Our North on the Big Screen

This Summer, Side Cinema and Amber Films has featured the work of women filmmakers working in the North both at their cinema in Newcastle and at The Barn at Easington, as part of the Great Exhibition of the North “Inspired By” programme.

The season culminates on 30^th August at Side Cinema with Still Here, a new film directed by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and Peter Roberts. Sirkka expands on her iconic photography collections Gleaners, Sari the Danger Girl and Step by Step by reconnecting with the people featured in the photographs. This beautiful trilogy of films both challenges and enriches the understanding of the original photographs.

Following the screening, Side Cinema invites the audience to stay for a talk given by Sirkka.

Ellin Hare of Amber Films commented, “In the centenary year of women suffrage, Side/Amber is excited to present a film series exploring the way our region has been observed, documented, and reimagined by women filmmakers. The season is programmed in dialogue with our exhibitions Women By Women at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts and About the North: Imagined Dialogues in our Side Gallery.”

The season, Our North, is led by Film Hub North, the regional development hub for the British Film Institute’s Film Audience Network – who have an ambition to ensure access to independent film is available across Northern England. Film Hub North is managed by three of the region’s leading independent cinemas, Showroom in Sheffield, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle and HOME, Manchester.

Sally Folkard, Our North lead and Strategic Manager for Film Hub North said, “This is the first year of what we hope will be an annual celebration of ‘northern-ness’ in film clubs, indie cinemas, arts venues and community cinemas all across the North of England. It’s an opportunity for visitors to the North and local people to see films that explore, celebrate and spotlight the region as a whole, as well as see films very specific to their own communities. We’re really pleased that Side Cinema has been showcasing women writers, with a focus on northern-ness this summer.”

Side Cinema will screen Still Here on the 30^th August at 7pm, followed by a talk by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen. Tickets are priced at £6.

OUR NORTH is a season of film developed by FILM HUB NORTH and is part of the BE INSPIRED PROGRAMME BY THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF THE NORTH. Venues participating include:

Leigh Film, Leigh: www.leighfilmsociety.com

Side Gallery / Amber Film, Newcastle: www.amber-online.com/side-gallery

HOME, Manchester: www.homemcr.org

They Eat Culture, Preston and Lancashire: www.theyeatculture.org

Forum Cinema, Hexham: www.forumhexham.com

Storyhouse, Chester: www.storyhouse.com

Leeds Queer Film Festival, Leeds: www.leedsqueerfilmfestival.co.uk

Square Chapel, Halifax: www.squarechapel.co.uk

Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle: www.tynesidecinema.co.uk

Showroom Cinema, Sheffield: www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/cinema

FILM HUB NORTH is part of the British Film Institute’s ongoing development of the UK’s film and screen landscape, 2018 see’s Film Hub North become a collaborative partnership, led collectively by Sheffield Showroom, Manchester’s HOME and Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema. In addition to its ongoing member support and audience development objectives, Film Hub North now adds talent development to its remit; seeking out and nurturing filmmaking talent in the North of England.

About Film Hub North (Lead Organisations)

Since HOME opened in Manchester in 2015, visitors have reached 1.8 million. HOME’s international film programme showcases the very best in contemporary and classic cinema, screening works by artists and filmmakers both established and new. It’s a programme of incredible breadth and diversity, and of regional, national and international significance. www.homemcr.org

Showroom Cinema is one of the largest independent cinemas in Europe showing an extensive range of specialized and independent film alongside an education and engagement programme. Opened in 1993, Showroom enjoys partnerships with both of Sheffield’s Universities and hosts a range of festivals throughout the year. It is an internationally significant cultural centre and a treasured independent cinema for the region. www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/cinema/

Tyneside Cinema is the North East’s leading specialised cinema and digital arts venue and is located in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. Open since 1937 Tyneside Cinema is the last surviving news theatre still operating as a cinema today. It welcomes over 500,000 people every year and its Grade II-listed building has been lovingly restored to preserve and celebrate the grandeur of its original Art Deco design. The Tyneside offers a rich and diverse artistic programme of film, exhibitions and events across film, artist film and film heritage for audiences of all ages and from all walks of life and has a strong commitment to children and young people, delivering a significant and highly regarded learning and participation programme. www.tynesidecinema.co.uk

Established in 2012 to build wider and more diverse UK cinema audiences for British and international film, the FILM AUDIIENCE NETWORK achieved over 1,600,000 audience admissions from 2013-17, 40% of which were new audiences.

The BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:

Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema

Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations

Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK - investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work

Promoting British film and talent to the world

Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences

The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role:

• As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government (see footnotes)

• By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK

• By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK.

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE.