Manchester Film Festival bolsters line-up with six more features

Manchester Film Festival (MANIFF) has added six more feature films and one short film to this year’s line-up. This includes Breaking starring John Boyega; November starring Academy Award-winning actor Jean Dujardin, and the Oscar-nominated short film The Red Suitcase.

The newly announced six features are:

Breaking: John Boyega stars as a war veteran desperate for money who holds several people hostage inside a bank, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with police. The film also stars the late Michael K. Williams. Directed by Abi Damaris Corbin/written by Abi Damaris Corbin, Kwame Kwei-Armah/starring John Boyega, Michael K. Williams, Connie Britton

(Manchester Premiere)

Chevalier:  Based on the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair. Directed by Stephen Williams/written by Stefani Robinson/starring Minnie Driver, Lucy Boynton, Samara Weaving

(Manchester Premiere)

November: After the Paris attacks in November 2015, the police form a secret anti-terrorist unit. Led by Fred, the unit is under tremendous pressure to identify and track down the perpetrators as quickly as possible. Directed by Cédric Jimenez/written by Olivier Demangel/starring Jean Dujardin, Anaïs Demoustier, Sandrine Kiberlain

(UK Premiere)

Cairo Conspiracy: Adam, a fisherman’s son, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. When the Grand Imam suddenly dies, Adam becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elites. Directed by Tarik Saleh/written by Tarik Saleh/starring Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri

(UK Premiere + won the Best Screenplay at Cannes Film Festival)

Hello Dankness:  Fresh from the Berlinale, this film comes from a two-person art collective Soda Jerk. Comprised entirely of hundreds of pirated film samples, HELLO DANKNESS is a bent suburban musical that bears witness to the psychotropic cultural spectacle of the period 2016 to 2021. Soda Jerk will attend the festival and will take part in a post-screening Q&A. Directed by Soda Jerk/written by Soda Jerk

(Manchester Premiere)

Sirens: On the outskirts of Beirut, young women navigate friendship and identity in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal stars. Directed by Rita Baghdadi/written by Rita Baghdadi

(Manchester Premiere)

The Red Suitcase: An Oscar nominated short film which is directed by Cyrus Neshvad and written by Guillaume Levil. Both Neshvad and Levil are MANIFF alumni and Levil will be in attendance.

Manchester Film Festival takes place 10th – 19th March at Odeon Great Northern. Tickets and passes are now available on the festival’s website.