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NOW BOOKING: SEPTEMBER SCREENS 2017

RADIANT CIRCUS hunts out London’s best independent movie nights, film events & gallery screenings. Find out what’s booking now in our SEPTEMBER roundup.

We’ve focused on our TOP 10 LONDON CINEMAS as well as some other juicy places.

You might need to settle down with a cup of coffee for this one…


BARBICAN

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HARLAN COUNTY screens at Barbican (19 SEP).

COLLECTIVE VISIONS (10 SEP to 26 OCT) continues Barbican’s excellent CINEMA MATTERS strand by looking at cinema’s ability to bring people together. Films in the month include STRIKE + LIVE PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT (10 SEP 16:00), OLYMPIA, PART 1: FESTIVAL OF NATIONS (14 SEP 18:30), HARLAN COUNTY (19 SEP 18:15) and THE SPARROW (28 SEP 18:30). New season THE GRIME & THE GLAMOUR (29 SEP to 05 OCT) is about the wild days and nights of New York in the 1970s and 1980s. Screenings in the month include REMEMBERING CBGBs (29 SEP 19:00), PERMANENT VACATION (29 SEP 20:45), WILD STYLE (30 SEP 19:00) and SMITHEREENS (30 SEP 20:45).


BERNIE GRANT ARTS CENTRE

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ABOUT ELLY screens at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (07 SEP).

The north london arts venue celebrates 10 years of open doors with new seasons dedicated to SIDNEY POITIER – including IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (15 SEP 19:30) and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (22 SEP 19:30) – and ASGHAR FARHADI, the Iranian director behind acclaimed hits ABOUT ELLY (07 SEP 19:30), THE PAST (14 SEP 19:30), and A SEPARATION (21 SEP 19:30).


BERTHA DOCHOUSE / CURZON BLOOMSBURY

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LET THERE BE LIGHT screens at Bertha DocHouse (21 SEP).

HOT DOCS LONDON (21 to 24 SEP) brings to Bloomsbury the best films fresh from Canada’s International Documentary Festival. In a packed programme, we like the look of opening night LET THERE BE LIGHT (21 SEP 18:30), THE ROAD MOVIE (24 SEP 16:00) made entirely of Russian dash-cam footage, and A MOON OF NICKEL AND ICE (24 SEP 18:00), winner of the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Awards at Hot Docs 2017.


BFI

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SALEM’S LOT screens at BFI (02 & 10 SEP).

The British film mothership continues excellent seasons dedicated to JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE and the ever evolving INDIA ON FILM, which now proclaims THIS LAND IS OURS. Elsewhere, STEPHEN KING ON SCREEN gets up and screaming (read our preview here) and includes some of the author’s favourite movies, STEPHEN KING’S PICKS, and a #KingForADay WEEKENDER (22 to 23 SEP). In the same spurting vein, HAUNTED BY CINEMA (14 SEP 20:45) continues BFI’s EXPERIMENTA strand with an evening dedicated to “films that harbour a violent transcendental desire” whilst DEMON LOVER DIARY + DISCUSSION (26 SEP 18:10) is an eye-popping making-of horror documentary.


THE CINEMA MUSEUM

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THE LAST STARFIGHTER screens at Cinema Museum (23 SEP).

Traumkino presents evening of short films TRANSGENDER FILM FESTIVAL (15 SEP 18:00) whilst Kennington Bioscope screens FILIBUS (20 SEP 19:30), a 1915 Italian crime drama with sci-fi trappings. THE CELLULOID SORCORESS’S 35MM CULT SATURDAY (23 SEP 11:00) includes INNOCENT BLOOD (11:30), TRICK OR TREAT (13:45), THE LAST STAR FIGHTER (16:25), MANHUNTER (18:35) and RAZORBACK (20:55). EXPLODING CINEMA’S DISPOSABLE FILM NIGHT (30 SEP 19:00) looks at films made with disposable technologies in the era of ultra hi-def.


CLOSE-UP FILM CENTRE

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ZORO’S BAR MIZWA screens at Close-Up (18 SEP).

Two retrospectives launch this month, WERNER HERZOG (01 to 29 SEP) and Austrian documentarist RUTH BECKERMANN (03 to 24 SEP). Other notable events include THE INCREDIBLE SIMULTANEITY CONSOLE (07 SEP to 26 OCT), a season of twenty-eight artists’ film and videos, and NARRATIVIZE (30 SEP 19:00) an evening of live film, digital art and performative actions exploring de/construction of narrative. The artists will be present for Q&As following this screening.


DEPTFORD CINEMA

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MY 20TH CENTURY screens at Deptford Cinema (25 SEP).

The community cinema is supporting DIY film festival Scalarama (see below) with a clutch of beauties. Our picks include PALMS (16 SEP 18:00), documentary MACHINES (17 SEP 20:00) and magical movie MY 20TH CENTURY (25 SEP 20:00). For fans of Korean cinema there’s another FREE gem c/o the Korean Cultural Centre UK, THE KNITTING CLUB (27 SEP 19:30).


THE HORSE HOSPITAL

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Jean Rollin’s LES RAISINS DE LA MORT gets discussed at The Miskatonic Institute (17 SEP).

Our favourite equine treatment centre hosts BLITZED, a three-film season about British men, masculinity and the 1950s. The short season kicks off with OBSESSION (06 SEP 18:30) and includes CAST A DARK SHADOW (13 SEP 18:30) and HELL DRIVERS (26 SEP 18:30). EXPLODING CINEMA returns (09 SEP 19:00) with an evening of short films, experimental cinema, artists moving image and DIY video. Then, it’s time to head back to school with THE MISKATONIC INSTITUTE OF HORROR STUDIES. The new semester begins with VIRGINS & VAMPIRES: GOTHIC DAMSELS AND FINAL GIRLS IN THE CINEMA OF JEAN ROLLIN (14 SEP 19:00). Read our full preview here. SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE & FILMMAKING (29 SEP 19:00) looks at how underground artists subverted state oppression as part of Scalarama (see below).


