Curzon Programme - SEASON ONE Sep-Dec 2023

About Curzon Cinema and Arts

The Curzon has been at the heart of the North Somerset community for 111 years. Our Grade-II listed cinema and concert hall was built in 1912 by local entrepreneur Victor Cox, making us one of the oldest cinemas in the country. The cinema was saved by the community in 1996 and we have been operating as a registered charity ever since. In addition to showing the latest Hollywood blockbusters, we offer a diverse programme of live events exploring all artforms whilst living our motto of being: “Independent, Unique, and Yours”.

Accessibility

We are an accessible venue for wheelchair users, or anyone requiring step-free access and offer a range of options for seats with space for your wheelchair or extra legroom. Just ask a member of staff at the Box Office and we’ll be happy to open the access doors for you.

We regularly have subtitled screenings for people with impaired hearing and relaxed screenings for those on the autism/sensory spectrum, people living with dementia and anyone who would benefit from a relaxed cinema experience. For more information, please see full listings on our website.

Food and Drink

Popcorn, sweets, chocolate, crisps, nuts, Marshfield ice cream, tea, coffees, and a large range of still and fizzy drinks are always in stock to purchase at our Box Office and Kiosk. Complete your night out by relaxing in our Oak Room Bar with a drink from our wide selection of local beers (including our house beer, Reel Ale, from Twisted Oak), spirits, wines, and soft drinks before the film. Keep your eye out for film-themed signature cocktails and sweet treats.

Welcome to Season 1

Hello and welcome to an entirely fresh programme of events at the Curzon. Whilst this may not be our first rodeo at the age of 111, this season heralds in a new way of curating our programme which I hope leaves you feeling as exhilarated as we are. Building on the history of the Curzon as being much more than just a cinema, these events embrace the potential that lies in our beautiful and unique heritage venue replete with staging and a bar as well as the latest in big screen projection technology. From live music and DJs to author talks, live comedy and spoken word, to Q&As and collaborations. These new seasons and the strands in them, are intended to draw together the arts that lie beyond, but within, film. Browse, book and enliven your autumn.

Petra Mansour, Head of Programme

What’s new?

You’ll see from the following pages that new strands tie together events throughout the season. We celebrate human endurance and a love for the stories behind Outdoor Adventures Connections is all about community and commonalities, reminding ourselves how we connect, inspire and grow by nurturing local roots with global ideas. Off The Page includes talks from respected authors and dynamic ways of experiencing spoken word. Nappy Mondays are for the parents and carers out there while Classic & Cuppa pairs outstanding film with a coffee/tea and biscuit. There’s a lot more to explore so dive on in.

Thank You

We would like to thank all of the individuals, trusts, foundations, companies, and public funders who have given towards our impactful charitable work. Over the last year this has enabled us to restore our balcony, open safely after the pandemic, and deliver a wide range of community and education projects for people of all backgrounds and ages. If you would like to support us by making a one-off donation, leaving a legacy, or sponsoring our work, please visit our website for more information.

The events in this brochure have been made possible by generous funding of £9,900 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We would also like to thank North Somerset Council for their support of this project.

Sun 03 Sep 7pm 15

Woolf Women +Q&A

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Big vs Small +Q&A

Kicking off our new strand of Outdoor + Adventure films is this incredible deep-dive into iceswimming, big wave surfing and overcoming fear.

When champion Portuguese big wave surfer Joana Andrade has to conquer her fear of drowning, she finds herself locked in combat with

long-buried demons from her past under a frozen Finnish lake. Meet at 6pm for a dip in the lake then stay on for a Q&A with three cold-water swimming coaches and drinks in the bar.

LIVE COMEDY

Brought to you in collaboration with Clevedon Skate Project, this event includes a Q&A from Bristol Girls Longboard founder Danielle Davis and Rich Auden of Lush Longboards and Vandem Longboard Shop. Woolf Women is an offbeat chronicle, documenting a true story about 5 zoomers who go on a wonderfully

crazy skateboard adventure to the Pontic Mountains. It is a film about courage, determination and female friendship, and reflects the nomadic freedom and personal values sought by Generation Z. Produced on a micro budget, the film has a fresh genre with its freestyle approach and breaks the 4th wall without intention. Featuring exciting downhill skateboarding, a killer soundtrack and amazing landscapes.

Savage Waters +Q&A

How far would you go searching for something that may not exist?

