Manchester Film Festival at Odeon Great Northern
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Manchester Film Festival returns to the Odeon Great Northern this March with a line-up filled with UK and World Premiere screenings, Hollywood stars, and films fresh from the Sundance, Cannes, and Toronto film festivals.
The festival opens on Friday 10 March with cast and crew Q&A screening of brand new British rom-com, Rye Lane. That starts ten-days of brand new films for Mancunian movie lovers to discover, with a huge array of features – joined by over 140 short films.
Nicolas Cage stars in western Butcher’s Crossing, about a young Harvard dropout seeking his destiny out West. Timothy Spall appears in Bolan’s Shoes, a glam-rock themed drama that starts in ’70s Liverpool. While Stockport actress Kelly Wenham is in Dan Clarke’s A Kind of Kidknapping, about a young, broke couple who kidnap a sleazy politician.
There’s plenty of international intrigue across the programme too. From Korea, Bum-shik Jung’s New Normal is a mystery featuring serial killers and dating apps as six people’s lives intersect over four days. Every Day In Kaimukī takes us to Hawaii as a charismatic radio show host prepares to follow his girlfriend to New York. Then there’s French road movie/noir Blazing Neon in which two desperate characters desperately search for freedom.
Manchester Film Festival also features a vibrant documentary showcase, including The Road of Excess, which catches up with the stars of early noughties cult TV show Dirty Sanchez. There’s also a huge selection of short film sessions for audiences to dig into, including showcases of work from North West filmmakers.
Tickets are priced individually, but if you’re looking for the full film fest experience then head over to MANIFF’s website where you can explore the full programme and pick up ticket bundles, or a full festival pass.
