Manchester Film Festival 2020

Manchester Film Festival is excited to announce the full line-up for the sixth annual festival. Once again Manchester Film Festival will take place over a full week from 7th-15th March at the Odeon, Great Northern with a line-up of films from around the world.

Over 170 films will be screened at MANIFF2020 in a line-up made up of narrative and documentary features, narrative and documentary shorts, music videos, animations and student films. Many of the films will be premieres and will be followed by Director Q&A’s, giving an audience the chance to quiz the filmmakers about their work.

As MANIFF moves into its sixth year the festivals reputation as a celebration of independent film is set to be enhanced with a line-up more diverse than ever before. MANIFF is a festival that prides itself on supporting and giving a platform to films and filmmakers whose voices are crowded out by the mainstream industry.

Highlights in the narrative feature selection include LOST TRANSMISSIONS, directed by Katharine O'Brien and starring Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and Juno Temple (Killer Joe), the film will be having its Manchester premiere at the festival. It sees Pegg star in a rare dramatic role as a schizophrenic music producer who stops taking his medication. 

The festival will also be hosting the world premiere of BEFORE THE FIRE, directed by Charlie Buhler. The film sees a TV star flee Los Angeles during a pandemic to her rural hometown, but her return soon attracts a dark figure from her past.

South by Southwest favourite WRITE WHEN YOU GET WORK, starring Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl) and Finn Wittrock (Judy) and directed by Stacy Cochran is a thorny romantic comedy set in New York City at a private school for girls.

Cornelia Duryée returns to MANIFF for the first time since 2016 with emotional drama LANGUAGE ARTS, about a teacher who must come to terms with his life’s disappointments by confronting his past failures.
Irish crime film BROKEN LAW will be having its UK premiere and sees John Connors (Cardboard Gangsters) return in a starring role after winning Best Actor at MANIFF2017. The film tells the story of a respected Guard whose loyalty to the law is tested when his ex-convict brother desperately needs his help following a botched robbery.

In the documentary category the festival will host the international premiere of the visually stunning CHASING THE PRESENT, which follows James Sebastiano, a materially successful young man, as he engages in a perpetual battle against anxiety.

There will be the UK premiere of TENERE, the powerful story of African people who set out from Agadez, Niger, crossing the desert to reach Libya and Europe. The film follows this arduous journey and the problems encountered along the way.

Two documentaries from the world of motor sports will be screening back to back the UK premiere of THE ITALIAN SPIRIT OF LE MANS, about the only entire Italian racing team who attended at the historic race 24 Hours of Le Mans and the world premiere of MOSLEY, about the life and career of controversial F1 and political figure, Max Mosley.

UK premiere of KNOTS: A FORCED MARRIAGE STORY, a searing look at the legal practice of forced and child marriage in the United States through the eyes of three survivors, who take the viewer on a journey to the depths of this human rights abuse.

Also screening is LIVE FROM THE ASTROTURF, ALICE COOPER which follows the reunion of the original Alice Cooper line-up as they prepare to perform a special gig at an independent music store is Dallas, Texas.

With 17 sessions of short films, including a horror shorts and an animation session, set to screen across the week there is no shortage of talent being showcased. Manchester’s own Maxine Peake (Funny Cow) appearing in two films JUDY and IT’S ME and The Charlatans front man Tim Burgess starring alongside Neil Maskell (Kill List) in THE BOOKSHOP. Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) plays a notorious Hollywood actor in BAD ASSISTANT, Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) is a spiritual leader in O HOLY GHOST and Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) and Fred Armisen (Portlandia) square off in ADAMS. Also screening as part of the short selection is the world premiere of, SHE, about a woman with severe urban angst and is directed by Manchester’s Matt Greenhalgh, the writer of Tony Curtis biopic Control, as well as Nowhere Boy and The Look of Love.

Director of programming Al Bailey says about the line-up ‘as a festival we pride ourselves on championing diverse and dynamic filmmaking, and this line-up is an encapsulation of what Manchester Film Festival is all about’.

Lead partner of this years festival is the independent post production company One Bright Dot who will be sponsoring a screen as well as taking part in various ediuational events across the week of the festival.

The festivals long standing media partner Manchester XS will be sponsoring a screen at the festival as well as hosting a weeklong ticket giveaway in the run up to the event.

Manchester’s famous Rosso restaurant will also be sponsoring a screen as well as hosting some of MANIFF’s legendary networking events.

Still to be announced are the festivals talks and workshops that are sure to be of note to those interested in the film industry. These will be run in association with the festivals industry partner One Bright Dot post-production company.

For full line-up and to buy tickets and passes visit www.maniff.com