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Special Events
In Conversation with Stephen Frears 2000Renowned British director Stephen Frears is our special guest for an on-stage conversation about his career and his latest film TAMARA DREWE. Graduating with a Law degree from Cambridge University... |
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Ian Christie: (Not) Coming Soon United Kingdom, 2000Exploring Cinema's Unmade Projects with film historian Ian Christie Think of all the films that don't get made. On second thoughts, don't - many of them could have been even worse than much of... |
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'F' + Happy Face Johannes Roberts, United Kingdom, 2010F tells the story of Robert Anderson, a burned-out alcoholic world-weary English teacher, a man who has to face his most terrifying demons. F is set in a huge sprawling U.K. comprehensive school,... |
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The Lido Picture Show United Kingdom, 2010Join us for our family film event at Cambridge's renowned open-air swimming pool. Situated a stone's throw away from the river, the Jesus Green Outdoor Pool is not only a Cambridge institution, but... |
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Kubrick's Napoleon UK, 2010The Cambridge Film Festival invites you to explore Stanley Kubrick's greatest ever achievement never to reach the big screen. Through photos from pre-production, primarily sketches, and talks from... |
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Writer in Residence UK, 2010This year’s Festival is proud to present its first writer-in-residence, with funding from Cambridgeshire County Council. Published poet, Jane Monson will lead a series of creative writing... |
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Main Features
Brilliantlove Ashley Horner, United Kingdom, 2010From its opening shot Ashley Horner's second feature exposes all. Love on screen is rarely this physical, or poetic, or intense. Manchester (Brown) and Noon (Landry) live out of a garage happily... |
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A Town Called Panic Vincent Patar, Stephane Aubiert, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, 2010It’s zany, brainy and altogether insane-y! Based on the Belgian animated cult TV series of the same name, A TOWN CALLED PANIC charts the stop-motion adventures of Cowboy, Indian, and Horse who... |
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Enter the Void Gasper Noe, France, Germany, Italy, 2009Relentlessly challenging to the moral and physical sensibilities, ENTER THE VOID is a triumph of technological invention that appeals to the sensual, not to the intellectual. Noé recreates the... |
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Dark Souls (Mørke Sjeler) César Ducasse, Mathieu Peteul, Norway, France, 2010The ruthless greed and ecological devastation of the oil industry form the backdrop to DARK SOULS, a stylish horror which uses homage as a springboard for its original take on the genre. Lazy... |
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Empire of Silver Christina Yao, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, 2009EMPIRE OF SILVER offers us a detailed and often spectacular portrait of the world of a family of Chinese merchant bankers, set at the end of the 19th century. China is suffering a period of immense... |
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Empire State Ron Peck, United Kingdom, 1987EMPIRE STATE follows the fortunes of twenty characters as they hustle the streets of late eighties London for hard cash... rent boys, City businessmen, yuppies, lonelyhearts, boxers, petty thieves... |
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Documentaries
The Desert of Forbidden Art Amanda Pope, Tchavdar Georgiev, Russia, 2010Like a modern Robin Hood of the arts, penniless artist Igor Savitksy made an audacious decision during the Soviet Regime. He courageously saved 40,000 illicit art works, which would have otherwise... |
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Hoi Polloi Present HUGH HUGHES: HOW I GOT HERE Hugh Hughes, United Kingdom, 2010Artist, comedian and story-teller Hugh Hughes (the energetic alter ego of Shon Dale-Jones) has captivated audiences the world over with his stage shows, Floating, Story of a Rabbit and 360. Now, in... |
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Nenette Nicolas Philibert, France, 2009Nenètte is the senior orangutan kept in the Jardin des Plantes, one of the oldest zoos in Paris. We see her daily routine: interacting with her co-inmates, taking her afternoon tea, and moving... |
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Stephen Fry: Wagner and Me Patrick McGrady, United Kingdom, 2010Follow Stephen Fry across Europe in this documentary as he explores his love for the music of composer Richard Wagner. But this is not just a journey of appreciation. Being of Jewish descent, with... |
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The Weird World of Blowfly Jonathan Furmanski, United States, 2010Singer-songwriter Clarence 'Blowfly' Reid has been rapping dirty since 1965, when he released what is widely believed to be the world's first rap song. THE WEIRD WORLD OF BLOWFLY follows the... |
