11th Keswick Film Festival 25-28th February

There are nearly 40 films on offer from Thursday as the 11th Keswick Film Festival takes over the Alhambra and Theatre By The Lake. It all starts at 6:30pm with an opening party for pass holders followed by the first film, The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner at 7:30pm. Other highlights include the films of guests Jan Dunn (Gypo, The Calling) and Tony Grisoni (The Unloved, Tideland, Brothers Of The Head) with Q&As, the 2nd Cumbrian Short Film Awards and live musical accompaniment to My Best Girl.

For full details visit the Festival Website.

Barry Lyndon - Sunday 21st February 4.00pm

We're pleased to be able to offer you the very rare chance to see Stanley Kubrick's version of William Makepeace Thackeray's Barry Lyndon on the big screen at the slightly earlier time of 4pm.

Unfortunately Neil Sinyard (Emeritus Professor of Film Studies at Hull University) can no longer make it to Keswick but he has very kindly written his introduction to the film and we'll be hearing it at 4pm on Sunday.

The Times, Sunday Times, Independent and Time Out all give it 5 stars out of 5, and we rather like the Village Voice critic's summary: 'Stanley Kubrick's magisterial Thackeray adaptation now stands as one of his greatest and most savagely ironic films, not to mention one of the few period pieces on celluloid so transporting that it seems to predate the invention of cameras... The film's greatness can make a viewer feel like a speck in the cosmos.'

Tulpan - Sunday 7th February 5:00 PM

Are you looking forward to Tulpan on Sunday? To transport yourselves away from Cumbria to the Kazakh Steppe and see the winner of (amongst many other Festival awards) the BFI’s Sutherland Trophy at the London IFF, and ‘Un Certain Regard’ at Cannes 2008, made by Kazakhstan-born, documentary filmmaker Sergey Dvortsevoy. Top reviewer Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: ‘I swear to you that if you live in a place where this film is playing, it is the best film in town. You'll enjoy it, not soon forget it, and you’ll tell your friends about it and try to persuade them to go… there has to come a time in everyone’s life when they see a deadpan comedy about the yurt dwellers of Kazakhstan.’ And, as reported in your brochure, Peter Bradshaw calls it ‘eminently lovable’. A fair chance of it being watchable then...

Sin Nombre - Sunday 7th February 5:00 PM

Very popular on the ‘arthouse’ circuit following its UK release last August, the Edinburgh Filmhouse programme excitedly describes it thus: ‘Winner of the New Director’s Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival, this debut feature from Cary Fukunaga is must-see cinema. Crammed with beautiful moments, this evocative story of immigrants leaving South America for a better life in the States is simply unmissable. Vivid, unforgettable storytelling which grounds you in reality and hope, it’s the story of Casper, a former teenage gang member on the run from his former gangmates, and Sayra, who’s dreaming of being reunited with her father in a better life in America, as they ride the railways north. You owe it to yourself to see what is undoubtedly one of the greatest films of 2009.’ Others talk about it being a very good film, but ‘a hard watch’ – you have to be prepared to take a bit of (justified) violence with your beautiful moments, it seems...

Goodbye Solo - Sunday 31st January 5pm

Goodbye Solo is our only American film of the spring season, so we picked the best, naturally (if you listen to the most eminent critics, like Roger Ebert and A.O.Scott of the NY Times). Winner of many prizes on the international film festival circuit, the film attracts extraordinary tributes: Scott ends his review by describing the 'exquisite attention, wry humor and wide-awake intelligence that informs every frame of this almost perfect film.' Add in the Peter Bradshaw and Roger Ebert quotes in your brochure, and you won't be able to resist turning out on a cold Sunday evening