Netflix And Broadway star Lisa O’Hare announced as ambassador for Lancaster International Film Festival 2024

Last year’s inaugural Lancaster International Film Festival (LIFF) ran alongside organiser Bruno Buccelli’s other popular event, Lancaster Festa Italia.

This year’s Hollywood-themed week-long event, which runs until March 3, will take place independently at various locations in Lancaster including Take 2 Cinema at the university and a ticketed awards ceremony at Lancaster Town Hall, which has now sold out.

Bruno, Totally Local Lancaster director and founder of LIFF, said: “Following the success of Festa, I was keen to create another high class event for Lancaster. For music lovers we have two fantastic events in Highest Point and the Music Festival.

“I turned to my former career, the experience and knowledge I had gained as well as the contacts I made, and following the success of the 2022 pilot, the Lancaster International Film Festival launched."

Bruno spent his career travelling the world working in numerous roles in the television and media industry before settling with his family in Lancaster, where he opened the multi-award winning Buccelli’s Ristorante on Church Street.

He said: "LIFF 23 received 29 film entries over the five categories, most of which were from outside the UK. Due to its success, we’ve had to move the event to a different time to Festa. This year we increased the categories to 10 and have received 112 entries from across the globe.”

The 10 categories include music video, documentary, student, new filmmakers, foreign and narrative.

The screening of the shortlisted films will take place at the Take 2 Cinema at Lancaster University on March 1 and 2. LIFF’s Ambassador, actress Lisa O’Hare, will offer an insight into her life and work as well as a Q&A session.

This year’s international guest artist is Rosa Palasciano. Rosa plays the lead, Giulia, in the film of the same name which will be screened on Friday (March 1). Rosa won the Silver Ribbons for Best Actress at both the David Donatello (2022), the National Syndicate of Film Journalists (2022) and also the Golden Ciak for Best Actress (2022). Rosa will then hold a Q&A session.

The chosen theme for this year’s LIFF is Hollywood and when it comes to Hollywood stars, there’s only one photographer who’s worked with most of them, Adolfo Franzo. Widely accepted as one of the greatest red carpet photographers, Adolfo has been commissioned to take portraits for the greats of screen, sports, music and fashion.

Bruno said: “We are so proud to be able to be exhibiting a significant body of Adolfo’s work with exhibitions at the Lancaster City Museum and at Lancaster University’s Library – Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Dame Judy Dench, Colin Firth, Seal, Chris Isaak, Frances Ford Coppola and the list goes on.

“Adolfo will also be giving us an insight into his work and holding a book signing of his book, SHUT, Close Your Eyes, that contains all of these portraits.”

The festival is free to attend. For all the information, times and locations, see www.totallylocallancaster.co.uk/liff