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Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michèle Hozer, Peter Raymont, Canada, 2009A fascinating cinematic portrait of one of the most renowned Canadian classical pianists of the 20th century. This documentary opens up the eccentric world of Glenn Gould using much never-before... |
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Voices Unbound: The Story of the Freedom Writers Daniel Anker, United States, 2009VOICES UNBOUND recounts the journey of a group of 150 at-risk youths from Long Beach California, who, in the mid-1990's, inspired by the Diary of Anne Frank, learned to rise above their... |
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Promise and Unrest Ireland/Philippines, 2010Find out just how far one woman will go to improve the life of her family in this gut-wrenchingly powerful documentary. Shot over the course of five years it is the story of Noemi Barredo who... |
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Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) Bill Jones, Alan G. Parker, Ben Timlett, United Kingdom, 2009Forty years after it was originally broadcast, some of Britain’s most successful comedians pay tribute to Monty Python. This most recent retrospective offers a blend of well-known anecdotes and... |
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Babies (Bébés) Thomas Balmes, France, 2010In this touching documentary, Thomas Balmès (THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE PAPUANS, WAITING FOR JESUS) follows the lives of four babies for 400 days, tracking their journeys from birth to... |
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Two in the Wave (Deux de la Vague) Emmanuel Laurent, France, 2010Documentary TWO IN THE WAVE focuses on the volatile relationship between the two men at the forefront of the highly influential French New Wave, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. United by... |
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Plug and Pray Jens Schanze, Germany, 2009Computer experts around the world strive towards the development of intelligent robots. Pioneers like Raymond Kurzweil and Hiroshi Ishiguro dream of fashioning intelligent machines that will equal... |
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Destino: A Contemporary Dance Story (56m)/The Art of doing Nothing UK, 2010DESTINO: A Contemporary Dance Story is a film that celebrates the potency of the arts to bring people together across generations and across ethnic divides; a power to challenge fate, to change... |
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Neukölln Unlimited Agostino Imondi; Dietmar Ratsch, Germany, 2010The 3 siblings Hassan, Lial and Maradona are successfull dancers and musicians. But their family is in danger of being deported out of Germany |
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Human Terrain James Der Derian, David Udris, Michael Udris, United States, 2010In 2005, the US army formulated a controversial counterinsurgency plan which marked a radical shift in policy regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Human Terrain initiative enlists experts... |
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David Wants to Fly David Sieveking, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, 2010Aspiring filmmaker David Sieveking goes to hear director David Lynch speak about his passion for Transcendental Meditation (TM), a practice developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who became known for... |
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Millennium Trilogy
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest Daniel Alfredson, Sweden, 2009The final part of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, based on the best-selling books, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST continues the story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, as the... |
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Niels Arden Oplev, Sweden, 2009Based on the first instalment of Stieg Larsson's hugely successful Millennium Trilogy, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO introduces us to a world of buried secrets, family tragedy and simmering... |
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The Girl Who Played with Fire Daniel Alfredson, Germany, 2009Hot on the heels of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO comes its sequel, which sees Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) and crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) once again caught up in a brutal... |
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Microcinema
Cross-Channel + Discrepancy Ron Peck, United Kingdom, 2010CROSS-CHANNEL (105mins) An Englishman travelling by ferry to meet his lover in France becomes increasingly suspicious of two of his fellow-passengers, two brothers, who he suspects are criminals... |
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Dirt + For Cultural Purposes Only Daniel Fawcett, United Kingdom, 2010A new world of freedom and adventure opens up to Miles when he meets the somewhat eccentric Francis who inspires him to stop working and spend the last few weeks of the summer with him on his... |
