Cinema in Manchester and the North

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Last Updated 14 June 2021

Cinemas have opened their doors again, with full social distancing and Covid protocols in place, and we couldn’t be happier. Venues and programmers across the region have responded to reopening by reminding us of the scope and power of the big screen experience, with curated classics, brand new films and even some outdoor events.

At HOME there’s an epic, nuanced showcasing of films about films, a chance to catch a landmark, underseen Senegalese classic and a spotlight on local filmmakers. That’s not to mention new releases such as Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow and Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari.

In Liverpool, FACT have launched Cinema in the City, a programme of acclaimed new indies ready to watch on a rooftop with top food and drink options. Grassroots programmers Above The Line have scheduled some screenings at Withington Public Hall Institute — including an unmissable chance to catch David Cronenberg’s dark, unsettling Crash.

Here are our picks

1. Cinema in the City at Cotton Exchange Rooftop Garden

Cinema in the City at FACT, City Centre, 2–4 July 2021, from £8.25 - Book now

New for 2021, FACT presents Cinema in the City, a curated selection of critically-acclaimed indies at Cotton Exchange Rooftop Garden.

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2. The Reverse Gaze: Filmmaking on Screen at HOME

HOME

The Reverse Gaze: Filmmaking on Screen at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 30 June 2021 - Book now

New at HOME, The Reverse Gaze: Filmmaking on Screen is a season of films about filmmaking, exploring the act of creating images and the industry which surrounds them.

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3. Above The Line/ Crash at Withington Public Hall Institute

Above The Line/ Crash at Withington Public Hall Institute, Manchester, 20 June 2021, from £4.69 - Book now

A controversial classic. David Cronenberg’s adaptation of J. G. Ballard certainly benefits from the big screen.

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4. The Earth Asleep at HOME, Manchester

HOME

The Earth Asleep at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 11 September 2021 - Book now

The Earth Asleep, a new film and original live score from creative duo Clara Casian and Robin Richards, premieres this spring at HOME.

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5. Kendal Mountain Festival 2021 at Waterside Arts

Kendal Mountain Festival 2021 at Waterside Arts, Manchester, 1 July 2021, from £10 - Book now

Travel the globe with Kendal Mountain Festival, an evening of films and talks from some the world’s top adventurers.

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6. Film & Food Fest at Heaton Park

Adventure Cinema

Film & Food Fest at Heaton Park, Manchester, 23–26 September 2021, from £16.5 - Book now

Combining two of our favourite things, Film & Food Fest features four days of classic movies and recent releases to enjoy in a spacious outdoor setting.

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Cinema Until 30 September 2021, FREE

Make Up – Streaming on BBC iPlayer

Cornwall has seldom seemed eerier than in Make-Up, the vivid first feature from director Claire Oakley.

Cinema Until 21 February 2022, FREE

Queer Treatment

To coincide with LGBT History Month, Heart of Glass launches Queer Treatment, a new animated short film by the amazing Amy Pennington. Queer Treatment is inspired by conversations with members of the LGBTQIA+ community and explores connection, identity, representation and celebrating queer icons past and present.

Cinema Until 26 June 2021, from £50.88

Picnic Cinema: Withnail & I at Sleddale Hall

Picnic Cinema is back this September with a series of screenings of Withnail & I at Sleddale Hall aka Crow Crag — the cottage from the cult classic film.

Cinema 27 June 2021, from £5.50

Irma Vep at HOME

Olivier Assayas’s live-wire international breakthrough stars a magnetic Maggie Cheung as a version of herself: a Hong Kong action-movie star who arrives in Paris to play the latex-clad lead in a remake of Louis Feuillade’s classic silent crime serial Les vampires.

Cinema 2–4 July 2021, from £12.50

MIF21: All of this Unreal Time

Commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival and premiering at Manchester Central this July, All of This Unreal Time is a brand new short film and immersive installation written by Max Porter, directed by Aoife McArdle, and starring Cillian Murphy.

Cinema 18–21 November 2021, FREE

Kendal Mountain Festival

The four-day Kendal Mountain Festival is always packed with exciting activities for everyone from children to pensioners. Happening virtually in 2021, this year’s event is no less of an outdoors extravaganza.