Film society’s season line-up (From Wharfedale Observer)

Film society’s season line-up

9:00am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in Local news

Ilkley Film Society’s 44th season begins on September 9 at Ilkley Playhouse with Oscar and BAFTA-winning The Artist.

The film, showing at 8pm, caused a sensation as the first silent movie to be made in decades, and has led to a world-wide revival of interest in silent cinema.

The society’s new programme of 24 films from 13 different countries was compiled after members voted in May for their choices from a ‘shortlist’ of more than 60. Other Oscar winners to be shown this season are Woody Allen's time-travelling comedy, Midnight In Paris, and the first film from Iran ever to win an Academy Award, the gripping divorce drama A Separation.

Ken Loach and Roman Polanski are among the directors included, as is the first film to be directed by British actor Paddy Considine, the powerful and disturbing Tyrannosaur.

Stars such as Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench and Sean Penn can all be seen.

Each season the society presents two special events. The Charles Dickens bicentenary will be commemorated in November by a rare screening of the 1922 version of Oliver Twist with legendary silent stars Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney. Then, in February, the Parisian music-hall world of the 1890s will burst onto the screen in technicolour in the from of a gloriously restored print of Jean Renoir’s 1954 classic French Cancan.

A few membership places are still available, and enquiries can be made via the society’s ilkleyfilmsociety.org.uk website. Non-members are welcome as guests. It is recommended they contact secretary Richard Fort on (01535) 653471 to reserve tickets, priced £4, in advance.

Programmes can be found at Ilkley’s library and Tourist Information Office.