Kokova Magazine

Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House, London’s most beautiful open-air cinema has announced its full programme of screenings.

A highlight of the city’s summer calendar, the extended twelve-day series 27th July to 7th August features everything from UK premieres to cult action thrillers, romantic comedies to film classics – all showing on a state-of-the-art screen with full surround sound.

Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar’s critically acclaimed new film The Skin I Live In receives its UK premiere, opening the season on Wednesday 27 July. Starring previous collaborators Antonio Banderas, Marisa Paredes and Elena Anaya, this unique thriller comes direct from the Cannes Film Festival and will be released in the UK on 26th August 2011.

I'm thrilled that The Skin I Live In will receive its UK Premiere as the opening night film at Somerset House this year. Following our wonderful premiere of Broken Embraces there in 2009, it is very exciting to continue our relationship with Film4 Summer Screen, It is a beautiful event and a privilege to be able to screen my film to an audience under the stars!

Pedro Almodóvar

The season continues with: Sir Roger Moore as James Bond in the much-loved 007 adventure The Spy Who Loved Me; the full version of acclaimed director Luc Besson’s deepsea drama The Big Blue; a thrilling double-bill of the action spectacular Die Hard and British director Joe Cornish's South London-set suspenseful creature feature Attack the Block; Jack Lemmon in Billy Wilder's multi-Oscar winner The Apartment; Ridley Scott’s emotional road-trip Thelma & Louise (celebrating its 20th anniversary this year); Roman Polanski’s masterful private-eye thriller Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway; Wong Kar-wai’s sublime and sumptuous love story In the Mood for Love; Edgar Wright’s high-energy romantic-comedy Scott Pilgrim Vs the World; a gritty and dramatic double-bill from the streets of 1970s New York featuring Al Pacino in Serpico and the blaxploitation classic Shaft and a fairytale end to the season with the beloved The Princess Bride.

New for 2011 is the season's first full feature-film triple-bill. The final Saturday of Summer will see the unleashing of monster mayhem with back-to-back screenings of Joe Dante's wicked creature comedy Gremlins, a very special preview of the Norwegian cult classic-in-the-making Troll Hunter, and Kevin Bacon in the man versus worm epic Tremors.

Behind The Screen with BAFTA offers rare opportunities to hear directors, actors and industry insiders illuminate the films from this year’s programme, in animated and interesting discussions. This year, guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary pre-talk drink in the Behind the Screen bar with post-talk access for big-screen ticket holders to an exclusive area in the courtyard, ensuring a great view of the screen.

Highlights include:
Writer/director Joe Cornish discusses his latest movie Attack the Block and the influences behind his work.

Host Barry Norman and Oscar-winning writer Sir Ronald Harwood discuss Polanski’s approach to cinema, script and story before the screening of Chinatown.

Behind the Screen 2011 explores the relationship between films and games through talks and workshops with support from Nintendo. Prior to the screening of Scott Pilgrim Vs the World on Thursday 4 August, filmmakers and games designers will be welcomed to examine the creative similarities between these billion dollar industries. On Saturday 6 August, an entire day is dedicated to games with Masterclass: Games Design, drop-in workshops and the Nintendo Lounge where visitors of all ages can sample a variety of games for themselves.

This year, American Express is supporting Film4 Summer Screen as part of its Preferred Seating Programme, offering pre-sale tickets to Cardmembers.

Film4 Summer Screen, Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2 1LA

To book tickets for film screenings and Behind the Screen talks, visit www.somersethouse.org.uk or call Ticketmaster on 0844 847 1715
www.somersethouse.org.uk

Film4 Summer Screen & Behind The Screen schedule:

• Wednesday 27 July 9.15pm UK premiere of The Skin I Live In, introduced by Elena Anaya
• Thursday 28 July 6.30pm Behind the Screen: John Barry’s Golden Touch 9.15pm The Spy Who Loved Me
• Friday 29 July 6.30pm Behind the Screen: BAFTA Shorts 9.15pm The Big Blue
• Saturday 30 July 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Joe Cornish in Conversation 9.15pm Die Hard/Attack the Block Double Bill
• Sunday 31 July 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Wild about Wilder 9.15pm The Apartment
• Monday 1 August 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Kick Ass Women on Screen 9.15pm Thelma & Louise
• Tuesday 2 August 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Polanski and the Writers: Sir Ronald Harwood in Conversation 9.15pm Chinatown
• Wednesday 3 August 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Dressed by Design: Great Costumes in Film 9.15pm In the Mood for Love
• Thursday 4 August 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Playing Games with Cinema, supported by Nintendo 9.15pm Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
• Friday 5 August 6.30pm Behind the Screen: The Influence of the Actor’s Studio 9.15pm Serpico/ Shaft Double Bill
• Saturday 6 August 11am – 5.30pm Drop-in workshops ‘Games Invaders’ and Nintendo Lounge 3.30pm Masterclass: Games Design – From Concept to Console, supported by Nintendo 6.30pm Behind the Screen: Creature Features: Ray Harryhausen and the Giants of Special Effects 9.15pm Horror Triple Bill: Gremlins/Troll Hunter/Tremors
• Sunday 7 August 9.15pm The Princess Bride