Mubi Fest Debuts in UK: Manchester Hosts Inaugural Event
Global distributor, producer, and streaming service Mubi is expanding its reach into the festival circuit with the launch of Mubi Fest. The inaugural event will take place in Manchester, UK, at Aviva Studios from July 12-13. This new festival aims to celebrate the creativity and culture inherent in filmmaking by screening a selection of feature films and shorts, alongside a variety of talks, Q&As, workshops, installations, and DJ sets.
Following its UK debut, Mubi Fest will travel to several other cities, including Mexico City (July 12-14), São Paulo (July 26-28), Chicago (August 17-18), Bogotá (September 6-8), Buenos Aires (September 12-15), Santiago (October 3-6), Istanbul (November 7-10), and Milan (December 13-15).
“Mubi has always been about building community around our shared love of cinema, and Mubi Fest is our way of celebrating the creativity and culture that comes with filmmaking,” stated Tsari Paxton, Mubi's director of marketing for the UK and Ireland.
Among the highlights at Mubi Fest Manchester are screenings of notable Mubi titles. Levan Akin’s Crossing, which premiered at Berlinale, will be featured; it follows a retired teacher's search for her long-lost transgender niece in Turkey. This film will be in cinemas starting July 19 and available on Mubi from August 30. Another significant screening includes the Ross Brothers’ Gasoline Rainbow, an improvisational road trip film that premiered at Venice and is currently available on Mubi.
Additionally, there will be a preview of Manchester-born filmmaker Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature In Camera. Set for theatrical release in the UK and Ireland by Conic on September 13, it will stream on Mubi at a later date. In Camera had its premiere at Karlovy Vary in 2023. All screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
The line-up of films at Mubi Fest will differ across the nine cities, with detailed programs to be announced. Entrance to the festival is free, with tickets for screenings available from June 6.
Factory International, the organization behind Aviva Studios, emphasized that the festival’s commencement in Manchester highlights the city's growing importance as a center for culture, creativity, and innovation.