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NokotaHeart (60m)/Giardini Di Luce (12m) Sean Garland, USA, 2010The true story of Leo Kuntz, Vietnam vet turned North Dakota horse rancher, and his fight to save the equine legacy of Sitting Bull from the insurmountable adversity of the 21st Century. Told in... |
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Bad Company + Amnesia Jason J. King, UK, 2009Jason King returns to Cambridge with his first feature BAD COMPANY, a psychological thriller about a young woman who is looking after a friend's house in order to escape an abusive relationship.... |
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Revivals
The Battle of the Rails (La Bataille du Rail) Rene Clement, France, 1946 |
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The Passing of the Third Floor Back Carl Theodor Dreyer, United Kingdom, 1935Book into this fascinating blend of magical parable and documentary realism adapted from the stage play by Jerome K Jerome. The mood changes when a mysterious stranger (Veidt) rents a room in a... |
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From Here to Eternity Fred Zinnemann, United States, 1953This impressive digital restoration of Fred Zinnemann's acclaimed drama FROM HERE TO ETERNITY premiered at Cannes 2010. Based on James Jones' best-selling novel of the same name, the film... |
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City Girl F W Murnau, USA, 1930F.W. Murnau revisits the theme of the contrast between rural and urban lifestyles explored in his masterpiece SUNRISE. Based on Elliott Lester’s 1925 play, The Mud Turtle, CITY GIRL is a... |
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Ordet Carl Theodor Dreyer, Denmark, 1955Set in a religious farming community in West Jutland, this challenging, brilliant film provides a masterful study in family and faith. Devoted Christian Morten (Malberg) struggles to come to terms... |
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Roy Andersson
You, The Living Roy Andersson, Sweden, 2008YOU, THE LIVING follows a similar approach to Andersson's previous SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR, but takes a slightly lighter tone in presenting a wry series of tragi-comic vignettes from modern... |
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Roy Andersson Shorts Programme Roy Andersson, Sweden, 1967As with Andersson’s full length films, his short works are imbued with biting humour, skilful delicacy and as much emphasis on the unsaid as the said. His ability to distil emotion and strip... |
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A Swedish Love Story Roy Andersson, Sweden, 1970A Swedish Love Story marked Roy Andersson's feature film debut and was an enormous international success, winning several awards at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1970. The film takes... |
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Songs from the Second Floor Roy Andersson, Sweden/Norway/Denmark, 2000Songs from the Second Floor unfolds through a series of tableaux to present a portrait of a city grinding to a halt. A magician's act goes horribly wrong; flagellants march through the streets... |
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Cambridge African Film Season
The Hillside Crowd (Ceux de la Colline) Berni Goldblat, Switzerland, 2009A makeshift gold mine on the remote Diosso hillside in Burkina Faso has attracted a swarm of gold-diggers and dynamite blasters, healers and dealers, vendors and prostitutes, children, holy men and... |
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Garbage Dreams Mai Iskander, United States, 2009GARBAGE DREAMS tells the story of three young boys living on the outskirts of Cairo in the world’s largest ‘garbage village’, the home of some 60,000 Zaballeen or ‘garbage people’. The... |
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Soul Boy Hawa Essuman, Kenya/Germany, 2010Nairobi, Kenya. 14 year-old Abila lives with his parents in Kibera, one of the largest slums in East Africa. One morning the teenager discovers his father ill and delirious. Someone has stolen his... |
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The Panafrican Festival of Algiers (Le Festival Panafrican D'Alger) William Klein, Algeria, 1969This hitherto little known documentary by the photographer, painter and graphic artist William Klein plunges us into the very heart of the 1st Panafrican Cultural Festival held in Algeria in 1969 -... |
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The Athlete (Atletu) Davey Frankel, Rasselas Lakew, Ethiopia/USA/Germany, 2009In 1960 Abebe Bikila sprinted into international acclaim when he became the first African athlete to win gold at the Olympics. The great Ethiopian marathon runner set a new world record darting... |
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The Fourth Revolution: Energy Autonomy Carl-A. Fechner, Germany, 2010Finally, an environmental documentary which leaves everybody not in tears but in hope! Exploring different projects that have begun to utilise renewable energy sources to combat the depleting... |
