Penistone Film Festival

Name: Penistone Film Festival
Start: 2025-10-18T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-10-19T15:00:00+01:00
Location: Penistone Paramount Cinema & Theatre

Schedule

Sat, 18 Oct, 2025 at 09:00 am to Sun, 19 Oct, 2025 at 03:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Penistone Paramount Cinema & Theatre | Denby Dale, EN

🎬 Join us for the very first Penistone Film Festival – a two-day celebration of silent film, live music, and the pioneers of cinema, all at the historic Penistone Paramount.
From Buster Keaton to TikTok, we’re bridging the past and present of visual storytelling – and inviting a new generation to get involved, with filmmaking, music, stunts, and creativity front and centre.
🎟️ VIP All-Access Weekend Pass Includes:
💷 £50 Standard | £30 Concession | Free for Carers
Only 60 VIP passes available – once they’re gone, they’re gone!
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📅 Saturday 18th October
• Early Entry from 9am – Reserve your seat with a VIP headrest cover. First come, first served!
• Live Music Accompaniment – Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman, with live piano by Andy Quin (Boardwalk Empire, Victoria & Abdul, Better Call Saul, and more).
• Special Presentation – A talk by the International Buster Keaton Society exploring the hidden language of silent film and what Buster might have been saying on screen.
• Live Theatre & Comedy – Fools Talk Theatre presents “Against the Clock!”, a chaotic tribute to Harold Lloyd following our screening of Harold Lloyd’s Bumping Into Broadway with pre recorded organ by Tom Horton
• Sensory-Friendly Screenings – Three surreal Charley Bowers shorts, with custom organ scores by Tom Horton, plus an educational talk from The Lost Laugh Comedy Club. Designed to be accessible and inclusive.
• Art Stalls, Food Vendors, Photo Booth (all photo prints included) costume competitions & Immersive Performers
• keep an eye out for a little tramp who is NOT invited, but he may try to get in… thankfully we’ll have our top notch security guard on site, he’s an ex keystone cop, perfect to chase away any vagrants.
– Celebrate silent cinema with local artists, vintage photo ops, and archive footage from the Yorkshire Film Archive.
• Evening Feature: CLARA BOW in IT – The original “It Girl” in the film that inspired a Taylor Swift song, with live accompaniment by Andy Quin. This one’s going to be MIGHTY.
• Local History Connection – Discover Penistone’s link to Sheffield, the birthplace of modern football. (Hint: check the historic graves just across from the cinema!)
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📅 Sunday 19th October – Awards Day
• Opening Performance – Flapper girls open the day with a dazzling 1920s dance number.
• Roaming Performer – Keep an eye out for our towering stilt walker, bringing vintage charm to the venue.
• Matt Walters (@reductionmusic): A Cinematic Organ Experience – TikTok’s viral organist presents a specially filmed musical performance created just for us at Penistone Film Festival. With music through the decades, it’ll feel like he’s right there on stage.
• Meet the Judges & Filmmakers – Hear from our silent film competition panel, indie filmmakers, and members of the British Stunt Register.
• Live Stunt Demonstrations – See the pros in action with martial arts, fight choreography, and more. (No horses inside – we know someone will ask.)
• Awards & Trophy Presentations – Celebrate the best new silent-style short films from our competition entries.
• Closing Talk: Penistone Cinema Organ Trust – Learn about the mighty Compton organ and the work being done to preserve it.
• Event Wrap-Up at 3pm – But stick around if you like…
🎬 Optional Finale: The Phantom of the Opera
A special screening as we hand over to the “Penistone cinema organ trust” for their live Compton organ performance by Donald MacKenzie.
🎟️ Tickets for this must be purchased separately via Penistone Paramount box office.
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🎁 VIP Ticket Holders Receive a Special Gift Bag:
• Reusable festival lidded cup
• Reusable popcorn tub (pre-filled!)
• Can of American cream soda
• Yorkshire tea sample
• Mini Henderson’s Relish in a glass bottle
• VIP lanyard & wristband
• Branded VIP seat headrest cover
• Penistone Film Festival pen
• Printed programme (designed by a local artist) with space for your notes
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♿ Accessibility
We’re committed to making this event inclusive. All main events will include British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation.
A downloadable access guide and venue walkthrough video will be released closer to the event at:
🌐 www.penistonefilmfestival.com
🪑 Limited wheelchair positions available. Free carer places can be reserved by emailing:
📧 [email protected]
🎟️ Concession eligibility: Under 25s, Students, Seniors 65+, Registered Disabled, and Low-Income Support.
📩 Please email proof to the box office at least 7 days before the event: [email protected]
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✨ Let’s keep this beautiful theatre alive – not stuck in the past, but celebrating it with the storytellers of the future.
See you at the festival!
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www.penistonefilmfestival.com