Programme announced for inaugural Film Noir festival

Bristol-based Film Noir UK, the only dedicated film organisation in the UK celebrating film noir, has confirmed details of its first ever film festival. In a change of date from the previously announced November 15-17, the weekend Classic Noir and Crime Film Festival now takes place at the newly reopened Plaza Cinema in Weston-super-Mare over the weekend of November 1-3.

“The key aim for Film Noir Fest (as well as Film Noir UK) is to celebrate the many aspects of film noir through the ages,” says festival director James Harrison. “It’s also here to celebrate the people in front as well as behind the camera as well as the history of cinema. I do hope that the selection we have put together really does showcase every element of what film noir has to offer.”

Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in ‘Gilda’

The main theme of the festival is Dangerous Divas, with classic performances from the likes of Rita Hayworth (a brand new 4K transfer of Gilda from 1946), Gloria Grahame, Jane Greer, Joan Bennett and even Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn Monroe in ‘Don’t Bother to Knock’

“Monroe in particular is an interesting one as she stars alongside Richard Widmark in Don’t Bother to Knock (1952) a really great forgotten noir directed by British director Roy Ward Baker,” says James. “She’s terrifying in it – not from a femme fatale point of view, she’s just really dangerous!”

Harvey Braban and John Longden in Hitchcock’s ‘Blackmail’

Another strand is Heritage Noir, which explores the origins of the genre. This comprises screenings of both versions of Alfred Hitchccok’s 1929 film Blackmail: the silent version, with piano accompaniment from Neil Brand, and the sound version.

Cuban-Mexican superstar Ninón Sevilla

The International Noir strand is dominated by a selection of 1950s Mexican Noir, highlighting the work of Cuban-Mexican superstar actor/dancer Ninón Sevilla, who specialised in characters who were kicked down by society (mainly men) but then came back for revenge.

“Given the fact that we were able to lay our hands on some stunning new restorations from Mexico of her films, it was only right to showcase her this year,” remarks James. “And the films are just spectacular and incredibly seedy – so perfect for us!”

Bogart and Bacall in ‘The Big Sleep’

Two greats of noir cinema would have turned 100 this year, so naturally the festival is taking time to pay tribute to Lauren Bacall and Lee Marvin. All four of the celebrated films that Bacall made with Humphrey Bogart will be screened: To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). Marvin is represented by Fritz Lang’s The Big Heat (1953) and John Boorman’s great neo-noir Point Blank (1967).

William Hurt and Kathleen Turner in ‘Body Heat’

Finally, the programme also includes late night screenings of a brace of modern neo-noirs – Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981) and John Dahl’s The Last Seduction (1994) – to highlight the continuing influence of noir cinema.

Go here for the full programme and ticket details.

Main pic: Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in ‘Double Indemnity’ – screening in the Dangerous Divas strand. All images: Film Noir UK