BBC and Observer film critic Mark Kermode is to give a talk ’10 Things I Hate (and Love) About Film’ on Sunday July 6th at Noa’s Bakehouse, Douglas.
The ticket-only event is being arranged in association with Island of Culture and the Isle of Man Film Festival, which takes place in September. Mr Kermode, who has Manx roots and is joint Island of Culture patron with the President of Tynwald the Hon Clare Christian, is returning to the island ahead of Tynwald Day when he will be one of the VIP guests along with his mother, Audrey.
Speaking as Island of Culture patron Mr Kermode said: ‘The Isle of Man has always been very special to me. As a child I would come to the Island every summer. Today, I take my own children to the Island to experience its unique mixture of beautiful scenery, living history and vibrant culture. I am very proud of my association with the Isle of Man and honoured to be part of this celebration of its art and heritage which is such an important part of all our lives.’
Island of Culture event director Michael Lees said: ‘We’re delighted Mark Kermode has taken time out of his busy schedule to join in the celebrations for both Island of Culture and the Island’s national day. For the Isle of Man to be able to host a talk by such a leading film critic is yet further evidence of Island of Culture’s intention to offer a truly eclectic range of cultural opportunities throughout the year.’
Isle of Man Film Festival director Christy DeHaven explained: ‘We wanted an event that would be educational and entertaining for filmmakers and film lovers alike, capitalising on Mark's famously passionate views and strong opinions about movies and the industry.’
Speaking of the choice of venue, she added: ‘Miles (Pettit - owner and head baker) is a former filmmaker himself, having trained at the Manx Multimedia Centre in Peel before working in the industry in London for some years. His support of the arts is still very evident with the regular events and exhibitions held at the Bakehouse, so it made sense for us to approach him. He and his events manager Laura have been brilliant in helping us pull this together at short notice.’
Festival co-director Dave Armstrong added: ‘Funnily enough I actually ran some of the classes at the MultiMedia Centre while Miles was training there, so we've known each other for a long time and I'm really pleased we can work on this together.
‘The event will give some understanding of how the mind of a critic of Kermode's calibre works. It's a brilliant opportunity for filmmakers like myself to get an insight into how our own films might be judged in the future - and just what we're letting ourselves in for.’
Noa’s Bakehouse is an intimate setting with limited capacity so tickets should be booked as soon as possible. The event starts at 6.30pm (doors open 6pm) and will start with the talk, after which Mark Kermode will introduce a film specially chosen for the night.
Tickets are ?20, include food and are available from the Villa Marina box office, www.villagaiety.com and from The Welcome Centre.
There will also be an opportunity to find out about some of the events happening at the Isle of Man Film Festival 2014, which takes place from September 10th to 15th at venues around the Island.
