A Grand Day Out.

A scene from Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers (1993): Displayed at the National Media Museum.

Living in Leeds, there often seems to be a limit to the amount of picture houses and cinemas there are to visit. The Hyde Park Picture House, as I have previously mentioned, is one of my favourite hideaways and the city also has several large multiplexes. However lots of us don’t realise that Leeds is only a short train journey away from some of the country’s most wonderful film and media facilities. Only down the road, located in Bradford, is one of my favourite institutions that, if you take the time to explore, has three cinemas with three very different feels.

‘The National Media Museum’ is one of the greatest days out in Northern England. Suitable for all ages, the museum is filled with fun for all the family as you learn about all aspects of the film, media and television industries through the creative display rooms, the bountiful historical objects and sources and the photography galleries.

‘Pictureville’ at the National Media Museum.

The museum’s three cinemas are all very different and have their own personality. The IMAX theatre is responsible for bringing in the more mainstream audiences and for playing certain box office hits such as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Pixar’s Toy Story 3. The ‘Pictureville’ and ‘Cubby Broccoli’ cinemas feel a lot more like independent picture houses. These cinemas focus on displaying art-house, cult and foreign cinema. One of my fondest memories from my visits to the museum is watchingKing Kong (1933) in Pictureville. The cinema is beautifully laid out and the film was projected perfectly. It is so refreshing to visit a venue and have such a varied and exciting film listing to choose from.

Another memorable occasion was attending the Bradford International Film Festival 2012 at the Media Museum. In April of this year I was able to sit in the Pictureville cinema and watch one of my inspirations, film writer and critic Mark Kermode, interview one of this country’s most exciting screen presences; Mr Ray Winstone. It was a thrilling experience and I only wished that I had more time to experience other events and screenings that the festival had to offer. The National Media Museum is now preparing to play host for the 19th Bradford Animation Festival in mid November; an event I am hoping to attend and review at a later date. There is no doubt in my mind that such an event will be highly anticipated by many. Tickets will sell fast and with such a diverse and delicious line up of events it would be foolish to miss out. With guest speakers, life time achievement awards and countless screenings of animation from both renowned film makers and brand new visionaries, it is worth taking a good hard look at:

 

With the upcoming BAF and the BIFF in the new year there is so much to get involved in at The National Media Museum. Not only is it worth visiting to see their admirable cinematic screening facilities but it is just quite simply a smashing day out. With so much information to take in and avenues to explore, why not visit The National Media Museum and treat yourself to a truly fulfilling day. Remember, for my fellow Leeds residents, it’s only a train ride away.

 

Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry.