For our final film of Sunday’s A Very Vintage Valentine programme, we’re pleased to bring you Piccadilly, a classic British silent film rarely seen in cinemas.
The Chinese-American screen goddess Anna May Wong stars as Shosho, a scullery maid in a fashionable London nightclub whose sensuous tabletop dance catches the eye of suave club owner Valentine Wilmot. She rises to become the toast of the London club scene and the object of his obsession, making his former lover and star dancer Mabel bitterly jealous.
One of the true greats of British silent film, Piccadilly was a star vehicle for Anna May Wong, the first Asian-American star and one of the first non-white actors to gain international celebrity. It was a precursor to the film noir genre and has been beautifully restored by the BFI National Film & Television Archive, complete with amber and blue tinting copied from an original 1929 silent release print.
Part of Sunday’s A Very Vintage Valentine programme.
Do you remember Charlie the Magnetic Man?
Join Showtown as we tell the story of one of Blackpool’s best loved sideshows, the Great Magna. Discover the letters, predictions and the man who turned Charlie into a touring sensation that wowed families across the UK.
We’re pleased to share with you two short films inspired by our Lancashire heritage. Join us after the screening for a Q&A with director Gillian Wood and writer Michelle Crane to find out how they use film to explore and celebrate local history.
The 16th Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival brought a huge variety of LGBT+ short films to their in-person and online festival. This diverse selection of outstanding short films showcases unique stories from around the world with a strong British representation.
Since 2014, the Blackpool Film Festival has provided a platform for cinema programmed and co-produced with the artists and creative communities of the Fylde Coast.