Leeds International Film Festival highlights

These highlights are certainly not exhaustive, we just wanted to shine a light on some of the screenings happening at HPPH which we're particularly proud to present as they tie into some of the aims which motivate our choices when programming. 

A strand in our programme which we're incredibly passionate about is Cinema Africa! which aims to celebrate the rich variety of African lives and culture through excellent films, for both African and non-African audiences. So, we're excited to be collaborating with LIFF for some of their African screenings. The first is, Rising Up at Night, a documentary in which Nelson Makengo paints a striking picture of those surviving, and finding beauty and hope in alternative sources of light when darkness descends over the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We also recommend the new Nigerian horror-thriller The Weekend which is showing as part of LIFF's Day of the Dead on Sat 09 Nov which has individual screening tickets as well as day passes. You may remember how much we shouted about I Am Not a Witch, so, we're delighted that Rungano Nyoni's new feature, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, is showing as part of LIFF on Thu 14 Nov at 18:30. It's a daring work of grief and restitution and Nyoni deservedly won Best Director at Cannes 2024.

At HPPH, we also believe that cinema should be a safe space for all. However, we recognise that our youngest audiences may find keeping still and quiet challenging, while neurodiverse audiences may find standard screenings overwhelming. Therefore, for families we have Hyde & Seek screenings which are relaxed screenings where audiences can move around and make noise. In addition, we have Autism-friendly screenings with specific adjustments like relaxed audience attitudes, raised cinema light levels, lower film volume and reduced audience capacity. We are so pleased that LIFF have taken both of these audiences into account with their screening of the animation Flow which is family friendly and has a specific Autism-friendly screening on Sun 10 Nov at 11:00.

As well as showcasing new releases, we like to delve deep into cinema's rich history - something we do with our weekly Sunday reRUN screenings. One of LIFF's archive screenings which we're excited about is a thriller from 1986, Mirch Masala, showing on Sat 02 Nov at 13:30.

If you're a fan of our Creatures of the Night events where we get together in the magic late-night hours for everything from cult oddities to iconic horror, then you won't want to miss the return of LIFF's Night of the Dead, an all-night horror marathon. It's happening on Fri 15 Nov from 11pm.

Leeds International Film Festival has such a broad programme that that there's something for everyone, so check out their full programme on their website.

For just HPPH LIFF events, you can browse here.

Banner photo of HPPH by Tatiana Hepplewhite.