Having seen all the passion and debate generated by the BBC's Big Read last year, the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFTV) has joined together with Bradford Libraries and this website to come up with a revolutionary new way of getting films into its cinemas. Louise Combes from the Museum's Department of Film says:"It's only been a week but we have received hundreds of votes already and things are really close between the dozen suggested films. It's really encouraging that Bradford readers and film goers obviously want to make their voices heard, but there are only another couple of weeks before nominations close and battle commences in earnest!"
It all starts from the idea that the best books aften also make the best films. The NMPFTV is asking people to nominate films from a list drawn the Big Read Top 100. The choice ranges from recent hits like Bridget Jones' Dairy to great but rarely shown classics like The Grapes of Wrath. Every month this nomination will go forward, along with one from a celebrity and an expert choice, to NMPFT cinema-goers who will then get their vote on which of these three films will be part of the following month's cinema programme. The first celebrity to make a choice will be West Yorkshire poet and novelist Simon Armitage. He will choose his favourite film adaptation from The Big Read Top 100 when he visits the NMPFT to introduce and sign copies of his new novel, The White Stuff, as well as talking about his experiences as a poet working with film. This will be followed by a screening of the film Sylvia which, although not a film of a book, tells the story of Mytholmroyd-born poet Ted Hughes and his American wife Sylvia Plath who is buried in Heptonstall churchyard.A monthly book-to-film discussion group has also been launched to give cinema-goers a chance to chat about the movie immediately after they've seen it and their impressions are still fresh as well as providing them with an opportunity to consider some of the issues involved in adapting great novels. Louise Combes adds: "I have often found that discussing films with other people throws up really rewarding observations that sometimes even change my view of the film in question. In my experience this is especially the case if those people have read the book (because, lets face it, most of the best films started out as a book of some kind). "I hope that this event, which gives Bradfordians the chance to get together and share their views about film - and the books which they were based on - will be good fun. Personally, I'm hoping the discussion will help me to decide whether or not to read the book at all!" This website is also asking YOU what you think are the best film adaptations (some of you say it was High Fidelity) and the worst - High Fidelity, of course. Take a few minutes to complete our special questionnaire and also to take a look at what YOU have been saying. |