I felt like Liza Minnelli, when she used to sing that saga entitled "Ring them bells" which underlined how after roaming the world you will find love on your doorstep,or with a nearby neighbour.Although hailing from Yorkshire, and for some years contributing to the Bradford Film Festival, I had actually never ever attended the Leeds International Film Festival.(At the National Museum of Photography Film and Television,that was not encouraged- though the current director of the Leeds Festival,a civic year-round funded post,had in fact previously worked at the NMPFT,in neighbouring Bradford, a city that until the Second World War traditionally regarded itself as more prosperous than Leeds. Bradford was ,for more than a century the centre of the world's trade in wool, while lesser fabrics seemed to be Leeds`s staple.But the social decline that Bradford suffered since the 1960s - its only recent claim to fame being as the venue for the worst race riots in Great Britain,suddenly one summer,and as the home of a certain gap-toothed boy chart-topper- has seen Leeds completely overhaul itself into a flourishing commercial and cultural Northern city.It is swiftly served by stylish GNER trains direct from London, that cover the nearly 350 kms distance from the capital sometimes in as little as 135 minutes, with regular departures in each direction throughout the day to and from King's Cross, whither the Eurostar terminal will be relocated in November,2007.
Leeds boasts the home base of Opera North,performing classical operas in English in a literally Grand theatre,and numerous orchestras and musical events,with a modern critically-acclaimed Playhouse,a vast array of shops and department stores of London standing, this metropolis with over 700,000 inhabitants in its greater urban area is a pleasant destination for business or pleasure now.It is served by an adjacent international airport with direct scheduled flights from Paris,Amsterdam,Bruxelles,Prague, and elsewhere in Europe,domestic shuttles, and -in summer- charter services to further flung and warmer destinations.
The film festival has been an annual event,usually in late autumn, roping in any premieres and guests who might be passing,but crucially suffering from the lack of any central meeting point or even screening venue. With no very clearly defined profile or identity , it usually attracted little industry presence ,and less press.
But all that has spectacularly changed with the opening of The Carriageworks,earlier this year, inside a Victorian building called the Electric Press - here there is a capacious auditorium with additional studio spaces,a number of seminar and other rooms,several(well-stocked) bars on different levels, and the whole enterprise flanks an attractive covered courtyard onto which distinctive restaurants and cafes open.It makes an ideal Film Festival centre,is accessible in the heart of the city,a short walk from the railway station,and next to the Leeds City Art Gallery.Very close at hand is The Light, a mini shopping mall with even more gastronomic delights,as well as a full-scale cineplex(also used by the Festival throughout its 11 day run),and an elegant Radisson SAS Hotel,perfect for guests of any calibre.
A most attractive and informative brochure -cum- catalgue lists the films,venues,and various programme strands of the Festival,and this was freely available across the city.A startling 220 screenings and events unreeled from 2-12 November, with competitions for shorts,for horror(one of the Melies trophies went to ISOLATION,by Billy O'Brien, an Anglo-Irish feature about some truly mad cows,apparently),and for not-yet-released-here-but-quality-films another jury proffered a Golden Owl.In total some 350 films were shown,feature-length,shorts,animation and documentaries.
Naturally, there is more than a little overlapping with The Times BFI London Film Festival- indeed, Leeds chose to open on the same night that London closed (I hope I can be forgiven for having preferred the privilege of tickets to the huge post-BABEL party in London´s Floridita ,rather than trekking North to see VENUS again).However, on the big screen of the Carriageworks I was able to catch up with several London entries I had missed, such the excellent HOLLYWOODLAND ,and BREAKING AND ENTERING. But even for my short visit (over a radiantly sunny weekend,as it happened)I manage to enjoy several UK premieres, such as the splendidly creepy US film THE WOODS, and, also as part of the popular "Fanomenon" weekend,devoted to subtle ghoul and gore movies,I was very impressed by a unique presentation of the Anglo-Magyar shocker SEVERANCE, with director Christopher Smith on stage voicing a simultaneous commentary as the film was running,frankly and amusingly answering questions from the delighted audience.
The programme planners cast their net far and wide and a handful of film-makers were always in attendance,to introduce or talk about their films(usually after, rather than during the screenings).What most impressed me was the huge and appreciative audience-at 6.30pm on a Monday evening,traditionally not the best time for any film performance-for the charming Czech comedy, WRONG SIDE UP, directed by Petr Zelenka from his own stage play.The punters seemed a very mixed bunch,not at all dominated by students(the Leeds Metropolitan Film School is very near the Carriageworks),and not noticeably made up of Czechs.(The biggest audiences at Bradford in the past were for Polish films,enjoyed there by Polish cinephiles).
As in its past editions,the Leeds Festival also made good use of the attractive old Hyde Park Picture House,(pictured) and organised film-related events elsewhere.On the closing day,with re-runs of some of the most popular films,there was also a performance of Chaplin classics with orchestral scores by Carl Davis(though that seems to have been organised by a separate entity).
To judge from the professionalism of the organisation,the range and quality of the films on show,and the obvious support of local paying audiences,Leeds seems to be well placed now to take the leap of raising its national profile, and indeed reach out to international press and audiences.It can easily field a valuable showcase for Yorkshire film-making and film-funding (and I am not only think of CALENDAR GIRLS or similar local produce) but also can give distributors and producers a helpful airing for more original and off-beat films, and help them find audiences,not only in England but perhaps further afield too.

PHILLIP BERGSON