British Dramedy 'Pride' to Open Hamburg Film Festival‎

[Transcendence]

 

The real-life story of gay activists who teamed up with striking miners against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1980s Britain premiered at the Cannes film fest.

British dramedy Pride is set to open Filmfest Hamburg on Sept. 25, organizers announced Wednesday. ‎

 

CBS Films previously acquired the U.S. rights to the film, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and will start rolling it out in theaters on Sept. 19.

The second feature from ‎British director Matthew Warchustells ‎the true story of how gay and lesbian activists helped striking U.K. miners in the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher ‎was Britain's prime minister. Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine and Andrew Scott lead the movie's cast.

Hamburg festival director Albert Wiederspiel said: "It’s a real pleasure to be able to open with a film that’s not only hugely relevant on a socio-political level, but also moving, funny and full of twists! It’s a typically British film – in the best tradition of The Full Monty or The Commitments. And what provides a better counterpoint to the ever-sunny Hamburg than the rainy, but utterly lovable Wales?â€

 

Warchus is among those expected to attend the German premiere at the Hamburg festival. The director released his first feature in 1999 with Simpatico and had much success with musical and theatrical productions. Warchus will from 2015 take over as director of the Old Vic Theatre in London.

Pride was shown at Cannes as the final film of the Director’s Fortnight section‎. It is scheduled for release in Germany on Oct. 30.‎