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German Films
Dancing Dreams Rainer Hoffmann, Anne Linsel, Germany, 2010Revel to the power of dance as the world-class choreographer Pina Bausch prepares a group of youngsters for a performance of her work Kontakthof. Bausch was one of the leading figures in German... |
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The Miracle of Leipzig (Das Wunder von Leipzig-Wir sind das Volk) Sebastian Dehnhardt, Matthias Schmidt, Germany, 2009Leipzig, autumn 1989. What began in St Nicholas? church as prayers for peace develops within just a few weeks into the immensely powerful Monday demonstrations with thousands of East Germans taking... |
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Henry of Navarre (Henri 4) Jo Baier, Germany, France, Spain, 2010France, 1563. Protestants and Catholics are fighting for land and power, invoking their religion as justification. At the head of the Protestants stands Henry of Navarre, leading his men against... |
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The Dispensibles (Die Entbehrlichen) Andreas Arnstedt, Germany, 2009Set in the dark underbelly of modern-day Germany, THE DISPENSABLES tells the true story of 11 year-old Jacob, and his survival after discovering the body of his abusive father - a fact he tries to... |
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Neukölln Unlimited Agostino Imondi; Dietmar Ratsch, Germany, 2010The 3 siblings Hassan, Lial and Maradona are successfull dancers and musicians. But their family is in danger of being deported out of Germany |
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Don't Be Afraid (Keine Angst) Aelrun Goette, Germany, 2009Poignant and powerful, this coming of age tale is imbued with both gritty realism and an enchanting sense of innocence. Becky, 14, is a young woman with responsibilities beyond her years. Her... |
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Del Toro
Pan's Labyrinth Guillermo Del Toro, Mexico, Spain, USA, 2006A fairy tale for adults inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya and rooted, like THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, in the context of war, this is del Toro’s most accomplished work in his own opinion.... |
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Cronos Guillermo Del Toro, Mexico, 1993Winner of the Critics' Week Prize at Cannes in 1993, CRONOS is an original, stylish and sophisticated reworking of the vampire themes of dread and desire. More than four centuries after it was... |
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The Devil's Backbone Guillermo Del Toro, Spain, 2001As the Spanish Civil War draws to its close, ten-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is abandoned at a remote orphanage. Harassed by the boys there, Carlos starts to uncover the orphanage?s murky... |
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Shorts
UK Shorts II - Relationships: The Eternal Riddle UK, 2009Who says love is easy? Delve into the deep ends of what love does to you and what scars you should look for once it has gone. TIME TRAVEL BOYFRIENDS (2009, 10 mins) Director: Josephine Halbert... |
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International Shorts II: Wishful Thinking Romania/Australia/Iran/Italy/Sweden/Germany, 2009This compilation of shorts offers delightful moments, speaking straight into our deep desires that form decisions according to what is pleasing to imagine. Featuring diverse mixture of styles,... |
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The Art Of The Mid-Length Germany/UK/USA/Nigeria, 2010Size is not an issue for Cambridge film festival as we do appreciate works that dare to break the '15 minute rule'- in other words - festivals' favourite (maximum) length. Liberated from those... |
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International Animation Programme France/UK/USA/Ireland/Germany/Greece, 2009This year we have received a particularly interesting bunch of animated shorts which deserve a special programme. An hour of colourful creatures in motion, the films feature inimitable techniques... |
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International Shorts I: Turning Points Italy/Germany/USA/Chile/France/Australia/Sweden, 2010A fine selection of shorts from around the world, each one portraying with ingenious ways the whimsical moments in life when things appear never to be the same again? RITA (2009, 19 mins)... |
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The Best of the Festival 2010 Various, 2010A combination of UK and International shorts that have left an impact on our programming team. Shuffle through drama and comedy in what we consider the 'best of the fest'! The programme of shorts... |
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East Anglia Shorts United Kingdom, 2009For this special event we scouted the very best local gems. A small gesture of 'thank you' for the immense support over all those years, this programme is dedicated to the East Anglia region... |
