Century Theatre, Kahukura Hawke’s Bay Museum
Download venue programmeInk
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Venice Film Festival -
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Telluride Film Festival -
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Toronto International Film Festival -
The latest film from British cinema royalty Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire), Ink charts the rise of Rupert Murdoch’s notorious newspaper The Sun, and the creation of the UK’s tabloid culture.
Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) stars as Murdoch, alongside Jack O’Connell (Sinners) as newspaper editor Larry Lamb, newly assigned to oversee the fledgling daily paper. Tasked with attracting new readers in the competitive British media market, Lamb devises a new tactic - throw anything onto the page that will turn heads, no matter the veracity.
The Sun sees a massive spike in readership, and this new broad scope allows Jules Davies (Claire Foy) to break through the male-dominated hierarchy. But as the paper circulation grows, so too does the number of its critics.
Already generating awards season buzz, the fast-paced and gripping Ink features riveting performances from its star cast, in a thrilling exploration of this controversial newsroom legacy.
STARRING: Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, Claire Foy
DIRECTED BY: Danny Boyle
A Talent for Murder
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Toronto International Film Festival -
British national treasure Helen Mirren plays The Talented Mr. Ripley author Patricia Highsmith in this deeply intriguing thriller.
A Talent for Murder takes place in 1995, with Highsmith now in her seventies - and in poor health. Retired to her secluded house in the Swiss Alps, the author keeps to her study, immersed in her books, accompanied by her cats, and surrounded by a collection of antique weapons.
Highsmith’s solitude is interrupted by the arrival of Edward Ridgeway (recent Tony-winner Alden Ehrenreich), a mysterious messenger from a New York publisher, sent to persuade the author to write one final instalment of the Ripley anthology. Aggravated by the unexpected visit from this youthful, overly eager envoy, Patricia declines the offer. That is, unless Ridgeway can help her in conjuring up the perfect murder story.
Mirren embodies the wickedly manipulative author with gusto, while Ehrenreich imbues Ridgeway with enough guile to keep us guessing at his motives.
From director Anton Corbijn (Control), A Talent for Murder is replete with brilliant twists, biting dialogue, and delicious entanglements. Direct from its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, don’t miss this highly anticipated thriller!
STARRING: Helen Mirren, Alden Ehrenreich, Olivia Cooke, Juliet Stevenson
DIRECTED BY: Anton Corbijn
Mother's Pride
From the creators of Fisherman’s Friends, Mother’s Pride is a heartfelt comedy about a failing pub, a divided community, and a family desperately trying to hold itself together.
The film follows Cal Harley (Jonno Davies, Better Man), a washed-up musician haunted by his past success. Returning to his hometown, he faces a family still grieving his mother’s death, and their beloved pub on the brink of closure.
To make matters worse, Cal’s old rival, Edward Pritchard (Luke Treadaway, A Street Cat Named Bob) runs a bustling pub across the street, and is in a relationship with Cal’s first love, Abi (Gabriella Wilde).
Determined to right his wrongs, Cal rediscovers the long-forgotten family ritual of brewing beer, alongside his brother Jake (James Buckley, The Inbetweeners), gradually regaining his confidence - and his voice.
Cal sets out to challenge Pritchard in the prestigious CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) awards, all while trying to win back Abi with his heartfelt songs written just for her. As melodies mingle with hops, can Cal mend his broken family ties, reclaim his lost love, and rediscover himself?
With Martin Clunes and Mark Addy filling out the cast, Mother’s Pride is a quintessentially British underdog story that’s warm, funny and full of heart.
STARRING: Jonno Davies, James Buckley, Martin Clunes, Mark Addy
DIRECTED BY: Nick Moorcroft
Once Upon a Time in a Cinema
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Dublin International Film Festival -
This witty, light-hearted Irish comedy-drama centres on a Friday night in a small-town cinema, as a series of comic mishaps draws an entire community together in unexpected and touching ways.
Set in the 1980s, Once Upon a Time in a Cinema follows Earl (Colin Morgan, Belfast) the owner/manager of a regional Irish cinema.
Amid financial struggles and failing equipment, Earl and his crew find themselves under siege from rogue rodents, belligerent patrons, a drunken projectionist, and the ultimate existential threat - the unstoppable march of new technology known as the Video Home System (VHS).
To add to the pressure, Earl’s younger brother Gerald (Calam Lynch) is desperate to sell the struggling family business to a local businessman, who is in attendance on this chaotic night to see the cinema in action before making his final offer...
Drawing from writer/director David Gleeson’s own experience growing up in a family of cinema owners, this is a love letter to the cinema experience.
STARRING: Colin Morgan, Calam Lynch, Stanley Townsend, India Mullen
DIRECTED BY: David Gleeson
California Schemin'
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Toronto International Film Festival -
James McAvoy makes his anticipated directorial debut with this wild true story of two Scottish men pretending to be Americans to achieve their dreams of hip-hop stardom.
Inspired by the real-life tale of Scottish rap duo “Silibil N’ Brains”, California Schemin’ follows lifelong friends Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd. Chasing their dream of becoming successful rappers, Gavin and Billy are faced with one problem - no one will take their aspirations seriously with their thick regional accents.
Humiliated at an audition in London, the pair return home and devise an absurd scheme: they’ll reinvent themselves as hard-partying Californian MCs, complete with elaborate backstories and convincing (enough) American accents.
Miraculously, the gambit pays off, and Sibil N’ Brains’ rise to stardom is set in motion. But as the stakes get raised, the pressure begins to fracture both their success - and their friendship.
With California Schemin’, McAvoy delivers a fast-paced, funny and poignant debut with a killer soundtrack.
STARRING: Samuel Bottomley, Séamus McLean Ross, James McAvoy
DIRECTED BY: James McAvoy
Parky
Sir Michael Parkinson, often affectionately known as “Parky”, was one of the most ubiquitous figures on UK Television. This riveting new documentary examines the career and milestones of the man known as “the great British talkshow host.”
How did a miner’s son from working-class Yorkshire, who rose to become television’s greatest interviewer and a knighted Sir, never truly believe in himself? As told in his own words, and from those closest to him - his wife, Lady Mary, and sons Mike, Andrew and Nick - Parky is a revelatory portrait of an icon.
From his childhood in the South Yorkshire village of Cudworth, and his successful stint in uniform with the National service, to his journalism career and eventual television stardom, this tell-all uncovers the brilliant and complicated man.
Over 20 years, Parkinson hosted more than 2,000 guests on his eponymous show, from Hollywood actors to sports stars, comedians, and intellectual figures. Parky features quintessential clips with some of these legendary guests, including Dame Julie Andrews, Sir Billy Connolly, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney, and many more.
An enthralling combination of intimate insights from his family, as well as classic clips from his beloved show, Parky is essential viewing.
DIRECTED BY: Luke Mazzaferro and Luke Cornish
Screenings
Tuesday 10th November | 7.15pm Book
