3 min read
The Manchester Film Festival takes place from the 14th until the 23rd March 2025 across various venues in the city including HOME and Odeon Great Northern. Here are 5 great reasons why you should buy tickets:
1. Watch films ahead of general public release
The films shown at the Manchester film festival are, more often than not, the debut screenings of that piece of film. The festival begins with a bang on March 14 with highly anticipated The Penguin Lessons, starring Manchester’s own Steve Coogan. A stellar line-up follows, with four world premiers, 15 UK premiers, and an incredible selection of shorts from the North West and across the globe. Alongside the Opening Night film, the festival will present a vibrant and exciting programme - showcasing 37 Feature Films, including 15 UK Premieres and 4 World Premieres. All films will be screening in Manchester for the first time. This includes the Manchester premiere of the UK’s Oscar selection Santosh (dir Sandhya Suri), Sundance and Cannes hit Good One (dir India Donaldson) and South by Southwest Audience Award Winner My Dead Friend Zoe (dir Kyle Hausmann-Stokes).
2. Q&A sessions with some of the best writers, directors, and actors from across the globe
Manchester Film Festival wants to give you not just the chance to meet some of the talented directors and actors behind the camera, but also the opportunity to ask those burning questions you may otherwise have to rely on google to answer. This year’s festival promises even more Q&As with filmmakers, red-carpet glamour, and even a few special guests including Charlotte Ritchie with her new film Hostages, and Damon Hill (F1 Racer) with Hill.
3. A chance to expand your opinion on other genres
With ‘short sessions’, Manchester Film Festival aims to bring new material to everyone. Variety is the spice of life, so they won’t show films of the one genre or concept during the screenings. One minute you could be holding back tears whilst watching a short film about (input something sad) and the next laughing out loud over a film about a growing pudding that devourers a city. The goal is to bring you something new and exciting that you may otherwise have skipped on.
4. To open yourself up to buried passions in the industry
What makes us human is our desire to grow and learn. Attending a film festival could spark an interest or a talent for something you may not have known about before. Manchester Film Festival prides itself on showcasing new talent, something unique, and by attending you get a first-hand view of some of that talent at its earliest stages. Who knows, you may even find yourself submitting your very own short film in the years that follow.
5. To have fun watching films, with people who love watching films
Finally, film festivals are meant to be fun. People attend to lose themselves and experience something that can’t be appreciated in the same ways it can at home. One thing is for sure, the people around you are there to enjoy that very same experience and it’s through these experiences that we truly appreciate the hard work that the people put in when creating a piece of film.
