Be prepared for surprises at Salford Film Festival

This year’s Salford Film Festival – 11th, 12th and 13th November – is getting more salacious than ever before with its first ever star studded world premiere feature film…plus an epic revolutionary movie that’s been banned from Salford for 75 years…plus a Mike Leigh retrospective…plus the very best of Salford’s community-driven cinematic surge…and events ranging from speed dating with a cinematic difference to the chance to make a mini movie masterpiece…Almost 40 films packed into three days…All free and all open to anyone and all happening at the Red Cinema in beautiful Quayside Salford…

Salford Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for The Truth - an outrageous murder mystery for the `Me Generation’…starring Salfordian actor Stephen Lord (Raining Stones, Common As Muck, Sea of Souls) and co-starring Elaine Cassidy (Felicia’s Journey, Disco Pig, Fingersmith), Elizabeth McGovern (Once Upon A Time In America, Ordinary People ) and Rachael Stirling (Tipping The Velvet, Still Crazy). The Truth features seven young strangers who go to a retreat for a personal journey of spiritual growth…taking in jealousy, hatred, sexual perversion and a little murder along the way…

Stephen Lord says: "I’m absolutely delighted for The Truth to be premiered in my home town – it would be great to see Salford coming out in full support of this film and getting behind the Film Festival…"

75 years ago the Manchester and Salford Film Society tried to show Storm Over Asia – Pudovkin’s 1928 avant garde two hour silent Soviet-made, revolution inspiring epic, depicting exploited Mongolese fur trappers driving out British imperialists, led by a descendant of Genghis Khan. The Salford Watch Committee promptly banned the film from being shown in the city, fearing it would provoke an uprising on the banks of the Irwell.

Now, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Manchester and Salford Film Society, Storm Over Asia is being shown for the very first time in Salford, this time with the Council’s approval…who knows what might happen in its wake…

The Salford Film Festival is a celebration of the incredible new community- driven cinematic wave that’s sweeping the city, as everyone from mums and dads and kids to professional film makers grabs a camera and goes for it…There are now almost 20 film companies set up in Salford, plus the ever mushrooming Web Lighting Studios in Little Hulton constantly used by major companies, including the BBC and Red Productions

This year sees over ten premieres of short films made in the city, many devised by and starring young people from the most marginalised communities…ranging from Cloud 8.5, a bizarre abstract tale of good and evil which is being shown with a live performance, to Peter’s Story made by pupils at Harropfold High School in Little Hulton.

Meanwhile, REELMcr’s comedy, Fameless - which parodies the pseuds who make dramas in working class communities for the amusement of the `cultured classes’- gets a screening following its sell-out premiere earlier in the year. And short films made in the city by established film makers are being showcased, covering every subject from Bert Trautmann to teachers’ love lives.

This year the Salford Film Festival will be giving Awards for the best community films and the best professionally made films being screened during the three day movie mecca.

The Salford Film Festival is unique in that it combines new and community film making, with the city’s phenomenal cinematic heritage, backed by the superstars themselves, from Sir Ben Kingsley to Albert Finney to Chris Eccleston to Stephen Lord. In homage to the famous sons of Salford, this year the Film Festival is running a retrospective of Mike Leigh’s short films and features, including Naked, Vera Drake and The Permissive Society. Also showing is Danny Boyle’s sci-fi horror, 28 Days Later, starring Chris Eccleston, who also narrates a brilliant docu-promo on Salford’s world famous Working Class Movement Library. And the Salford Film Festival is proud to announce that legendary Coronation Street creator, Tony Warren, who still lives in the city, has become a patron and will be making a guest appearance at the event.

Tony Warren says: "I am delighted to be a patron of the Salford Film Festival. Salford has always been teeming with creative people and it’s wonderful that this generation are getting an opportunity to show their talents."

The Salford Film Festival this year will also be showcasing the 10 very best short films from around the Northwest - including Mike Todd’s The People vs Malcolm Glazer, a documentary on the efforts of rebel Man Utd supporters to set up their own club, and John Hall’s Orange Head, which features a man who walks into a pub with an orange for a head and talks about it, like you do…

Also being specially featured at the Festival is the pioneering, award winning, Burning An Illusion, which follows a young British-born black woman as she questions her attitude to love and life, and desire for middle-class respectability and security through marriage.

THE SALFORD FILM FESTIVAL is this year being guest curated by the Commonwealth Film Festival, and supported by Creative Industries In Salford (CRIIS) and Countryside Properties
Salford Film Festival Chairman, Mike Knowles says: "It’s great that the Salford Film Festival continues to grow and become even more magnificent. All the events remain free and open to everyone in the City and so get down to there and see what Salford cinema has to offer."

The Salford Film Festival takes place on 11th, 12th and 13th November 2005 at the Red Cinema, The Lowry Outlet Mall, Salford Quays. Tickets for all