Sheffield Film Festival: Showroom cinema to screen classics like Threads and When Saturday Comes this summer
A Sheffield cinema is bringing a raft of classics back to the big screen in a celebration of the city’s film heritage.
The screenings will take place at the Showroom Cinema on Paternoster Row, in a return of the cinema’s annual local film festival.
It comes after last year the cinema organised sold-out screenings of the Sheffield classic Threads and a curated double-bill from comedian Lucy Beaumont.
There was also a retrospective look at the legendary Sheffield production company Warp Films, which was ahead of the release of its now legendary Netflix series Adolescence.
Cinema bosses have now announced the first set of films set to appear.
The festival will kick-off with a series of lead in events, including a preview screening of Pavements, a surreal and self-aware tribute to the indie rock legends, on Thursday, June 12.
The following day, Friday, June 13, a 50th anniversary screening of Picnic at Hanging Rock will be introduced by University of Sheffield Professor Jonathan Rayner. As author of books including ‘The Films of Peter Weir’ and ‘Australian Gothic: A Cinema of Horrors’, Prof Rayner will be best placed to explore Weir’s haunting classic, restored in dazzling 4K.
Then, Showroom will host a 35mm screening of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan followed by an in-person Q and A with the American writer-director, on Tuesday, July 22 in association with Lost Reels.
This is followed by Stillman’s other stories of disaffected New York youth, Barcelona on July 29 and The Last Days of Disco on August 5, in the run up to the festival.
The festival will then properly begin with Celluloid Screams Mystery Marathon, on Saturday, August 2, where the organisers of Sheffield’s beloved horror film festival screen four films from 35mm, which will only be revealed as they’re about to begin.
This is followed by Sean Bean’s football classic When Saturday Comes on Saturday, August 9, and include a Q and A panel featuring writer-producer James Daly and Sheffield United legend Tony Currie.
Threads comes next, on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23. The post-apocalyptic horror returns for two encore screenings amid news of Warp Films’ upcoming remake.
Further screenings are expected to be announced with a full programme announcement coming later this year.
Ryan Finnigan, head of programming, said: “Sheffield Film Festival continues to grow as a celebration of the city’s cinematic legacy and creative spirit.
“We’re delighted to spotlight iconic local stories, alongside rare screenings that bring directors from around the world to Sheffield.
“This is a programme built for our audiences, rooted in the culture and history that makes this city such a vibrant place for film.”
Victoria Firth, CEO of Showroom Work Station, added: “As a cultural cornerstone for the city, we have championed independent voices and brought world-class cinema to Sheffield for 30 years.
“We’re delighted to present Sheffield Film Festival with a programme that honours our legacy and brings local people together to celebrate our place.”
Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.