Curzon Comedy

Gary Delaney: Gary In Punderland

Sun 10 Dec 7pm TBC

A 19th century treasure-hunter’s journal inspires a captivating journey to seek out and surf a mythical, never-ridden wave in some of the most remote and dangerous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. For renowned skipper, Matt Knight, sailing to unpredictable and

uncharted regions is impossible to resist. As a lifelong thrill-seeker, he is constantly testing the limits of what’s possible, something world-class big wave surfer Andrew Cotton has also built his career on. With family and friends, they board the beautiful catamaran Hecate and follow clues to this ‘perfect wave’.

Join us for a night of raucous live comedy, with 4 of the UK’s brightest stand-up comics. Starring Stuart Goldsmith, Christian Reilly, Jenny Collier and Greg Winfield as your compere live on stage. Time Out mag bill Stuart Goldsmith as “A supremely talented stand-up, with a wonderfully funny view of the world and an effortless charm”. In the words of Richard Herring, Christian Reilly is “Seriously cool, seriously funny”. Jenny Collier is a multi-award-winning comedian and actor, a bold rising star. Greg Winfield has written for the likes of Mock The Week and supported Russel Howard and Nish Kumar among others – this is a line-up not to be missed.

Following his sell-out show this July and due to overwhelming demand, we have added an extra date on Gary Delaney’s tour which is already selling fast. One of the most sought-after joke writers in the country and longstanding Mock the Week special guest,

Gary has been through the laughing glass and he’s ready to bring you a brand-new show with hit after hit of the kind of one-liners only a master could craft. If you’re hunting for snark, Gary’s got it covered!

A Life on the Farm+Q&A

Sustainable Fashion Week: Fashion Reimagined +Q&A

OFF THE PAGE

Patrick Gale – author talk

Join award-winning author Patrick Gale as he introduces his new novel, Mother’s Boy, based on the boyhood and youth of the great Cornish poet, Charles Causley and the life of the mother who raised him singlehandedly.

Sun 10 Sept 5.30pm

CASSIUS X: Becoming Ali +Q&A

Grandad & The Pier +Q&A

Fri 08 Sep 7pm Sun 24 Sep 7pm Sun 08 Oct 7pm

When filmmaker Oscar Harding’s grandfather passed away in Somerset, his family inherited an extraordinary video tape – a featurelength home movie from neighbour Charles Carson.

Charles was an inventor, an outsider artist, and a pioneer of death positivity. A Life On The Farm is an exploration and celebration of Charles Carson and his movies, rescued from obscurity, which present a moving and laugh-outloud document.

The film will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Oscar Harding.

Raised by activist parents, fashion designer Amy always felt uneasy about the devastating environmental impact of her industry, and decides to create a sustainable collection from field to finished garment. Over the following three years, her personal revolution becomes the precursor of a much bigger, societal change. From 3-5pm the Curzon will be open to the public as we are joined by 36T and Thrift Avenue for some beautiful secondhand sustainable fashion shopping plus repair and mend workshops with the fabulous Spinning Weal.

On a small island in the middle of the Irish sea, a giant derelict pier juts out into the rough sea.

Closed for decades, now the pier is getting a new lease of life thanks to a defiant, social-media savvy elderly population building something for the next generation. A wind-swept, teasoaked, heart-warming film about community, hope and leaving a legacy beyond our years. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and Clevedon Pier & Heritage Trust.

CASSIUS X: Becoming Ali follows the early years of Cassius Clay, from bright-eyed rookie to world heavyweight champion and from working class intellectual to one of America’s most influential civil rights campaigners.

CASSIUS X: Becoming Ali is the extraordinary story of how one young boxer from Louisville, Kentucky became a cultural icon for the ages, forever to be known thereafter as “The Greatest”. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr Lawrence Hoo (CARGO) and civil rights campaigner Paul Stephenson’s daughter.

Raise The Bar

It is the story of a man who is among, yet apart from his fellows, a man being shaped for a remarkable life spent hiding in plain sight. But it is equally the story of the dauntless mother who continued to shield him long after the dangers of war had past.

Alexander McCall Smith – author talk

Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books.

Mon 09 Oct 7pm

Following the ‘mind-blowing’ event curated by Raise the Bar back in June; this is another collaboration you won’t want to miss. Two incredibly talented and multifaceted headlining artists plus support from the RTB crew, expect the unexpected.

Dizraeli: Animal Noises is a searingly honest exploration of the mess of human creation and we’re honoured to bear witness as it bursts to life on the Curzon stage as part of Dizraeli’s book

But it wasn’t until the publication of the highly successful The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series that Alexander became a household name. The series has now sold over twenty million copies in the English language alone, and since the books took off, he has devoted his time to writing.

tour. Bringing his unique blend of singing, rapping, live instruments and spoken word – think Dylan Thomas meeting Black Thought at a John Cage concert and you’re halfway there.

