PHOTOS: International film awards bring a touch of Hollywood to Lancaster

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 09:28

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Festival ambassador Lisa O'Hare and Paul Cusimano from Totally Local Lancaster at the film festival's gala awards night on Sunday. Credit:Alessio Zinna & LIFF

Filmmakers have been honoured at the second annual Lancaster International Film Festival which brought a touch of Hollywood to the city.

A gala awards night took place at Lancaster Town Hall on Sunday as the climax of a week of celebrations of films in the city.

The festival is organised by Totally Local Lancaster in collaboration with Cinemaitaliano, and ran from February 26 to March 3.

Netflix and Broadway star Lisa O’Hare, who is from Morecambe, is an ambassador of the festival.

The Take 2 cinema at Lancaster University hosted screenings of films in the six category awards, and the festival also included workshops, interviews, projections and photography exhibitions.

Other guests included Italian celebrity and portrait photographer Adolfo Franzo, who displayed his portfolio of pictures dedicated to Hollywood stars he met during his career including Robert de Niro, Susan Sarandon, Monica Bellucci and John Turturro.

Italian actress Rosa Palasciano, nominee for David Di Donatello for Best Actress and Silver Ribbon for Best Actress 2022, was also a guest.

“Lancaster And Morecambe have such a rich history of being featured on TV and in film, making the area the perfect place to host an international film festival," said Bruno Buccelli, festival director.

“As well as being a landmark cultural event, the festival will boost the area’s economy at a time when it needs it most.”

Lisa O’Hare was in the original London production of Mary Poppins and went on to play the lead role on the West End and in the USA. Her other musical theatre credits include Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and the title role in Gigi.

She has played many roles on prime time American television and streaming services, including in the fantasy drama series 'The Sandman' on Netflix, in the role of Clarice, and as the Pilgrim World guide Arlene in the number one rated Netflix hit Addams Family spin-off 'Wednesday'.

She said: "I am thrilled to be the ambassador of Lancaster International Film Festival. Having recently moved back home from the USA, it is wonderful to see such a thriving art scene."

The full list of winners were:

DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Winner - Autonomous Winter Shelter

Finalist - Above the Noise

Finalist - Us.

STUDENT AWARD

Winner - Birdhouse

Finalist - Pigeon of Waterloo

Finalist - Per Aspera…

MUSIC VIDEO AWARD

Winner - Us Two

Finalist - Shine On

FOREIGN AWARD

Winner - Bang

Finalist - Little Bird

Finalist - Desperately Seeking Sikh

NEW FILMMAKER AWARD

Winner - Violence Within

Finalist - Still Life

Finalist - Sons of the System

NARRATIVE AWARD

Winner - Wake

Finalist - Read to Me

Finalist - Heart’s Desire

Here are more photos from the event including winners Thomas Harris (Student), Jay McMahon (New Filmmaker), Fabio Giglioli (Foreign) and Zoey Jones (Music Video) receiving their awards.

Photo credit: Alessio Zinna & LIFF