gothic film festival

Kirkstall Abbeys Gothic Film Festival, set against the spectacular backdrop of the 12^th century ruined Cistercian monastery in Leeds, offers audiences a unique and terrifying Halloween trick or treat experience. A key component of the BFIs blockbuster Gothic project, bringing the dark heart of film to life on the big screen, the 4-day Gothic Film Festival runs 31^st October 3^rd November and is presented by the Cambridge Film Trust and Broadway Nottingham, in association with the National Media Museum Bradford and Showroom Sheffield with support from BFI Film Forever.

The Halloween Opening Night presentation of Murnaus classic horror, NOSFERATU will see Count Orlock being brought back from the undead with live accompaniment by musicians Gunter Buchwald, Jeff Davenport and composer/presenter of BBC4s recent Sound of Cinema series, Neil Brand. Projected within the walls of Kirkstall Abbey itself, providing sensational acoustics for the music as well as the interplay of light and dark shadows, the specially designed auditorium will seat 400 people.

The bloodcurdling programme will also see screenings of classic Gothic titles; NIGHT OF THE DEMON (Jacques Tourneur), WITCHFINDER GENERAL (Michael Reeves), THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (Terence Fisher), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (James Whale), PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Carl Theodor Dreyer) with live piano accompaniment by Stephen Horne and THE INNOCENTS (Jack Clayton). 

BFI Gothic celebrates the very British genius rooted in literature and art that gave rise to some of the most filmed characters in our on-screen history: Dracula, Frankenstein and Jekyll & Hyde. Gothic introduced the nation to sex, unleashing dark passions and breaking taboos along the way, circumventing what was acceptable to view on screen and then selling it to America who imported the genre with true bloodlust.

For further info/tickets follow this here link.