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UK Shorts I: There Is No Place Like Home UK, 2009Ideals of home and family give us a place where we tend to refer or return to. Here our heroes take us through the challenges arising from the depths of our psyches. WITHOUT (2009, 4 mins)... |
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Cambridgeshire Film Consortium
Fresher's Week Screening 2000 |
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I Made This 2010 2000 |
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Masks of Mer UK, 2010When Alfred Haddon, historically associated with Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, led the 1898 Cambridge University Expedition to the Torres Strait islands, he shot a... |
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Behind the Scenes of Today's Film and Television Industry 2000An opportunity to hear professionals discuss working in the current film and television industry: finding an agent, working to commission, composing music, the work of the art and set designer and... |
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Cambridge Family Film Festival
The Gruffalo Max Lang, United Kingdom, 2009Recently voted the nation's favourite bedtime story, the magical tale of a plucky mouse who takes a walk through the woods in search of a nut is brought to enchanting life in an all-star adaptation... |
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Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish United Kingdom, 2009It's the first ever Sunflower Valley Games and Bob and the team have a big job to do: building a huge sports stadium! For such a big project, Bob brings in some very special help from the big city... |
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Rainbow Magic: Return to Rainspell Island United Kingdom, 2010Based on the best-selling books by Daisy Meadows, this exciting all-new Rainbow Magic animation is sure to cast a sparkly spell on all fairy fans! Best friends Kirsty and Rachel are reunited on... |
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Small Films for Small People United Kingdom, 2010Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms production company was responsible for creating many enchanting children's television programmes including THE CLANGERS, IVOR THE ENGINE and BAGPUSS,... |
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Thomas and Friends - Hero of the Rails Greg Tiernan, United Kingdom, 2009During a daring race with boastful Spencer, Thomas discovers an abandoned engine from a far off place. Fearing 'Hiro' will be sent to the Smelters Yard, Thomas enlists his trusty engine friends to... |
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Grandpa in my Pocket Richard Bradley, Martin Franks, United Kingdom, 2009Episodes: HORATIO HEAVE-HO! and GRANDPA’S GREATEST ESCAPE EVER We’re delighted to be launching the first ever Cambridge Family Film Festival with a special FREE screening of two episodes of... |
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Animals are my favourite.... United Kingdom, 2010A special programme of three beautifully-crafted, animal-themed tales from celebrated children's television production company Tiger Aspect. "I have this little sister Lola. She is small, and very... |
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The Secret of Kells Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, Belgium, 2009The animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells |
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Trains on the Brain Various, 2010Fast trains, slow trains, stop trains, go trains: a specially curated programme of train films (c45mins) for the under-12s, with a train-themed workshop to follow! We’ll be showing you some... |
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Transported
Movies Beside the Museum: The Rhythm of the Tracks Various, 2010Beneath the stars, between the sculptures, cinema screens will be planted on the lawns of the Fitzwilliam Museum on Sunday 19th September to bring you a truly magical evening’s entertainment.... |
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Sarah Turner presents Perestroika Sarah Turner, United Kingdom, 2009Acclaimed moving image artist Sarah Turner will present her latest work, Perestroika. A Siberian train travelogue to the end of the world, Perestroika combines landscape elegy and railway reverie... |
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Trains on the Brain Various, 2010Fast trains, slow trains, stop trains, go trains: a specially curated programme of train films (c45mins) for the under-12s, with a train-themed workshop to follow! We’ll be showing you some... |
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Taking it Slow Various, 2010A programme of journeys by train, through time, space and the history of cinema. Opening with Kate Jessop’s lyrical On Miles Platting Station and including David Anderson’s celebrated... |
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See Cambridge in 3D UK, 2010Step inside our makeshift mini 3D cinema and take a look at a wonderful timelapse film of Cambridge station. Best of all... it's completely free! |
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