sunday 26th may
GERRY AND SYLVIA ANDERSON – ON FILM!
Family Friendly Cinema: Under 14s free
11:30AM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE BALLROOM
TICKETS £6
We are delighted to welcome back Gerry and Sylvia Anderson ‘super fan’ Mark Joseph, whose unique shows have proved so popular, to introduce. He will introduce further rare big-screen presentations – all on 16mm film, not digital media. This special show will include episodes of ‘Supercar’ ( Flight of Fancy /May 1961), ‘Captain Scarlet’ ( Attack on Cloudbase / May 1968), ‘Thunderbirds’ ( Edge of Impact /October 1965) and a very special ‘long’ version of the first (two part) episode of ‘Terrahawks’ ( Expect the Unexpected /October 1983), which contains previously deleted scenes and also extended scenes. We look forward to welcoming fans of Gerry and Sylvia – and classic British TV - to this very special screening.
I'M COMING HOME
UK : 56mins : 2018 : Certificate ‘12’
Directed by Samuel Turner
11.30AM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE ROYAL VIEW SUITE This is a free screening
Samuel Turner has autism. He is also a filmmaker, having brought us The Story of the Vegetable Man , The Referendum Day of Gibraltar and A Disability Matter of War . He has now directed this uplifting and inspiring story about how he strives to overcome the obstacles that life has put in his way. I’m Coming Home tells his extraordinary story, and includes interviews with the Prince’s Trust team and staff at the HQ of Cerebra, which supports families with a child with a challenging brain condition.
Introduced by director Samuel Turner
Sponsored by Genting Casino Westcliff
THIS IS A FREE FILM SHOWING. NO TICKET PURCHASE IS NECESSARY JUST TURN UP ON THE DAY
SIMON MARSDEN: A LIFE IN PICTURES
UK : 71mins : 2018
Directed by Jason Figgis
1PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE ROYAL VIEW SUITE TICKETS £6
Prolific photo-artist Simon Marsden was known for his ethereal, atmospheric black and white infra-red images of ruined buildings and Gothic graveyards. He drew inspiration not only from the dark visual beauty of these landscapes but also the eerie ghost stories (M. R. James, Edgar Allan Poe) he had read and heard as a child. Director Jason Figgis shadowed Marsden while he was creating his book The Twilight Hour . Five years after Marsden’s death in 2012, Figgis tells the story of what made his work so special and what drove the man to become such a master behind the lens and, perhaps more importantly, in the darkroom.
Introduced by associate producer John West
Plus short films
Session No 78
An inventive Polish gentleman desperately attempts to learn English in his own parallel world, but the tape player seems to have a life of its own..
and
Why Bees Cry
A journalist interviews a writer and director who is keen to emphasise how successful he is.
OLD LEIGH THROUGH THE AGES
3:30PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE BALLROOM
TICKETS £6
We are pleased to welcome local historians Bob Dalgarno and, from the Leigh Heritage Centre, Carole Mulroney, who, as the title suggests, will be taking a look at Old Leigh, with a slide show charting its history supplemented by archive film clips from the 30s to the present. They will also be presenting the first public screening of a new promotional film, The Port of Old Leigh , which looks at Old Leigh ‘yesterday, today and tomorrow’. This includes interviews with many of the people who give this close-knit community its unique character who, while fondly reminiscing about the good times, give thoughtful – and realistic - assessments of the future. So do join Bob and Carole for a wonderful insight into a unique and iconic community.
Sponsored by BTMK
FILM NOIR DOUBLE BILL - THE HANGMAN + ARE YOU WATCHING CLOSELY?
