Ipswich Film Theatre reopens its doors on June 4 with not only a programme of Oscar-winning movies to tempt people back to enjoy the delights of the big screen but they have recruited cult British film director Edgar Wright to curate a season of classic double-bills.
Cinema manager and trustee Dan Champion said: “We are thrilled that Edgar Wright has decided to support us and independent cinema across the country.
"He is one of the country’s most distinctive film-making voices and we are so pleased that he values the role played by independent cinema in expanding viewer choice.”
He said that as many films as possible in the double-bill season will be screened as 35mm film prints rather than as digital presentations.
The season kicks off with Michael Caine in Get Carter which will be paired with a surprise movie on July 3 and will be followed by Do The Right Thing and Boys N The Hood; Mad Max: Fury Road and Apocalypto, isolation classics Reservoir Dogs and The Thing.
Other titles will follow during the summer.
Edgar Wright sent a message of support: “I’m more than delighted to support the Ipswich Film Theatre with some lockdown double bills I have curated.
"I spent a good part of the last year at home pining for the big screen and coming up with dream double bills. The Ipswich Film Theatre has been kind enough to program some of them.”
In addition to Edgar Wright’s dream double-bills the Ipswich Film Theatre will be offering audiences a chance to catch up with some Oscar-winning movies on the big screen.
Dan said: “We’ve packed our reopening programme with BAFTA and Oscar winners like Sound Of Metal, Minari, and The Father. We’re also taking to the road with six films exploring the evolving American Dream: Frances McDormand stars in Chloé Zhao’s BAFTA and Oscar-winning Nomadland, Kelly Reichardt explores the birth of American capitalism in First Cow, Paul Newman demands to live free in Cool Hand Luke and we have the BFI reissue of Robert Altman’s Nashville in 4K."
Other new films include My New York Year, Undergods, Deerskin, the Oscar-winning Another Round, Gunda and Censor. “Also, we expose the soul of working-class America in a double feature with Thief (for its 40th Anniversary) and Blue Collar.”
The Ipswich Film Theatre is also staging a world premiere on July 23 when they screen the first showing of The Haunted Hotel, a horror anthology film shot at Ipswich’s famed Great White Horse Hotel.
The opening weekend will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of Terminator 2 with a double bill of James Cameron’s dystopian duo The Terminator and T2. For those wanting to see modern classics that same weekend, the IFT will also be screening Sound Of Metal and Minari.
The Ipswich Film Theatre’s Young Programmers Group will be staging a one-off screening of Wolfwalkers on June 17 plus hosting an animation workshop.
Dan said: “Ultimately we’re extremely excited to be reopening and bringing independent cinema back to Ipswich. The first week of reopening in the UK saw cinemas hitting 1 million admissions and we believe this is a sign of the public’s appetite for the magic that only cinema can deliver. We’re very confident in cinema’s resolve when it comes to conquering adversity.”
For full details of the rolling programme and to book tickets go to the Ipswich Film Theatre website.
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