Friday, 8 March 2024

HEBDEN BRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL 2024

Festival dates: 15-17 March 2024

Three Premieres, including World Premiere of The Appliance Of Science and showing the shorts competition line up in the Hebden Bridge Picture House for the first time.

Hebden Bridge Film Festival (HBFF) has unveiled its full 2024 line-up, which features a host of award-winning and critically acclaimed international and homegrown films, including three premieres.

Taking place in the town from Friday 15th to 17th March, the festival will include a diverse selection of documentaries, dramas, comedies, shorts and feature films by filmmakers from all over the world, many of which have already seen success at some of the world's leading festivals, such as Toronto and Cannes.

The Appliance Of Science

The Appliance of Science, Written and Directed by award-winning queer, Mexican American Dawn Jones Redstone (Mother of Colour) is a hilarious and thought-provoking short film which will be screened as part of the short film competition, taking place for the first time at the 500 seat Hebden Bridge Picture House on Sunday 17th from 6:20pm.

The Monk and the Gun

The festival also has the UK premiere of world renowned artist Angus MacDonald's award winning documentary Freedom is Beautiful, an uplifting story of the power of love, hope and our shared humanity as Kurdish refugees Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa (Moz) Azimitabar flee persecution from Iran to Australia. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Angus MacDonald (director) and Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa Azimitabar (the two Kurdish refugees in the film).

Apolonia, Apolonia

The English premiere of Canadian documentary Not Quite That will screen at the Town Hall on Saturday 16th at 4:20pm and follows Sarah and the dilemma she faces when she discovers she has a genetic mutation that many Ashkenazi Jews carry for breast cancer. The film offers an intimate exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves and why it matters. HBFF is excited to welcome Director, Ali Grant and the documentary film's subject, Sarah White here in person for the screening and the Q & A that follows.

The film is accompanied by the short film Private View features renowned painter Sadie Lee who unveils her portrait of writer Libro Levi Bridgeman, also in attendance.

Our Body

Louise Wadley, Hebden Bridge Film Festival Director, said,"In curating this year's programming, we kept coming back to the idea of our theme 'imagine together'. Each of these films, in their own unique ways, frame stories in a way that, we believe, can inspire, bring people together, change perspectives, and spark lively and important conversations.

"Our impressive line-up - from filmmakers all over the world - reflects the unique moment in which we're living. Our mission to elevate and amplify the voices and stories of those who sit outside the mainstream remains as timely as ever and having 3 premieres amongst the incredible line up for this year is a real treat.

"Come join us as we 'Imagine Together'."

Passes and tickets are now on sale.

The full programme and tickets can be found here on the Festival website.

If Only I Could Hibernate