Chichester International Film Festival is on its way!

Artistic director Roger Gibson has unveiled details of the programme for this year's Chichester International Film Festival. In its 27th edition, the 21-day festival is the largest on the south coast.
Roger GibsonRoger Gibson
Roger Gibson

Running from August 3–26, it includes three open-air screenings in the city’s historic Priory Park (the long-anticipated Disney-Pixar Animation, Incredibles 2, Grease, The Greatest Showman).

Roger said: “This year the Festival will screen around 160 films including premieres, previews and new releases from 29 countries across the globe. Highlights include those exposed in the world festivals: Sundance, Berlin Toronto, Venice, Cannes: Leave No Trace, Puzzle, Cold War, Lucky, The Heiresses and Wajib and will be screened at five venues.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Highlights also contain Q&As and In Person events with guests including the award-winning actor, producer, writer Steve Coogan, the much-loved actor, playwright and writer David Wood, actress and screenplay writer of Mrs. Dalloway, Eileen Atkins, directors Robbie Moffat (Oh God, preview) and Tupaq Felber (Tides, preview) and actress Sophie Gospill of The Receptionist, the compelling hidden Britain immigration drama, and other Q&As with directors, producers and actors as well as the opening and closing gala films of the controversial historical drama Matilda (9 Aug) and C’est La Vie, (26 Aug) the French comedy preview.

“Controversy is always an aspect of Festivals as reflected in Fundamentalism: two films exploring Jehovah’s witnesses with The Children’s Act and Apostasy, homosexuality in Miseducation of Cameron Post and Evening Shadows, apparent blasphemy in The Life of Brian, introduced by the Rev Canon Anthony Cane from Chichester Cathedral.

“14 UK premieres, previews and new releases join 12 European, eight US, four world and 12 independent films in this category including the French preview, Madame Hyde starring Isabelle Huppert, Guardians from celebrated director Xavier Beauvois (Of Gods and Men) and Winter Ridge director Dom Lenoir and actors attending its Q&A. Other strands include documentaries, retrospectives (Daniel Day-Lewis, Ingmar Bergman and Agnès Varda); Nordic Noir; French Institute’s new films; and an eight-film selective of Steve Coogan’s work.

“Special performances include Samuel Barber’s Vanessa from Glyndebourne and a much-loved strand, two classic silent films, Pabst’s restored 1928 Pandora’s Box and Dreyer’s creepy Vampyr, suitably showing in St Johns Chapel, Chichester, with the sensational live organ accompaniment by Ben Hall. The festival celebrates Leonard Bernstein in Chichester, in his centenary year with three Bernstein movies, talks and Bernstein’s Triple Bill Royal Opera House Ballet.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad