Cinema in Manchester and the North
Tom Grieve, Cinema EditorThis month is all about music and movies, as a number of our favourite venues present festivals, seasons and events that celebrate underground bands, fan culture and some iconic musicians. From concert films and immersive documentaries, to transportative fiction films that capture the spirit of (or even poke light fun at) specific musical sub-cultures, movies can’t quite put you on the front row, but they can come pretty close.
In Sheffield, Showroom present Our Cinema Could Be Your Life, a weekend of films and events capturing the spirit of the underground American indie music in the 80s and early 90s. Featuring legendary bands such as Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana and Sonic Youth, the season takes inspiration from Michael Azerrad’s influential book ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Underground 1981-1991′.
In Manchester, Mosh Film Festival returns with headbanger’s paradise of heavy metal cinema. Featuring insightful docs and cult features, the festival offers a fun, inclusive space with an emphasis on championing groups underrepresented in metal. While over in Leeds, there’s a chance to see the last performance of the late, great pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, as captured in the moving concert film, Opus.
There are a number of film festivals on the horizon too, not least HOME’s ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival which turns thirty this year, and celebrates with a bumper edition stacked with brand new and classic films and Q&As sourced from across the Spanish speaking world. At CULTPLEX, we’re also looking forward to the return of GASP Horror Film Festival, which is back with a weekend of brand new scary movies.