Bellatrix: is a spellbinding singer and instinctively expressive songwriter, a multiinstrumentalist, a versatile performer and former world beatboxing champion, an inventive, all-encompassing and hands-on creative vision that can’t help but resonate. In this

incarnation of Bellatrix’s live show they will bring their music to life through live looping, including beatboxing, singing, bass guitar, double bass, synth, and uke. Come and take part in a sonic journey through the delicate, the fierce and some serious bass.

Fri 10 Nov 7pm 15

Squaring The Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis

Celebrated photographer, creative director and filmmaker Anton Corbijn’s first feature documentary Squaring The Circle: The Story Of Hipgnosis tells the story of Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, the creative geniuses behind the iconic album art design studio, Hipgnosis, responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time. They never played a note, but they changed music forever.

Featuring brand new interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel and many more.

Carlos

This brand new documentary follows Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, via a surprise Woodstock breakthrough.

Featuring new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage – including home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage; and behind-the-scenes moments – it creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love – as one of Santana’s famous titles says–“how his rhythm goes.”

The Commitments + Jonah Hitchens Band

The Jonah Hitchens Band will be performing live before this screening, so get down early!

This is the wildly entertaining story of the unlikely rise and inevitable fall of a Dublin Soul band. Unemployed wheeler and dealer Jimmy Rabitte identifies a gap in the Dublin music market and decides to form “the

SOUND & VISION

Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs Of Marc Bolan & T.Rex

A leader of the glam-rock movement and an early champion of punk, Marc Bolan was always ahead of the curve. This was both an advantage and a stumbling

block for the mop-headed T. Rex bandleader, whose unique approach to pop songcraft went on to inspire the likes of Billy Idol, U2, Joan Jett, Ringo Starr, Nick Cave, and Elton John.

Interviews with these Bolan acolytes, combined with archival footage of the icon himself, make

up this new and intimate portrait of the icon’s short but profoundly impactful life.

12

Silent film PICCADILLY (1929) & Live Music from Brief Encounter Duo

Multi-instrumentalists Chris and Veronica Perrin create an authentic Jazz Age accompaniment to this classic ‘whodunnit’ melodrama.

Screen goddess Anna May Wong stars as Shosho, a young Chinese woman working in the kitchen of a London night club. She is given the chance to become the club’s main act, which leads to a plot of betrayal, forbidden love, and murder.

Afrika Eye Festival: We Intend To Cause Havoc

world’s hardest-working band”, out of a rag-tag group ranging from drunken wedding singers to church organists.

Backed by an unforgettable Motown and soul soundtrack, The Commitments is a must-see musical comedy whether it’s your first watch or your fiftieth.

Fri 29 Sep 7pm 15

This event is part of Afrika Eye Festival 2023. The film follows the formation of WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) Zambia’s most popular rock band of the 1970s, and documents the journey of its lively lead singer, Jagari.

Exploring the life of the African rock-star, it highlights the excitement around the rediscovery of his music by a whole new generation of fans.

Join us for a DJ set from Jazzin the

Park Productions: a non-profit organisation from the North West, bringing together people and communities through music with a passion for music, vinyl and importing records from West Africa as part of its international outreach.

Delicious food is available to pre-order from Houria, a panAfrican catering company that hire female survivors of slavery.

Sun 19 Nov 6.15pm 12A

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER DECEMBER

SOUND & VISION

Cary Grant Festival: An Affair to Remember

Tissues at the ready for this special screening bought to you in collaboration with The Cary Grant Festival. For one night only, we will be hosting a red carpet celebration evening at our historic venue full of champagne cocktails and live jazz from the Andy Christie Trio. Come dressed up or borrow some of our vintage outfits for a photo booth selfie.

Cary Grant stars alongside fellow Bristolian Deborah Kerr in this timeless story of chance encounters, fate and the life altering power of love. With a sharp script and amazing performances, the film’s themes of love, loss, and redemption are as relevant today as when it was released in 1957. But the real question is: Will the lovers make it to their rendezvous at the top of the Empire State Building…?

Buster Keaton Double Bill + LIVE Organ Accompaniment

The perfect post-Christmas treat, this promises to be an unforgettable Curzon experience. A fantastic Keaton double bill as it was meant to be seen, with full LIVE organ accompaniment from our star organist and cinema history aficionado, Bernie Brown.

