Mini-film festival to celebrate 20th anniversary of much-loved Louth club

The club, which is based at the Playhouse Cinema on Cannon Street, revealed earlier this year that it is to mark the milestone.

Now more meat has been added to the bones and it is to screen four classic movies, beginning with the British epic, ‘Zulu’, starring Michael Caine, on Monday, June 30.

Paul Hill, chairman of the club, said: “‘We are celebrating in style with a range of films that capture the club’s major aims over the years.

"These aims have been to screen some of the great epics, to provide a platform for local talent and to show the best of contemporary arthouse cinema releases.

"The mini-festival will also give us the opportunity to thank all our members who, for two decades, have supported us so loyally."

‘Zulu’ (138 minutes, Cert. U) is based on the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu war. The film provided Caine with his first major role, and there are also star performances from Stanley Baker, James Booth and Nigel Green. Richard Burton provides the narration.

This screening will be followed on Monday, July 7 with ‘Mind-Set’ (90 minutes, Cert. 18), a film directed by Mikey Murray, a lecturer at the University of Lincoln.

Described as “funny, stroppy, gloomy and punky”, it explores the stoicism, romance and humour required to survive the marriage of a house-bound film-maker and his wife who has an unfulfilling job. It won the award for the Best UK Feature at the Manchester Film Festival.

Next up, on Monday, July 14, will be ‘Monster’ (127 minutes, Cert. 12, subtitled), directed by the Japanese master, Hirokazu Kore-eda. This is about a boy who starts to behave strangely.

The mini-festival festival ends with ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ (121 minutes, Cert. 15), which is directed by Walter Sales and dates back to 2004.

Based on the diaries of Ernesto (later ‘Che’) Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado, it was the first film screened by the Louth club back in 2005.

It’s a remarkable road movie that reveals to the travellers the realities of the lives of South Americans.

Over the last 20 years, the club has developed into a much-loved institution in Louth, showing a selection of modern arthouse films from around the world, as well as a range of classics that have not been seen on the big screen for several years.

Its screenings regularly attract audiences of more than 70 at the Playhouse Cinema, and big-name stars such and Julie Christie and Jim Broadbent, both of whom have links to the town, have been guests of the club in the past.