Together / Apart
Supporting Hebden Bridge Film Festival through our Propeller Awards

Hebden Bridge Film Festival goes online for its 2021 edition, taking place 19-21 March.

After a successful first edition in March 2019, followed by a challenging year of cancellations, postponements and digital migration, we’re excited to see the Hebden Bridge Film Festival return with a full strength programme from 19-21 March 2021.

Taking place entirely online, the festival will beam a choice selection of world cinema, filmmaker Q&As and special events from their corner of the Calder Valley to the whole of the UK. We’re proud to be supporting the festival’s continued development and expansion into virtual cinema with a National Lottery grant through our Propeller Awards.

The festival’s celebration of “the Other” – a nod to the established tradition of non-conformism in the Valley – continues to inspire a programme which foregrounds unheard voices and little-known stories. While the theme of “Together / Apart” also informs the 2021 digital event, which makes virtual room for collective viewing by providing attendees with a suggested viewing schedule, a festival foyer accessible via Zoom, and instructions for hosting watch parties.

And while in-person screenings aren’t possible this year, the festival has made its physical presence felt in the town by distributing posters, programmes and educational materials locally – even going as far as to introduce a herd of (cardboard!) yak to the Pennine landscape to promote Bhutanese drama Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.

   We are delighted to present a truly diverse line-up of fantastic films online. During this time that we can’t yet get together, we can still enjoy stories from around the world. So wherever you are in the UK, please do join us and help make the 2021 Hebden Bridge Film Festival a true celebration of filmmaking and the power of storytelling. – Louise Wadley, Festival Director

The programme includes national premieres of Harami – an energetic slice of Mumbai life as lived by a young pickpocket - and Beloved, a documentary portrait of an indomitable, 82-year-old cow herder working in the rugged Iranian landscape.

An extensive line-up of talks and filmmaker Q&As features a discussion between Harami director, Shyam Madiraju and director of Bradford Literature Festival, Syima Aslam. And a collaboration with ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival uncovers the roots of The Black Tree: an evocative, atmospheric documentary charting the struggles of Argentina’s indigenous Toba community.

Explore the 2021 edition

Hebden Bridge Film Festival 2021 is supported by National Lottery funding through our Propeller Awards. For more information on how we can help your next project, contact our team or visit our Exhibition Funding landing page.