Sherlock

Jr.

Buster Keaton’s detective fantasy is a genius display of every silent comedy technique imaginable, combined with the masterful slapstick of Keaton himself as he pushes both himself, and the special effects of the time, to their absolute limit (including a stunt so dangerous that it broke Keaton’s neck!).

Our Hospitality

A work of silent cinema art, Our Hospitality sees Willie McKay (Keaton) fall hopelessly in love with a young woman he meets on a train, only to discover that her entire family has sworn to kill him in a long-running feud. Featuring more of Keaton’s signature side-splitting comedy, alongside some of the most thrilling real-life

Madama Butterfly Abba: The

Theater Camp

A fresh new comedy from dream team Molly Gordon and Ben Platt, Theater Camp is the hilarious mockumentary-style parody of a struggling summer camp for drama kids.

As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theatre camp in upstate New York that’s a haven for budding performers. But with financial ruin looming, the band of eccentric drama teachers must join forces to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.

Mon 11 Sept 10am

Mamma Mia

In what has become one of the most iconic jukebox musicals of all time, Donna (Meryl Streep) uses her daughter Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) approaching wedding to reach out to three old flames. Little do they know, one of them is Sophie’s long-lost dad!

Set against the stunning backdrop of sun-drenched Greek islands, and with an all-thriller-no-filler soundtrack of solid gold ABBA hits performed by the ensemble cast, there’s nothing not to love about this familiar favourite.

Barbie

Missed out on the most hotly anticipated film of the summer first time around? Now’s your chance to catch it again on the big screen!

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

However, when Barbie’s world turns upside down, she must venture into the Real World to set it all to rights, and discover her own purpose along the way.

Classic & Cuppa: a classic film to start your day with a coffee or tea and biscuit included in your ticket price? Yes please. Our first season of this new strand has been guest curated by former Curzon CEO Susannah Shaw; “This selection represents some of the greatest films from the most talented directors, cinematographers, and screenwriters… played out by a host of legendary actors. These are the films that shaped my life, I hope you love them as much as I do.”

HALLOWEEN

Batman (1989) + DJ DonLIfe

Michael Keaton makes his debut as the caped crusader in this kitschy-gothic 1989 classic, under the iconic direction of Tim Burton. Facing off against him is The Joker, a petty criminal who becomes a homicidal clown bent on destroying the city of Gotham. Expertly played with unhinged malice by Jack Nicholson, he proves to be the perfect tonic to our self-serious, gravel-voiced hero. By turns laugh-out-loud absurd (“You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would ya?”) and deeply menacing, Tim Burton’s Batman remains a hugely memorable and entertaining entry in the canon of Gotham’s Dark Knight. Think Wall Street meets The Crow, with a healthy dose of Burton-esque quirk and sly humour on the side and a soundtrack by (the purple) Prince.

And if a spooky season screening of this stone-cold campy classic isn’t enough, DonLife will be showcasing his party starting sound with a DJ set featuring disco, reggae, funk, soul, hiphop, house, beats & bass!

Turn up dressed up in your best ‘80s Batman or spooky get-up!

The Exorcist (50th Anniversary)

Belief in evil. Belief that evil can be cast out. From these two strands of faith, author William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin wove The Exorcist, the frightening and realistic story of an innocent girl inhabited by a malevolent entity. This is the terrifying tale of her mother’s frantic resolve to save her and two priests - one doubt-ridden, the other a rock of faith - joined in battling ultimate evil.

Sat 21 Oct 7pm 18

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

Winner of 1973 Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing, The Exorcist remains one of the most shocking and gripping movies in the history of cinema and is a regular feature on lists of the scariest movies ever made.

This year we celebrate not only 50 years of The Exorcist, but also the life and work of its visionary director, William Friedkin, who passed away in August.

The Snowman with the City of Bristol Brass Band

City of Bristol Brass Band treat us to their live accompaniment of Raymond Briggs’ timeless tale of a boy and his snowman. It’s

A Wonderful Life

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives.” Frank Capra’s classic Christmas fable about the power of helping others returns to the big screen!

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Brian Henson directs his late father’s creations in the Charles Dickens classic, making for a hilariously offbeat yet heartwarming retelling ideal for all the family.

Die Hard

A New York City police officer must save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a corporate Christmas party. Mel Gibson stars in the retro classic that has become a cult Christmas favourite. Yippee-ki-yay!

