Leeds International Film Festival to close with screening of prestigious award nominee

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON BEHALF OF LEEDS FILM

The 30th Leeds International Film Festival comes to a close this Thursday with a Closing Gala screening of Toni Erdmann, a finalist for the prestigious LUX Film Prize led by the European Parliament.

The Festival partners with LUX Film Prize for the first time this year with Leeds being one of 50 cities hosting public screenings of the three nominees across the European Union. Toni Erdmann, directed by Maren Ade, closes the Festival on Thursday 17th November, 19:30 in the grand surroundings of Leeds Town Hall. The film, a comedy drama from Germany about a father-daughter relationship, has screened to critical acclaim at festivals worldwide, including Cannes where it was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

Throughout the two week-long Leeds International Film Festival, the further two LUX Prize nominees have also screened to audience acclaim: My Life as a Courgette by Claude Barras, a bittersweet, poetic stop-motion animation, and As I Open My Eyes by Layla Bouzid which follows Farah, a young musician, as she navigates familial, cultural and social expectations in Tunis, 2010, a few months before the Tunisian revolution.

The three films are travelling to 28 European Union countries and 50 cities during October and November before a winner is announced on 23 November at an official awards ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, voted for by Members of the European Parliament.

Audiences are invited to follow the progress of the films after the screening and vote online for their favourite film to compete for the Audience Mention award, which will be unveiled at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2017.

Created in order to cast a spotlight on the diversity of European cinema, films nominated for the LUX Film Prize are chosen for their engagement with current social and political issues. Previous LUX Prize winners include Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (2015), Ida by Pawel Pawlikowski (2014), The Broken Circle Breakdown by Felix van Groeningen (2013) and Lorna’s Silence by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (2008).

Chris Fell, Director of Leeds International Film Festival said:

‘We are collaborating with the Lux Prize of the European Parliament for the first time in 2016 and we are delighted that our closing film Toni Erdmann will be the big finale to our new partnership this year. Leeds International Film Festival is a major long-term supporter of European cinema and like the LUX Prize we aim to share and celebrate its diversity, with films from 27 EU countries in our programme this year. We can’t wait for our biggest celebration of European film in our 30th anniversary year, with our closing night presentation of Toni Erdmann.’

EVENT TIMES AND DETAILS

Toni Erdmann

Thursday 17 November, 19:30, Victoria Hall, Leeds Town Hall

Tickets: £10/£8 concessions.

Book online: http://www.leedsfilm.com/films/toni-erdmann/

Book by phone: 0113 376 0318

Book in person at Leeds City Centre Box Office, Leeds Town Hall

For media enquiries, please contact:

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Lisa Brook, Live Cinema UK on behalf of Leeds International Film Festival

lisa@livecinema.org.uk

07722271360

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Leeds International Film Festival

Leeds International Film Festival offers an epic city-wide celebration of global filmmaking culture, with an incredible choice of film experiences at its 30th Anniversary edition. Across 15 days you will find over 300 events at 30 venues, including independent and multi-screen cinemas, concert and music halls, art and community centres, universities and colleges, bars - and even boats!

We invite you to explore the LIFF30 programme, which features five different film festival sections. Be among the first to see new films from around the world in Official Selection, see and hear the world differently through documentary events in Cinema Versa, take on the forces of cult and fantasy cinema in Fanomenon, witness the mini wonders of the short film universe in Short Film City and discover rarely-screened classics and revisit all-time favourites in Retrospectives. We hope you enjoy the adventure! www.leedsfilm.com

Presented by Leeds City Council, LIFF is funded by the British Film Institute and Creative Europe, and supported by leading partners Brooks Macdonald, Bruntwood, Everyman Cinemas, and Vue.

About the LUX Film prize

The LUX Film Prize was initiated by the European Parliament in 2007. It was created in order to cast a spotlight on the diversity of European cinema and the films are chosen for their engagement with current social and political issues. Previous LUX Prize winners include Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (2015), Ida by Pawel Pawlikowski (2014), The Broken Circle Breakdown by Felix van Groeningen (2013) and Lorna’s Silence by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (2008).

For more information, please contact:

Olga Dziewulska, Press Attachée of the European Parliament Information Office in the United Kingdom.

Tel. 07786 060 531 - Olga.Dziewulska@europarl.europa.eu

You can also visit our website.

#LUXPrize #LUXFilmDays

The LUX Film Prize is an initiative led by the European Parliament with support from the European Commission and UK Film Festival.