{"id":2055453,"date":"2025-09-28T10:12:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T10:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2055453"},"modified":"2025-09-28T10:12:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T10:12:11","slug":"uk-premiere-of-film-starring-maxine-peake-at-this-years-bolton-film-festival-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/uk-premiere-of-film-starring-maxine-peake-at-this-years-bolton-film-festival-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"UK premiere of film starring Maxine Peake at this year’s Bolton Film Festival 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Bolton<\/strong><\/a> is set for a blockbuster week as the town\u2019s International Film Festival returns this week, including the UK premiere of a film starring Maxine Peake.<\/p>\n

Now in its ninth year, the festival will run from 1 to 5 October 2025 at The Light Cinema, with an extended online programme until 19 October.<\/p>\n

More than 280 short films will be screened, including dozens of world, European and UK premieres, alongside panel talks, networking events and some of the industry\u2019s biggest names.<\/p>\n

From household stars to bold new voices, and from hard-hitting dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies \u2013 here\u2019s a taste of what\u2019s in store.<\/p>\n

Star Power on the Big Screen<\/h3>\n

A number of well-known figures will appear in this year\u2019s festival line-up on films.<\/p>\n

Stephen Fry stars in A Friend of Dorothy, a short that delves into LGBTQ+ history, while Miriam Margolyes also features in that production, lending her distinctive presence.<\/p>\n

Maxine Peake, the festival\u2019s patron, delivers a memorable performance in Poppy Day.<\/p>\n

Nicola Walker, celebrated for roles in Unforgotten and Last Tango in Halifax \u2013 appears in Hot Mess, bringing emotional depth to the programme.<\/p>\n

Injecting comedic flair, Joe Lycett returns to directing with Dating Mark Silcox, his third short, mixing surreal humour with surprising heart.<\/p>\n

Ashley Walters, known for Top Boy, leads Softy, a compelling portrait of masculinity and vulnerability.<\/p>\n

Local Spotlight: Bolton Talent on Show<\/h3>\n

The festival also shines a spotlight on Bolton\u2019s own.<\/p>\n

Claud Cunningham<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> a former Thornleigh Sixth Form College student, taught maths at Turton High School and later ran a tutoring company before pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a producer.<\/p>\n

Bolton-born filmmaker Claud Cunningham(Image: Supplied)<\/span><\/p>\n

She is premiering Backseat in Bolton on October 4, and the homecoming makes it particularly meaningful.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI am so excited to be premiering Backseat in Bolton. Being selected for a festival is always a great honour, but as a Bolton lass born and bred it feels extra special. I can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ten Outstanding Shorts to Watch<\/h3>\n

While the festival programme is bursting with variety, critics and curators have already picked out a clutch of shorts that promise to dazzle audiences.<\/p>\n

Here are the top ten to look out for:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
    \n

    Hope Holds Up Her Head and Hopes<\/strong> \u2013 Andrew K\u00f6tting\u2019s visually arresting, poetic work that blends performance art and personal reflection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Sparrow\u2019s Song<\/strong> \u2013 A tender Irish drama that follows a young girl finding her voice in a community weighed down by silence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Undeletable<\/strong> \u2013 Featuring Sophia Di Martino, this sharp contemporary tale examines identity and memory in the digital age is a UK premiere<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Dark Skin Bruises Differently<\/strong> \u2013 Susan Wokoma directs a fierce and vital exploration of race, family and belonging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Odd Socks<\/strong> \u2013 A comic gem that playfully reimagines life\u2019s everyday absurdities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Hot Mess<\/strong> \u2013 Nicola Walker stars in this intimate character study of love, loss and resilience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Poppy Day<\/strong> \u2013 Maxine Peake\u2019s performance anchors this heartfelt story of remembrance and renewal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Dating Mark Silcox<\/strong> \u2013 Joe Lycett directs a surreal and hilarious short, blending absurdity with unexpected tenderness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Rhubarb Rhubarb<\/strong> \u2013 A quirky northern comedy about family chaos and generational divides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n
    \n

    Softy<\/strong> \u2013 Ashley Walters stars in this powerful portrait of masculinity, vulnerability and growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Talks, Panels and Industry Highlights<\/h3>\n

    Bolton Film Festival is not only about watching films \u2013 it is about making connections.<\/p>\n

    This year\u2019s programme includes headline industry talks with decision-makers from Film4, the BBC Writers room and the BFI, offering emerging talent an invaluable window into how to break into and sustain a career in film.<\/p>\n

    The International Programmer Panel, with curators from Tribeca, Encounters and Manchester Animation Festival, promises rare insight into what makes a short stand out on the global stage.<\/p>\n

    One of the most eagerly anticipated events is the Live Pitching Session, where filmmakers will compete for up to \u00a310,000 of production funding courtesy of the Slick Films Fund.<\/p>\n

    With its mix of glittering celebrity involvement, outstanding shorts and career-defining industry sessions, Bolton Film Festival continues to cement its reputation as a powerhouse for short film.<\/p>\n

    As the festival grows year on year, it is said to brings both prestige and opportunity to Bolton, firmly placing the town on the international film map.<\/p>\n

    For more details on screenings visit https:\/\/boltonfilmfestival.com\/<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

    \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Bolton is set for a blockbuster week as the town\u2019s International Film Festival returns this week, including the UK premiere of a film starring Maxine Peake. Now in its ninth year, the festival will run from 1 to 5 October 2025 at The Light Cinema, with an extended online programme until 19 October. More than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2055454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[349288,382357,345000,346260,382358,380196,382359,382356],"class_list":["post-2055453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-ashley-walters","tag-bolton","tag-international-film-festival","tag-joe-lycett","tag-mark-silcox","tag-maxine-peake","tag-miriam-margolyes","tag-nicola-walker"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/UK-premiere-of-film-starring-Maxine-Peake-at-this-years.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2055453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2055454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2055453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2055453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2055453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}