Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Independent cinemas are doing well right now. Audiences are flocking to the surprise smash of Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning thriller Parasite , Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe’s alluring turns in The Lighthouse and Armondo Iannucci’s witty Dickens’ adaptation The Personal History of David Copperfield. Box office numbers are up and audiences are being treated to some genuinely thrilling films. Look out for all of the above as well as exciting new additions such as Lucio Castro’s acclaimed, cosmic gay romance End of Century, Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan’s skewering of Philip Green, and Céline Sciamma’s exquisite lesbian love story, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, over the next few weeks.
Away from the new films, there are opportunities to engage with two famously provocative auteurs in David Lynch in Liverpool and David Cronenberg at Stockport Plaza. At Manchester Museum, why not book a free ticket to experience Jurassic Park while sat amongst the fossils. While in Sheffield, there’s a weekend of cult cinema to dive into — including rare 35mm screenings.
Here are our picks
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1. Parasite at HOME
HOME Parasite at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 27 February 2020, from £7.50 - Book now
Parasite became the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year. Find out what the fuss is about.
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2. Culture Shock/ David Lynch Mini Season at FACT
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3. Jessica Hausner at HOME
HOME Jessica Hausner at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 25–27 February 2020 - Book now
HOME mark Jessica Hausner’s stylish new sci-fi with a mini-retrospective dedicated to the Austrian filmmaker.
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4. A History of Violence at Showroom, Sheffield
A History of Violence at Showroom Workstation, City Centre, 26 February 2020, from £6.90 - Book now
Pulp fictions meet rigorous ideas in one of iconic director David Cronenberg’s most exciting films.
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5. Grimmfest/ David Cronenberg Day at Stockport Plaza
Grimmfest/ David Cronenberg Day at Stockport Plaza Cinema, Stockport, 8 March 2020, from £7.5 - Book now
More Cronenberg — think you can handle a day long session?
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6. Reel Steel Cult Weekender Film Festival at The Abbeydale Picture House, Sheffield
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7. DNA Day Screening: Jurassic Park at Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum DNA Day film screening, Jurassic Park at Manchester Museum, Manchester, 23 April 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Virtual reality, expert opinions and real fossils. This is no ordinary film screening.
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8. The Lighthouse at HOME
HOME The Lighthouse at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 27 February 2020, from £7.50 - Book now
Breath in the sea air with Robert Eggers’ nightmarish tale of stranded lighthouse keepers. Featuring the talents of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson this art-house horror blends stark, hallucinogenic visuals with claustrophobic violence and no little humour.
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9. The Adventures of Robin Hood at Stockport Plaza
The Adventures of Robin Hood at Stockport Plaza Cinema, Stockport, 1 May 2020, from £9.25 - Book now
Michael Curtiz’s rollicking classic stands up to scrutiny.
More in Cinema
Lovely Rita at HOME
Working with non-professional actors, Haussner uses flashes of dark comedy to depict a stifling bourgeois respectability trying to keep the lid on the simmering mess hidden below.
Little Joe at HOME
The English language debut from Austrian director Jessica Hausner is clinically stylised and emotionally austere.
End of Century at HOME
An Argentinian man from New York and a Spanish man from Berlin hook up by chance while in Barcelona.
Girlhood + Post-Screening Discussion at HOME
This screening will be followed by a free, informal post-screening discussion led by Esther Lisk-Carew, Freelance Cultural Host
Derek Jarman: PROTEST! at Manchester Art Gallery
Derek Jarman: PROTEST! is a major retrospective of one of the most influential figures in 20th century British culture including many works which have never been seen in public before.
Pilot Light TV Festival Season 5 at HOME
Manchester’s TV festival is dedicated to producing an inclusive, communal TV experience where fans and industry can come together to celebrate the past, present and future of television.
Hinterlands Film Festival, Skipton
Hinterlands International Rural Film Festival celebrates rural film in dramatic ways across the landscapes of the Lakes and Dales.
Grimmfest at Odeon Great Northern
One of the top genre film festivals in the World, Manchester’s annual festival of horror, cult and fantastic film returns to Odeon, Great Northern this October.
Culture Guides
Exhibitions
Art and women’s wrestling, Ancient Akkadian gravesites and invented artefacts – check out this month’s pick of exhibitions from across the north.
Literature
From Helen Fielding to Hilary Mantel, the literati hard-hitters are in town as Manchester Literature Festival and UNESCO City of Literature turn up the gas.
Classical Music in Manchester and the North
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester.
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
It’s time to find the best restaurants for the weeks ahead. Here’s our guide to the best Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Tours and Activities
Expect thrills, informative discussion, politically charged tours and wobbly towns in this month’s guide of Tours and Activities.
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Jazz in Manchester
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Nightclubs in Manchester
Manchester today offers such a variety of venues at which to feel young and alive, you’d be a fool not to check out the city’s solid-gold after hours scene.
August Bank Holiday
Looking for things to do over the August Bank Holiday? Near fear, we’ve put together a handpicked list of things to do in Manchester and the North this August Bank Holiday weekend.
Father’s Day
This year’s Father’s Day is Sunday 16th June. Get out and about and spend some quality time with the old man in Manchester.
Music Venues in Cumbria
When the sun goes down and you’ve had your fair share of Cumbria’s great outdoors, head to the area’s music venues to catch folk and jazz sessions, as well as regular performances by touring musicians. We recommend some of our favourites.
Music Venues in Sheffield
Sheffield boasted a strong and varied musical heritage. We pick out some of the city’s music venues – from student clubs to community pubs, and even the odd classical venue – which continue to play their part in this success.
