Let’s go to the movies
Words: Karen Carmichael This month, you’re invited to a big screen party in London THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE turns 75 this month, and the cinematic institution on London’s South Bank, formerly the National Film Theatre, is marking the occasion with a month of special events. Take part in star-studded gala evenings, rare screenings of early [...]
Words: Karen Carmichael
This month, you’re invited to a big screen party in London
THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE turns 75 this month, and the
cinematic institution on London’s South Bank, formerly the
National Film Theatre, is marking the occasion with a month
of special events. Take part in star-studded gala evenings, rare
screenings of early films accompanied by live scores and free
showings of movies from the Bfiarchive in the Mediatheque.
Special art events during September include the first
public exhibition of paintings by French actress Juliette
Binoche, who’ll give an onstage interview to The Guardian
with an audience question-and-answer session. There’s also a
new video installation created by Oscar-winning film-makers
Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth (Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind) called The All-Seeing Eye.
And don’t think that the film-fest is only aimed at
smoochy couples or intellectuals; family-friendly events
abound. On 28 September children and adults alike can bring
out their inner comedian with a slapstick Charlie Chaplin
workshop, and watch his silent movie classics. There are
‘parent and baby screenings,’ where you can choose from the
likes of The Simpsons Movie or the distinctly more adult
Billy Wilder classic from 1950, Sunset Boulevard.
Throughout the month you can catch film retrospectives
of Juliette Binoche, Clint Eastwood and the best of British
silent film. Meanwhile, online you can download short films
from directors such as Stephen Frears, Ridley Scott,
Gurinder Chadha and Peter Greenaway for just 75p each
during September at www.bfi.org.uk/filmdownloads. The
Bfishop will also have big discounts on more than 75
DVDs, such as the martial arts classic The Seven Samurai.
Looking beyond its 75th anniversary, the Bfihas plans
for a new centre to allow greater public access to its vast
film archives as well as to showcase rare film and television
memorabilia. Soon to be on view are Marilyn Monroe’s
dress from Some Like it Hot and Derek Jarman’s annotated
shooting script for Jubilee.
BfiSouthbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1, +44 (0)20 7633 0274; visit
www.bfi.org.uk
