10 performances ONLY!

Tuesday 19 March- Thursday 28 March

Book HERE.

Tickets €25.00

On the train back to London after a splendid final day of the festival.

Attended the screening of ‘Benjamin Britten - Peace and Conflict’ along with five of the marvellous young cast: Alex, Chris, Jake, Jeremy, and Mykola. A very good film, which will be screening in festivals and cinemas around the country during this Britten centenary year.

Fascinating ‘In Conversation’ with Don Boyd and Tony Britten followed by a screening of Derek Jarman’s iconic ‘War Requiem’ which Don produced - as relevant now as it was when it was made 25 years ago.

Dinner with new and old friends was a perfect ending to a very successful festival.
-John

Time off on Saturday morning for a wander around Keswick, and as always, made to feel very welcome. Delighted to see that the profile of the festival has definitely risen within the local community.

Osprey Short Film Awards after lunch - not as many entries this year, which was disappointing. I hope that trend is reversed next year.

Exciting rugby (hurrah for Wales, too, from Anwen) and then back to the Alhambra (congratulations Tom on the successful transition to digital) for ‘Tulpan’ - a truly wonderful film, which I selected for screening . Delighted that everyone seemed to agree with my choice!

Quick introduction to the Richard Kwietniowski film ‘Owning Mahowny’ which unforgivably went straight to DVD in this country - a great pleasure to introduce such a fine film to a new audience.

-John

Another packed day at the Keswick Film Festival. Off to Carlisle first thing for a film workshop with my friend and redoubtable film maker, Don Boyd, for the Carlisle College of the Arts. Finally did a bit of ‘Lear’ which I have, until now, successfully avoided. Enjoyed it hugely, along with a fine new piece about Alzheimer’s, written by one of the students. The students were enthusiastic and full of promise; most encouraging for the future of the British film industry. Back to Keswick for the fascinating, ‘Men at Lunch’ - a long journey around that famous photograph. Then met up with Chris, Jake and Jeremy: three of the fantastic young actors from ‘Benjamin Britten - Peace and Conflict’, which I narrated and screens here on Sunday. Rounded off the day with Jan Komasa’s ‘Suicide Room’ - an extraordinary film dealing with virtual life. (Something that concerns me.) Wonderful central performance by Jakub Gierszal.
-John

Arrived in Penrith after a pleasant journey (although I left my cap on the train!) Met with smiles and greetings by Ann and David. Straight to Ullswater Community College to help launch their 2013 Branch Out with Books campaign. Hugely enjoyed talking to the students there. Such energy and enthusiasm. On to Keswick to meet Russell Cherrington for a discussion about film with his great bunch of students from Derby. A brief rest and then the opening night party, and a chance to catch up with people from last year, followed by Michael Winterbottom’s ‘Everyday’ - Norfolk never looked lovelier.
Great to be back in Keswick!
-John