Cinema in Manchester and the North

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Last Updated 20 September 2021

There are plenty of reasons to head to the movies this month, with venues lining up specialist curated film seasons, outdoor moonlit events and full on film festivals to entice cinemagoers over the next month or so.

At HOME, there’s a programme of film for Black History Month which focuses on Black joy, love and light and features a broad spectrum of rediscovered rarities and exciting big screen presentations, with stars from Aretha Franklin to Ice Cube. Meanwhile, we were excited to see the lineup for Yorkshire Silent Film Festival, which boasts Buster Keaton, Anna May Wong and Japanese avant garde horror — so something for everybody.

Also in Yorkshire, The Black Cinema Project have partnered with Leeds Industrial Museum for a programme of short films exploring the adult world of migration, belonging and communities, through the eyes of children, while Luna Cinema are presenting a series of cheesy feel good films on the grounds of Harewood House.

Looking a little further ahead, we’re heartened to see the proper return of Grimmfest, Manchester’s premier cult and genre film festival, as well as Bradford’s Widescreen Weekend, which celebrates the big screen experience in one of the country’s biggest and best cinemas. We’re also looking forward to the return of Not Just Bollywood, HOME’s exploration of Indian cinema, which this year pays tribute to the late Irrfan Khan and a shines a light on Bengali film.

Here are our picks

1. Not Just Bollywood at HOME

Image courtesy of HOME

Not Just Bollywood at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 13 October 2021, from £7.50 - Book now

Now entering its fifth year, HOME’s Not Just Bollywood returns with a celebration of the late Irrfan Khan and a particular focus on Bengali film.

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2. BFI London Film Festival 2021 at HOME

HOME

BFI London Film Festival 2021 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 6–17 October 2021, from £9 - Book now

London Film Festival returns to Manchester with films from the likes of Wes Anderson, Edgar Wright and Jane Campion.

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3. Black History Month 2021: Film Programme at HOME

HOME

Black History Month 2021 at HOME at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 1–31 October 2021, from £7.50 - Book now

For Black History Month, HOME presents examples of joy, love and light from the history of Black cinema.

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4. Film & Food Fest at Heaton Park

Adventure Cinema

Film & Food Fest at Heaton Park, Manchester, Until 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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5. Widescreen Weekend at The National Science and Media Museum

Widescreen Weekend at National Science and Media Museum, Leeds, 7–10 October 2021, from £30 - Book now

Classic films and modern masterpieces — Widescreen Weekend is a celebration of film at one of the country’s most extraordinary cinemas.

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6. Yorkshire Silent Film Festival

Yorkshire Silent Film Festival at The Abbeydale Picture House, London Road & the Antiques Quarter, 12–17 October 2021, from £12 - Book now

The UK’s largest celebration of live-scored silent film returns with a selection of global titles showing across six of Yorkshire’s finest towns and cities.

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7. Grimmfest at Odeon Great Northern

Monsters – Image Courtesy of Grimmfest

Grimmfest at Odeon Great Northern, City Centre and online, 7–17 October 2021, from £7.50 - Book now

Grimmfest returns with a new hybrid format that starts with a weekend of scary movies at Manchester’s Odeon Great Northern before taking the party online.

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8. Nightmare on RAD Street at Chapeltown Picture House

Nightmare on RAD Street at Chapeltown Picture House, Manchester, 30 October 2021, from £5.5 - Book now

RAD Screenings present a quadruple bill of eighties hair metal horror to ease you into Halloween.

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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 29 October–4 November 2021, from £7.50

Seven Samurai at HOME

Kurosawa expertly sustains the suspense over a lengthy duration, imbuing this classic story with an almost Shakespearian grandeur.

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.

Cinema 20 November 2021 3:30 pm, from £10.00

Screening: SparkPlug at HOME

Exploring family love, identity and race, you’ve got another chance to see this punchy and poetic stage production by Box of Tricks. Stick around afterwards for a Q&A with playwright/performer David Judge.

Culture Guides

Deborah Roberts: A Look Inside at the Bluecoat, Liverpool

Exhibitions

Race, beauty, education and early childhood memories are all explored in this month’s top pick of exhibitions from across the north.

Families

As we welcome in the autumn season and live entertainment returns to Manchester, there are so many activities to do with kids of all ages. Here’s our round-up of some of the best family activities and fun days out taking place in the coming weeks.

Northern Lights Writers' Conference 2021

Literature

Events for readers meet events for writers, with plenty of book launches, open mics, literature festivals, writing conferences and poetry showcases to pop into your diary for the remainder of September pushing into October, both online and in person.

Music

We’re now well into gig season and it’s proving to be a special one, with artists and audiences giving it their all. From atmospheric electronica to taut post-punk, there’s a whole lot to dig into in our new music guide.

Theatre

Dark comedies, dance world premieres and celebratory reopening seasons feature in this month’s eclectic pick of live theatre happening across the North.