After the success of last years event, the 2018 event makes an appearence in Stone
The 6-day festival treats audiences to a diverse programme of cinematic delights, including short films, archive footage, old classics with live musical accompaniment and new releases. Pocket Film Festival gives audiences the chance to explore new spaces, and shining a light on venues and groups who already provide a fantastic programme of regular screenings.
2018 Pocket Film Festival Programme
Stafford Lives: Films from the Archives, Stafford Library
Back by popular demand, Stafford Library and Number 7 will host films about life in Stafford in the 50s and 60s curated by the Media Archive for Central England. They’ll play on a loop throughout the week – check with venues for exact timings.
Withnail & I (15)
Monday 12 March, Floodgate Ale House
Two out of work actors go on holiday to the English countryside “by mistake” where they encounter nothing but tedium, terrifying locals and torrential rain. We reckon it’s one of the best British comedies ever made.
The Florida Project (15)
Tuesday 13 March, Gatehouse Theatre
Six-year-old Moonee (Brooklyn Prince) and her rag-tag group of friends cause havoc around their wonderland home the Magic Castle, while her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) struggles to make ends meet, dealing with the realities of living on the impoverished fringes of paradise.
Short Film Night
Wednesday 14 March, Stone Library
Look out for The Burden by Swedish animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr – it may possibly be the greatest short film ever made.
Criminal Quilts – Artist Talk
Thursday 15 March, Staffordshire Record Office
Join Artist in Residence Ruth Singer for an introduction to her new developing work around the stories and images of women in the criminal justice system in the 19th century.
Fury (12)
Thursday 15 March, Staffordshire Record Office
When a wrongly accused prisoner barely survives a lynch mob attack and is presumed dead, he vindictively decides to fake his death and frame the mob for his supposed murder.
Westworld (15)
Friday 16 March, Oddfellows Hall
A futuristic theme park where paying guests play out their wildest fantasies in an artificial Wild West populated by Androids. Escapist fantasy takes on a grim reality when a malfunctioning robotic gunslinger (Yul Brynner) goes haywire.
The General (U) with live piano by Meg Morley
Buster Keaton’s 1926 American silent comedy The General was inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the American Civil War. Expect romance, laughs and some fantastic stunts, all accompanied by the wonderfully talented Meg Morley on piano.
Unseen Cinema Director, Owen Hurcombe says
‘We are really pleased to be able to bring the Pocket Film Festival back to Staffordshire for 2018. This year we will be heading to more exciting venues with a superb selection of films in tow. The festival kicks off on Monday 12 March with the hilarious Withnail & I at the Floodgate Ale House, followed by a week of short films, archive footage, old classics and new releases, and, for the big finish, a screening of Buster Keaton’s The General accompanied by the incredible Meg Morley on piano. Unseen Cinema are proud to be working with Flatpack: Assemble again on what we hope will be another successful film festival for the region’
Gill Heath, Cabinet Member for Communities at Staffordshire County Council added:
“We’re pleased to be able to work with Unseen Cinema and Flatpack: Assemble for the second year running to bring this unique film festival to the town. It’s a great opportunity to catch a classic movie in not such a traditional movie venue. I hope people will join us on a journey across Stone and Stafford for this programme of cinematic treasures, from Hollywood classics to short films, live silents to archive footage.”
Full details of the Pocket Film Festival and ticket information can be found at: www.unseencinema.co.uk/pocket-film-festival-2018
Pocket Film Festival is brought to you by Flatpack: Assemble and Unseen Cinema and supported by Staffordshire County Council.
