This week's new film events

Doubtless catering to its core demographic, Canary Wharf's free outdoor screen has primarily hosted live sports events so far this summer, but now the holidays have set in, its selection has broadened. From Tuesday to Thursday the Barbican present three lesser-known family friendly Japanese animes: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Nintendo puzzle hero Professor Layton, and the acclaimed Summer Wars. Then, there are classic silent comedies for the next three Mondays (Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, with live piano accompaniment), and coinciding with the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival (12-14 Aug), a few choice documentaries on Thelonius Monk.

Canada Square, E14, Tue to 22 Aug

Project Nim

Few anticipated that the story of a tightrope walk between the Twin Towers would make for a wildly entertaining documentary, let alone an Oscar-winner, but 2008's Man On Wire catapulted James Marsh from the status of an interesting film-maker to an important one. It's also heaped expectation on his follow-up, Project Nim, about an ape raised to be human that says a lot more about mankind than chimpkind. Add in Marsh's dramatic work (Red Riding, The King) and newfound celebrity, and you're in for an interesting night.

Curzon Soho, W1, Thu

Funeral Parade Of Roses

Those intrigued by Norwegian Wood's recent recreation of 1960s Japanese radicalism can check out the real thing with this crop of strange, fascinating and little seen works, subtitled Films From The Art Theatre Guild Of Japan, which represent the flowerings of Japan's new wave and the birth of its indie cinema movement. In the 1960s and 70s, the Art Theatre Guild provided a haven for film-makers too adventurous for the major studios such as Nagisa Oshima and Shohei Imamura – and with their new-found creative freedom, they didn't hesitate to explore controversial topics like sexuality, death, radical politics, and capital punishment, and experiment with new stylistic approaches. The titles say it all – Death By Hanging, Double Suicide, Pandemonium – although the lyrical Silence Has No Wings follows a butterfly's journey, while Funeral Parade Of Roses is a landmark drama on Japanese transsexuals. Far out.

BFI Southbank, SE1, Mon to 31 Aug

Horizontal 8

It's a while since Poland produced giants like Krzysztof Kieslowski, Roman Polanski or Jerzy Skolimowski (though the latter two are at least still active), but perhaps their successors can be found in this travelling showcase of seven features, plus shorts, documentaries and an exhibition of world-beating Polish film poster designs. Most accessible is Decalogue 89 Plus, which marks the 20th anniversary of Kieslowski's landmark film cycle with a new set of films by 10 young directors. Kieslowski veteran Jerzy Stuhr also leads Mystification, on the mysterious suicide of a real-life artist, while pop sci-fi Horizontal 8 and satanist drama Black get closer to the Polish cutting edge.

Various venues, Tue to 15 Dec

View the original article here

This week's new film events

Scorsese isn't the first person you picture paddling in a Cornish estuary, but Port Eliot Festival has persuaded him to curate a season of evening double bills. His selection is defiantly old school – 1974's Murder On The Orient Express is the most recent. There are sumptuous epics such as The Leopard and The Red Shoes, and classic noirs Human Desire and The Narrow Margin. For more up-to-date fare (and more shelter), the parallel Paradiso Piccolo indoor event has newer documentaries and features including Project Nim, Velvet Goldmine and author Kevin Sampson introducing his rock'n'roll saga Powder.

Port Eliot, Thu to 24 Jul

I Start Counting.

From The Railway Children to Walkabout, Logan's Run to An American Werewolf In London, Jenny Agutter has long occupied a special place in the hearts (and fantasies) of a certain demographic. Those foragers of the freakish over at Flipside have unearthed another Agutter treat for the faithful: 1969's I Start Counting, in which Agutter plays a schoolgirl attracted to her stepbrother, who might be a sex killer. Beyond the risque themes and retro interiors, it's a decent social snapshot of Britain, and Agutter herself is on hand afterwards to discuss it, and her rich and varied career.

BFI Southbank, SE1, Wed

Top Gun. Photograph: Allstar

The roving outdoor cinema movement gathers pace over the south in the coming months. The Nomad is setting up in parks, lidos and other public spaces around London most evenings of the summer, with some fine films (Inception at the Houses of Parliament – nice), but its range also takes in some great south-east locations, starting this week with The King's Speech at Walmer Castle. Also on the packed itinerary are other Kent castles, the first Pirates Of The Caribbean at Dorset's Lulworth Castle, Ghost in Canterbury's ruined St Augustine's Abbey, and Sense And Sensibility at Reigate's Gatton Park. There's more theming going down in Cornwall, meanwhile, starting this Friday with Top Gun at Newquay Airport, and continuing with Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves at Pendennis Castle and Point Break on Godrevy Beach.

Various venues, from Wed

Bistro.

There's no shame in shorts, as evidenced by the familiar names in this year's event: you'll see Malcolm Tucker (AKA Peter Capaldi) in a pig nose (in Bistro), John Hurt falling in love with Phyllida Law (Love At First Sight), Dexter Fletcher, Ridley Scott productions – and that's before we even get into short documentaries, international films, music promos, animation (don't miss Mikey Please's Bafta-winning The Eagleman Stag) and so on. The categorised programmes are screening all over Soho, but being at the heart of London's movie world, Rushes also offers advice from and access to cutting-edge media companies, well-established film-makers, and others just starting out. There are also screenings of music promos by Gorillaz and the xx. Eleven days could be too short.

Various venues, Thu to 30 Jul

View the original article here