Derek Malcolm to Open Film Festival
14 Jun 2022
14 Jun 2022
This August, Chichester International Film Festival (CIFF) will celebrate its 30th anniversary with an outstanding programme of quality film screenings and special events to mark three decades of bringing the best in cinema to the south coast.
Derek Malcolm, is one of the UK’s greatest living film critics, at the age of 90, will officially open the annual Festival, which runs from 5-28 of August. Derek’s impressive career in film spans several decades, having worked for the Guardian and the Evening Standard, he is also a published author and president of the British Federation of Film Societies and the International Film Critics’ Circle.
This year’s Festival promises to be an outstanding event with over 130 feature films including exclusive premieres and previews from around the globe as well as tributes and retrospectives, silent film screenings accompanied by live music and inspiring talks from special guests.
The Chichester International Film Festival was first launched in 1992 as the representation of the art of film at the Festival of Chichester and has since grown to become a nationally renowned event and the largest film festival in the region.
The Festival’s Artistic Director and President at New Park Cinema Chichester Roger Gibson, has programmed every event since it began and has seen the Festival grow from 29 film screenings in one location to what it is today. This year, the screenings and events will take place across eight local venues including Priory Park, Chichester Cathedral and Petworth Cinema.
With its ambitious and innovative programme, the event has attracted audiences from across the UK as well as high-profile film directors, actors, composers and critics, including Sir Alec Guinness, Steven Poliakoff, Kathleen Turner, Ken Russell, Mike Leigh, Kerry Fox, Ronald Harwood, Daniel Brühl, Elaine Paige, Michael Winterbottom, John Lithgow, David Hare, Nick Moran, Derek Jacobi, Virginia McKenna, Carl Davis, Steve Coogan and Ralph Fiennes – to name a few.
The Festival will commence with three open-air screenings over 5-7 August in Chichester’s beautiful Priory Park; Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and family favourite, Lightyear.
Recognised for its diverse and inspiring programme, this year’s Festival will include a special Homage to Ukrainian Cinema, in recognition of the ongoing conflict and to honour the Ukrainian people as well as the country’s rich culture through the art of film.
The Festival will also take a fascinating glimpse closer to home with Made in Sussex, a selection of films that were shot in the local area. These include biographical comedy-drama Stan & Ollie that has scenes filmed in Worthing, Blackbird which was shot in Chichester and West Wittering, and My Bones Are Woven, a wonderful documentary of 87-year-old Arundel weaver Ann Sutton. The screenings will also be accompanied by an illustrated talk by the Sussex Film Office.
This year’s selection of retrospectives which aim to showcase the work of actors, composers, film directors and screenwriters who have helped shape the industry, include Olivia Colman, the anniversaries of Ralph Vaughn-Williams, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Alain Resnais with tributes to the late Peter Bogdanovich, Jean Paul Belmondo and David Gulpilil. The film composers of the late Ennio Morricone, Vangelis and Charles Mingus centenary will be also celebrated.
More details of the Festival will be announced soon.