Tickets - £10 Available here
Tickets will also be available from the Customer First Center, Whitley Bay from 30 July
Tickets - £10 Available here
Tickets will also be available from the Customer First Center, Whitley Bay from 30 July
Watch the official trailer HERE
Special Event
Join us for a very special screening of
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love
with special guest, film maker,
Nick Broomfield
Our patron Ian La Frenais will be here to introduce highly acclaimed, documentary film maker Nick Broomfield.
Following the film, Nick will be joining us for a chat about his incredible career and a Q & A.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019) CERT 12A
The beautiful yet tragic love story between Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen. Their love began on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra in 1960 as part of a bohemian community of foreign artists, writers, and musicians. This film follows their relationship, from the early days on Hydra, a humble time of 'free love' and open marriage, to how their love evolved when Leonard became a successful musician.
It was on Hydra in 1968 that director Nick Broomfield, then aged 20, first met Marianne Ihlen. Marianne introduced him to Leonard Cohen’s music and also encouraged Broomfield to make his first film. She was an enormous influence on him. Marianne and Leonard's was a love story that would continue for the rest of their lives. Along the way the film tells of the tragedy that befell those that could not survive the beauty of Hydra, the highs and lows of Leonard's career, and the inspirational power that Marianne possessed. Marianne and Leonard died three months apart.
Special guest, Nick Broomfield
Nick Broomfield studied Law at Cardiff, and Political Science at Essex University. He then went on to study Film at the National Film School, under Professor Colin Young. Nick first got interested aged 15 when discovering his love for photography on a foreign exchange visit in France. "A great way to strike up conversations, and a great excuse to ask questions about the World around you". He made his first film WHO CARES about Slum Clearance in Liverpool, while at University, by borrowing a wind up Bolex camera, and shooting it on short ends.
Nick was originally influenced by the observational style of Fred Wiseman, and Robert Leacock and Pennebaker, before moving on largely by accident to the more idiosyncratic style for which he is better known. While making DRIVING ME CRAZY in 1988, a film hopelessly out of control, Nick decided to place himself and the producer of the film in the story, as a way of making sense of the event. This experiment led to a sense of greater freedom, from the confines of observational cinema, and led to a more investigative and experimental type of filmmaking. ie THE LEADER THE DRIVER, AILEEN WURNOS, KURT AND COURTNEY, BIGGIE AND TUPAC.
During the festival we shall be screening a selection of Nick Broomfield films including:
Behind the Rent Strike,
My Father and Me.
Please see 18th/19th Sep in the festival programme and programme updates.
Our moderator for this event is Julia Vickers.
Julia is a freelance cinema consultant with over 25 years of experience working in cultural cinema and specialising in programming, strategy, operations and audience development. Her film consultancy has provided strategic development and programming services to community groups, independent cinemas, film festivals, local authorities, and regional and national screen agencies. A massive advocate for community-rooted, volunteer-led film exhibition, Julia was thrilled to become Director of Keswick Film Festival in 2025.
When: Saturday 5th September
Doors open 7.00pm
Event starts 7.30pm
Where: The Crescent Club
Victoria Crescent, Cullercoats, NE30 4PN
This event will take place in The Crescent Club Concert Room on the first floor.
The venue is fully accessible with lift available.
The bar will be available during the event.
Over the years, our festival patron Ian La Frenais has invited a wealth of amazing guests to our humble Geordie film fest and this year is no exception.
We are delighted that Ian will be here to introduce Nick Broomfield on the 5th September for this very special event. The event will be moderated by Julia Vickers.