This long hot British summer has scorched the earth and sent us scurrying for the sanctuary of air-conditioned rooms. New Park came to the rescue with a refreshing auditorium and studio throughout the recent 30th Chichester International Film Festival. “It’s cool to be cool”, as we say.
I must put out a giant thank you to everyone who made the Festival a success at a time when cinema audiences have not yet returned to cinemas in the numbers pre-Covid. The BFI and Film Hub South East; Greenwood Wealth Services; the Festival Patrons and Film Partners; the amazing volunteers; the New Park Centre for their patience; Roger Gibson for his inspired programming; the staff here at New Park Cinema who go above and beyond over the month of August; and of course, to you… we would be nowhere without the support of our customers. Thank you.
The Early Autumn Season offers the chance to see those Festival films that you may have missed. The opening and closing galas (‘Eiffel’ and ‘Juniper’ respectively); the hilarious Almodóvar-inspired ‘Official Competition’; the classy ‘Both Sides of the Blade’ by Claire Denis and starring Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon; as well as ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ which sold out at the Festival; the period piece ‘Mr. Malcolm’s List’; and Timothy Spall in ‘It Snows in Benidorm’.
Look out also for plenty of new releases ('Fisherman's Friends: One and All' including the Selsey Shantymen on the Sunday screening, 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris', 'Don't Worry Darling', 'Nope', 'See How They Run'); some remastered classics ('Jackie Brown', 'Paris, Texas', 'Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie'); two illuminating talks (Fritz Lang and Luis Bunuel); and a wide range of Performance events. As usual – something for everyone.