ICA

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ARTISTS’ FILM CLUB: TOBIAS MADISON takes place at ICA (27 SEP).

Head to the contemporary arts venue for a number of great events including THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN + INTRO by Terry Gilliam (13 SEP 20:15) in a splendid new restoration by the WE’RE CLEANING UP THE WORLD OF FANTASY project, which isn’t nearly as censorious as it sounds. Overnight (15 to 16 SEP, doors open 20:00, last entry 02:00) artist Stewart Uoo presents the fifth iteration of cult event IT’S GET BETTER, “an annual night bringing together a diverse group of musicians, artists and performers alongside film and video, and a cinema programme of artist-selected adult films.” Then there’s AVANT-NOIR VOLUME 3 (20 SEP 18:45), an evening of recent work by African and African diaspora film and video artists. ICA’s month rounds off with ARTISTS’ FILM CLUB: TOBIAS MADISON (27 SEP 18:45) including the UK premiere of DAS BLUT, IM FRUCHTFLEISCH GERINNEND BEIM BIRNENBISS followed by conversation about collaboration.


OPEN CITY DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL

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TASTE OF CEMENT screens at Picturehouse Central (05 SEP).

Open City Documentary Festival (05 to 10 SEP) focuses on new voices in non-fiction story telling. There’s plenty of features, shorts and industry events to choose from (browse the full programme here), and you can still scoop tickets for opening night gala TASTE OF CEMENT (05 SEP 18:30, Picturehouse Central) at the time of posting.


PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA

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KILLS ON WHEELS screens at Prince Charles (various dates/times).

Alongside their usual plethora of original format anniversary screenings, the West End venue hosts allnighter WES ANDERSON: THE COLLECTED WORKS (30 SEP 21:00), offering 8 films for 1 ticket. For an earlier night, hang out with old reprobate Lloyd Kaufman for RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH: VOLUMES 1 + 2 (30 SEP 17:00). We also like the look of KILLS ON WHEELS (various dates/times), an “inventive, action-packed coming-of-age story of friendship, loyalty and revenge” from Hungarian director Attila Till. CHECK THE GATE (22 to 24 SEP) is a short season of films on film: mostly mainstream titles you already know and love, but there’s an as yet unnamed MYSTERY MOVIE.


REGENT STREET CINEMA

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THE VILLAINESS screens at Regent Street (11 SEP).

The UK’s home of moving images hosts another teaser screening for the Korean Film Festival (26 OCT to 19 NOV) with THE VILLAINESS (11 SEP 19:30) which will also feature the programme launch for this year’s festival. J. G. BALLARD’S CRASH: ON PAGE & ON SCREEN (30 SEP 14:30) invites us to “revisit the shock of symphorophilia” with Will Self and Chris Beckett, editor of a new edition of the novel. Their discussion is followed by a rare chance to see the uncut version of David Cronenberg’s 1996 film on the big screen.


SCALARAMA

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MACHINES screens at Deptford Cinema as part of Scalarama (17 SEP).

A nationwide celebration of cinema, Scalarama is a festival of DIY film culture. Participating LONDON venues include some of our favourites: Ciné Lumière/Rochester Kino, The Cinema Museum, David Lean Cinema, Deptford Cinema, Genesis Cinema and The Horse Hospital. Head to your favourite picture palace to find out what’s on.


SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE

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MIRACLE MILE screens at The Institute of Light (11 SEP).

Science Fiction Theatre returns to The Institute of Light (11 SEP 19:00) with pre-apocalytipc drama MIRACLE MILE. The screening will be preceded by a talk from Writer/Director Mark J. Blackman who will be examining the film’s long road to production, its slow burn to cult status, and how its success is crystallised by the panic-stricken love story at its core.


SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

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THE EXCHANGE screens at Regent Street Cinema (22 SEP).

The 13th edition of the annual festival gets underway 21 to 24 SEP with a selection of recent Spanish films. The full programme is here with screenings taking place at Regent Street Cinema and Ciné Lumière.


TATE MODERN

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THE ISLAND OF ST. MATTHEWS screens at Tate Modern (08 SEP).

There are two chances to see KEVIN JEROME EVERSON’s work this month, with a single-o exhibit screening of THE ISLAND OF ST MATTHEWS (08 SEP 19:00) as part of Open City Docs and a full-blown WEEKENDER (29 SEP to 01 OCT, various times), although Tate doesn’t call it that… Read our preview for more. Elsewhere, there’s a chance to explore the collaborative short films of 2017 Turner Prize-nominee Rosalind Nashashibi and artist Lucy Skaer, WHY ARE YOU ANGRY? (20 SEP 18:30).


WHITECHAPEL GALLERY

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AT THE HOUSE OF MR X screens at Whitechapel Gallery (07 to 17 SEP).

10TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING ARTISTS’ INTERNATIONAL (07 to 17 SEP) gives you a chance to survey a decade of artists’ film and moving image works chosen by Whitechapel’s international partners, from Kabul to Hong Kong, Tromsø to Buenos Aires. The programme runs in hourly slots each day but there will also be a full run through on THURSDAY evenings (07 & 14 SEP) when the gallery is open until late (18:23 – 21:00). We think we’ve got that right…


WHAT HAVE WE MISSED?

No list would be complete without the ones we’ve missed… Let us know what should be included in the comments below. Or, if you are a cinema and want to invite us over to see your screens and sample your artisanal popcorn/hotdogs/beverages (just saying…), contact us here.


#shelterfromthestorm


Featured image: THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1962).