Filmhouse Sunderland is a new weekly programme of independent films for Sunderland, screening new independent films, documentaries, rereleases and foreign language movies in Sunderland city centre.

Supported by Film Hub North, part of the British Film Institute (BFI)’s Film Audiences Network, Filmhouse Sunderland will screen at the city’s Empire Cinema each Thursday evening. Tickets will be priced at just £5 and £4 concessions.

Devised and delivered by the team behind the city’s growing Sunderland Shorts Film Festival (co-ordinated by Sunderland City Council) with north east cinema consultant Jonny Tull, Filmhouse Sunderland will give audiences a chance to watch those new movies on Sunderland’s cinema screens that they would normally have to travel far out of the city to see.

The programme is priced accessibly, meaning that those who may find it difficult to spend as much as £10 for a cinema ticket elsewhere can attend Filmhouse Sunderland more easily.

The first film on offer is the brand new 4k rerelease of Federico Fellini’s landmark 1960 classic LA DOLCE VITA, screening on Thursday 23rd January at 6.30pm, followed in subsequent weeks by British independent films PINK WALL and THE RUNAWAYS, eco-documentary 2040 and MIDNIGHT TRAVELLER, a close-up documentary following one family’s flight as refugees. The Filmhouse Sunderland programme will run until July.

“Sunderland has a rich cultural offer and there are many amazing things happening for the people of our city to enjoy. With Filmhouse Sunderland we want to bring independent cinema into that equation and expand on the work we do at the Film Festival every year. We’ll be presenting feature films from diverse cultures both from within the UK and all around the world at an accessible price. We can’t wait to get started!”

Sunderland Shorts – Chris Allan

The first season is now on sale at www.filmhousesunderland.co.uk .

“It’s wonderful that Sunderland City Council have put their backing into this project and it’s important that it has the seal of approval from the British Film Institute too. Sunderland doesn’t have its own independent cinema, and with almost 300,000 people to serve and such a diverse amount of cultures represented within the city’s population I think it’s really important for the people of the city to be able to watch more diverse stories on their cinema screens. We want to bring all those different communities and fans of cinema together in an accessible way. ”

Jonny Tull

“We are delighted to be supporting Filmhouse Sunderland, which will bring a new culture offering to the city centre and make a wider variety of films more accessible for people in the area. Art and culture are a priority for Sunderland, so it is fantastic to see a diverse range of films made available to an audience who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to see them.”

Sunderland City Council leader Cllr Graeme Miller

Each film will screen at the city centre’s Empire Cinema on Lambton Street. Tickets for the screenings are just £5/£4 each. Each film will have a short introduction, and in some cases will feature a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Tickets and information can be booked at www.filmhousesunderland.co.uk. Filmhouse Sunderland is a Sunderland Shorts Film Festival/Sunderland City Council project.

It is supported by Film Hub North, proud to be part of the BFI Film Audience Network.