film such an unforgettable emotional power, and how the film’s rich textures give such depth and poetry to the storytelling.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020, where it won the US Documentary Directing Award.
CFF at Home will be offering online an interview and a 'pay what you can afford' film screening.
Later in the month, Empire magazine’s new Black in Focus columnist Amon Warmann picks the outstanding Whiplash.
This interview only will be free of charge on the website from Friday, February 19 to Sunday, February 21.
A 2014 American drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash depicts the relationship between an ambitious jazz drummer (Miles Teller) and an abusive perfectionist bandleader (J. K. Simmons) whose unconventional training pushes his student beyond the boundaries of reason and sensibility.
The movie gained five Oscar nominations, winning three of the categories, including Best Supporting Actor for J. K. Simmons as ruthless jazz instructor Terence Fletcher.
Damien Chazelle's follow-up was La La Land.
The ‘A Film I Love…’ interviews and screenings already held have been incredibly well received.
One viewer's response was: “A fantastic initiative for those who can't normally afford to go to the cinema and having introductions from critics adds another layer of enjoyment.”
Another movie fan said: “It was nice to get the insight of the film selector prior to watching it.”
“An excellent idea, to expand my film knowledge and give me recommended films to watch,” said another.
While one viewer praised the "great idea," adding "especially that these are clearly films the participants love as opposed to a selection from a given slate to promote.”
Full information about all aspects of CFF at Home can be found at camfilmfest.com
CFF at Home has been made possible by BFI’s Film Audience Network, with the support of The National Lottery.
Cambridge Film Festival at Home (Image: Cambridge Film Festival)
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