Leeds film festival set to be a hit during Easter
Leeds Young Film Festival is set to return to the city for its 18th edition.
Now the largest family film event in the UK, the festival is taking place between 10-20 April in locations across Leeds. The festival, that welcomes over 11,000 young people and their families to the city every year, will take place in four zones across the city centre, celebrating covering the worlds of film, animation and virtual reality.
Debbie Maturi, Director of Leeds Young Film Festival said: “We are delighted with this year’s programme which expands what people think of ‘film’ beyond just a trip to the multiplex. We are a unique Easter experience for families, offering great value activities throughout Easter Weekend at The Film House, the VR Zone and Animation Central.”
There will be over 50 films and events will take place at The Film House at Leeds Town Hall, Animation Central at The Carriageworks, Reel Kids at Hyde Park Picture House, and, new for 2017, the first virtual reality experience just for families: VR Zone at Leeds City Museum.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for culture, said: “Year after year, Leeds Young Film Festival brings young people and families together for an event that celebrates film with an exciting and engaging programme of events.
“The festival is also a great way of capturing young people’s imaginations and introducing them to the world of film in the hope that it will inspire and them to carry on Leeds’s proud tradition in the industry.”
The Festival has grown rapidly since the introduction of The Film House and Animation Central to its offer, expanding the family film experience to include hands-on activity and immersive theatre and wider art forms.
Highlights are set to include:
Animation Central, Carriageworks Theatre, 14-17 April
LEGO art director Tori Davis will visit from LEGO headquarters in Denmark to talk about her work, and will work with children to turn themselves into a LEGO mini figure by learning to draw the LEGO way. Further workshops include stop motion and flip book animation, animating with LEGO, cartoon sound effects, plus Minecraft themed workshops creating fun for all ages.
‘Whooo’s in the Hooose?’ A Dr Seuss-Inspired Experience at The Film House, Leeds Town Hall, 14-17 April
‘Whooo’s in the Hooose?’ will immerse audiences in a world of fun inspired by Dr Seuss, including a theatrical egg trail, rhyming workshops, interactive storytelling, a Seuss-inspired Sing-a-Long, a character-led parade, and an audience film shoot, plus the opportunity to be transformed into a Seuss inspired character in your very own film via green screen technology.
VR Zone, Leeds City Museum, 14-17 April
New for 2017, the UK’s first exhibit of virtual reality has been curated especially for families. The Dome will allow viewers to experience cinema in a whole new way, planetarium-style with content from NASA and Audiosonic Vision. ‘Home – A VR Spacewalk’ is a 15-minute immersive virtual reality experience produced by REWIND in collaboration with the BBC Science, BBC Learning and BBC Digital Storytelling teams. Google Expeditions is a virtual reality experience that joins viewers in immersive virtual trips all over the world. You will be able to get up close with historical landmarks, dive underwater with sharks, even visit outer space.
Reel Kids, Hyde Park Picture House, 10-20 April
The Festival will host an exclusive opportunity to see the hugely popular Christmas TV hits The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Revolting Rhymes on the big screen at Hyde Park Picture House, with special activities and dress up opportunities for families provided by Leeds-based ‘baby rave’ pioneers Boomchikkaboom.