3:30PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE ROYAL VIEW SUITE
TICKETS £6
Well-known friends Pablo Raybould and Ben Manning (who brought hit thriller The Snarling to Horror-on-Sea) star in this double bill of twisty noir thrillers, directed by Liam Thomas Burke. In The Hangman , a deranged serial killer leads the investigating detective on an emotional and disturbing hunt for the truth behind the series of murders. And then it becomes really personal… And, in Are You Watching Closely?, when a troubled couple try to put their past life behind them and move to leafy suburbia, it seems their luck has changed when they meet their new neighbours. But things are not as they seem and, as tensions rise, dark secrets are revealed…
Plus short film Pest: Introduced by director James Wilsher
IN THE NAME OF BEN-HUR
USA : 89mins : 2016 : Certificate ‘12’
Directed by Mark Atkins
6PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE BALLROOM
TICKETS £6
In 2016 a mega-budget version of the 1880 novel ‘Ben-Hur’ hit worldwide screens. And, as night follows day, so indie outfit The Asylum produced their own version – on a rather more modest budget! Dubbed ‘mockbusters’, these mini-epics are made with just the right tongue-in-cheek attitude (and surprisingly good production values) to make them real audience-pleasers: just sheer good fun! In this retelling, retired gladiator Juda Ben-Hur helps vigilantes in their quest to remove the Romans from their homeland. See a desperate fight to the death! See awesome spectacle (on a budget)! So grab a beer and join likeminded fans for a real fun time! You won’t regret it! Introduced by director Jamie Evans
Plus short film It Starts With a Girl, introduced by director Jamie Evans
An uninspired writer must deal with the fact that his own selfish devotion to his art prevents him from maintaining a happy relationship.
THE FORSAKEN LAND
Sri Lanka : 90mins : 2005 : Subtitles : Certificate ‘15’
Directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara
6PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE ROYAL VIEW SUITE
TICKETS £6
Loyal soldier Anura is increasingly depressed by the tedium of his service at a remote outpost. Even the prankish behaviour of the soldiers that pass through isn’t enough to offset the numbing boredom. And even when at home on leave, the inertia of his emotionless landscape persists, leading to disconnected sexual encounters with his disinterested wife, detached conversations with his single sister and the heart-breaking dejection of their young charge. Winner of the Golden Camera at Cannes, this uncompromisingly powerful film suggests that hope is nothing more than a forgotten emotion. But is this really true?
Show curated by Mahendra Kannangara
Plus short film Oblivious
A woman and her lover get surprised when her boyfriend arrives home early – forcing her to try and sneak her lover out of the flat while not interrupting an impromptu drinks party with friends
LONEWOLF: THE AWAKENING + THE LIBERATOR STRIKES BACK
UK : 90mins : 2019 : Certificate '15'
Directed by Ben Lettieri and Neil Wilson
8:30PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE BALLROOM
TICKETS £6
We are delighted to welcome back Southend-based Festival regular Ben Lettieri with not one, but two World Premieres of his trademark action films. In the feature Lonewolf: The Awakening , the dark underworld is led by the Martinet and Katasha. As their evil plans unfold only one true hero can stop them. But he strays from the path of his fate, not ready to accept who he is… And, in short martial arts film The Liberator Fights Back , Ben Silver, aka ‘The Liberator’, returns to battle foe after foe to help an old friend obtain evidence of an illegal drugs racket.
Introduced by directors Ben Lettieri and Neil Wilson
Plus short film The Bandit introduced by director Carter Clarke
THE WELL DIGGER'S DAUGHTER
France : 107mins : 2011 : Subtitles : Certificate ‘PG’
Directed by Daniel Auteuil
8:30PM : PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE ROYAL VIEW SUITE
TICKETS £6
Famed actor Daniel Auteuil made the jump from in front of the camera to behind it with this film, from the writer of the acclaimed Jean De Florette and Manon Des Sources . Unashamedly old fashioned in its style (it is set in the 1930s) Auteuil himself plays the humble, contented well digger. But when one of his daughters unwisely begins a relationship with the son of a wealthy family, who disappears when she discovers she’s pregnant, Le Puisatier becomes conflicted between his sense of honour and his love for his daughter.
Plus short film Approval Needed introduced by director Karen Anstee
This challenging and stimulating film is from a prolific director who is no stranger to controversy, and is always prepared to wade into cinematic territory few have explored
After a terrible day, a lonely traffic-warden heads to the supermarket for some comfort food. When the self-checkout refuses her purchase it's the last straw but then she finds the one who will love her, despite her job.
Sponsored by The Cultural Engine
