DAME Esther Rantzen will launch this year's Golden Years Film Festival in Bradford.
The six-day festival, hosted by Bradford UNESCO City of Film in partnership with Picturehouse at the National Science and Media Museum, will run from the end of September.
The veteran broadcaster and campaigner said it was "wonderful" to see the city embracing older audiences.
The festival - aimed at an older audience but open to all - will include films, events and discussions with broad appeal. Most events will be held at Picturehouse Bradford and there will also be screenings at the Bradford Club and Delius Arts and Cultural Centre.
Dame Esther Rantzen said: “I’m thrilled to be launching the festival in Bradford. The programme is really diverse. It’s wonderful to see a city embracing older audiences, while at the same time inviting all generations to come together and share some really great moments inspired by film. ”
The popular TV presenter will talk about her long career in An Audience With Esther, taking place on Saturday, September 30 from 1-2pm at Picturehouse Bradford. She is also expected to talk about some of the work close to her heart, including her role as patron of a charity designed to combat loneliness.
Festival director David Wilson said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Golden Years to Bradford for a second year. Our programme is designed with older people in mind, but we’re really keen to see an intergenerational element to our festival. I am very pleased to be presenting a specially commissioned film - by Bradford film-maker Suman Hanif - on how loneliness affects people in the city.
"This year’s festival really does have something for everyone - film classics, musicals, documentaries, comedy, talks, discussions and even some jiving. We're also delighted to have Northern Gas Networks on board as our main sponsor for the first time."
The line-up for the rest of the week includes a special event celebrating Bradford writer JB Priestley, which includes a screening of Look Up and Laugh, a film written by him, in the Pictureville Cinema.
In partnership with the BBC, there will be a free screening of Sally Wainwright's Bronte drama To Walk Invisible preceded by a Q&A session with Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Bronte Society and the Bronte Parsonage Museum, and Life on the Home Front, an archive session hosted by Bradford and District Age UK will follow a sing-a-long screening of the musical Calamity Jane. Movie classic The Band Wagon, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charrise, will be screened by the Creative Stroke Recovery Group at the Delius Arts and Cultural Centre, and a 'jive day' sees a screening of Jailhouse Rock - a Dementia Friendly screening, but open to all - and a lively jiving session hosted by Marie McCahery from local group Lindyhop. The historic Bradford Club will open its doors to the public for a Laurel and Hardy triple bill.
Bradford’s film heritage will be profiled with a talk from Bradford City of Film director David Wilson before the festival finale feature film, Goodbye Christopher Robin at Pictureville Cinema. The film gives a rare glimpse into the relationship between children’s author AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories.
* For more about the Golden Years Film Festival visit bradford-city-of-film.com/enjoy/golden-years-film-festival
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here