Home Alone

All 8-year-old Kevin McCallister wants for Christmas is for his family to disappear. But careful what you wish for – when it comes true, Kevin has more to contend with than annoying older brothers. The finest in side-splitting 1990s slapstick.

Elf – 20th Anniversary Screening

Raised as an elf but feeling like he doesn’t fit in, Buddy goes looking for his true place in the world – in New York City. A Curzon, Christmas Eve tradition; “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is...”

IMMERSIVE

Tales Of Hoffman

Fri 8 Dec 6.30pm

The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger is a major BFI UK-wide film celebration of one of the greatest and most enduring filmmaking partnerships in the history of cinema which the Curzon is honoured to be part of with this Immersive screening. If you haven’t encountered Tales Of Hoffman before then you are in for a visual and aural treat, a technicolour feast that was ahead of its time and is hailed as the best cinema feature of an opera ever made.

Phantasmagorical visions of a poet’s three great and surreal love stories leap off the screen in the most flamboyant and expressively sumptuous mix of choreography and set production that you are ever likely to see on screen.

This immersive screening has been made possible by funding from BFI FAN and you can expect the full off-the-screen experience as well as on-screen: from live dancers to dress-up, come in your finest and let professional stylists add to your ensemble while you’re serenaded (all extras are included in the ticket price). This is going to be the pre-Christmas event of the year for any lovers of cinema, theatre, opera or dance and most definitely a night to remember.

Feature Films

These exciting feature films should also be arriving this autumn. Dates shown are the start dates only with full listings published nearer the time. Keep an eye out for announcements.*

THEATER CAMP

(Comedy gold starring Benn Platt)

25th Aug

A HAUNTING IN VENICE

(directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh)

15 Sep

THE OLD OAK (directed by Ken Loach)

29 Sep

THE GREAT ESCAPER (starring Michael Caine /Glenda Jackson)

6 Oct

THE MIRACLE CLUB

(starring Maggie Smith /Kathy Bates)

13 Oct

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE

13 Oct

TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

20 Oct

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

(directed by Martin Scorsese)

20 Oct

DUNE: PART II

(starring Zendaya/ Timothée Chalamet)

3 Nov

Book / Film Club

NAPOLEON (directed by Ridley Scott)

22 Nov

WISH (Disney)

24 Nov

EILEEN (starring Anne Hathaway, Thomasin McKenzie)

1 Dec

WONKA (starring Timothée Chalamet)

15 Dec

*Please note that dates are subject to change dependent on film distributors or factors such as the current writers and actors strikes (the Curzon team sends solidarity to the talented filmmaking workforce who deserve greater equality of pay and better working conditions).

Killers Of The Flower Moon – if you are a keen reader or part of a book club then this one is for you. We are excited to be launching our first Book-to-Film club: buy a copy of the book that Scorsese’s new feature film is based on from Books On The Hill (Clevedon) and receive 20% off your film ticket then join us for post-film discussions (dates and times tbc).

Email programme@curzon.org.uk for further info.

Homegrown Shorts

Our annual celebration of the filmmaking talent of the South West, ‘Homegrown Shorts’, returns on 23rd March 2024. The call for entries is now open. If you’ve got a short inspired by, shot in, or made by a team in or from the South-West, we want to see it! Send submissions to badgerclubproductions@gmail.com by midnight on the 30th November 2023.

Information

Curzon Cinema and Arts

46 Old Church Road, Clevedon, BS21 6NN

www.curzon.org.uk

@curzonclevedon

Enquiries: info@curzon.org.uk

All of the times advertised reflect the doors opening time

Travelling By Bus

Regular buses run between Clevedon, Yatton, Portishead, Nailsea, WestonSuperMare, Bristol, and most surrounding areas. Visit travelwest.info/bus for the latest information.

The WESTlink Service is a new type of bus service that runs without a fixed timetable or route and is booked ‘on demand’ by users through the WESTlink app or by phone. Visit travelwest.info/westlink to find out more.

Parking

There are two free Council car parks off Great Western Road which are a few minutes’ walk from the cinema.

Booking

We recommend that you book tickets in advance online to guarantee a seat! Each online booking includes a £1 per order fee which helps pay for our ticketing costs and 100% of this is kept by the charity. Tickets are also available before most screenings in person subject to availability.

Membership

Curzon membership enables you to reap a heap of benefits and discounts, for free! Find out more and join: curzon.org.uk/membership

Newsletter

We have a curated weekly newsletter to keep you up to date with everything chez Curzon and is the best way to stay up to date with what we have coming up! Sign up via our website.

Information in this brochure is correct at the time of print, but subject to change.