News

BIFF 08 - Best Yet

After 16 packed days of movies and star guests the 14th Bradford International Film Festival ended on Saturday, March 15, with the UK premiere of Searchers 2.0 in the presence of writer/director Alex (Repo Man) Cox.

Film buffs, delegates and special guests were united in praising the event as one of the brightest and best festivals in the UK with its combination of breakthrough work by fresh new filmmakers and classic titles from the past.

An estimated 12,000 people attended the festival, soaking up dozens of premieres and previews of titles as diverse as Jiri Menzel’s I Served the King of England through to George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead. Among the firm favourites during the festival fortnight were Grant Gee’s documentary on Joy Division and Paul Andrew Williams’ horror/comedy The Cottage.

Bradford welcomed a star-studded line-up of guests including Michael Palin, Kenneth Branagh, Barry Norman, Mike Figgis and Julien Temple. Palin received the BIFF Lifetime Achievement Award and Branagh accepted the BIFF Fellowship.

Said artistic director Tony Earnshaw: “Bradford can be proud of its cinematic associations, and the continued success of this prestigious and highly regarded film festival proves that Bradford is one of the key places in the UK to watch movies.”