ILKLEY Film Society opens its 46th season on Sunday, September 7 with the brilliant comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel, at 8pm at Ilkley Playhouse.

Ralph Fiennes heads an astonishing cast (Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray and many other major stars) as the manager of a luxury hotel in the fictional republic of Zubrowka during the years between the two World Wars, As well as being a delight for connoisseurs of off-beat humour, the film has the special visual style of director Wes Anderson's previous films, such as Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tennenbaums.

The 24 films in the society's new programme come from 15 different countries including, for the first time in Ilkley, films from Chile, Romania, Laos and even Saudi Arabia, a country in which cinemas are banned by law! The programme reflects the wide and adventurous tastes of the society's members who are invited each year to vote for films from a “shortlist” of over 60 of the finest releases from the previous 12 months.

Highlights include the winners of both the Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film awards from this year's Oscars (12 Years A Slave and the Italian film The Great Beauty), Mike Leigh's Mr Turner, with Timothy Spall playing the great British painter, and the crowd-pleasing comedy from India, The Lunchbox. The astonishing and newly-restored 1924 documentary The Epic Of Everest will be shown as a special event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the tragic Himalayan expedition of Mallory and Irvine.

Wherever possible the films will be screened in Blu-ray format for the best possible image quality. There will also be an improved induction loop facility for audience members who use hearing aids.

The society's membership is limited to 200, but some places are still available and enquiries can be made via the website at www.ilkleyfilmsociety.org. The membership fee is just £40 to see all 24 films! Non-members are always welcome as guests (price £4) but should phone secretary Richard Fort in advance on 01535 653471.

Brochures for the season can be found in Ilkley at the Library, Tourist Information Office, Manor House & Clarke Foley Centre.