The Palace Cinema Broadstairs is presenting several special events over August and September
Coming up on Sunday 18 August they welcome the co-director of thrilling summer family animation Kensuke’s Kingdom (PG). The feature animation, based on Michael Morpurgo’s much loved book of the same name, is the magical story of a shipwrecked boy and his dog washed ashore on a desert island. He thinks they’re done for until he realises they’re being watched and helped to survive by Kensuke, an old soldier, who becomes his greatest and most trusted friend.
Co-director Neil Boyle (pictured) has worked as an animator on films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Simpsons and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. After the screening of Kensuke’s Kingdom, the audience will have a unique opportunity to find out how Neil set about directing the film, working from a script co-written by Michael Morpurgo and Frank Cottrell Boyce (Millions). https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/kensukes-kingdom/
The Paris Olympics have inspired a restoration of the classic British film Chariots of Fire (1981), the story of two young athletes with wings on their heels and hope in the hearts, both aiming for Olympic gold at Paris 1924.
There is a local connection in that the famous opening scene of the team run along the beach to the electronic Vangelis score was filmed in St Andrews, Scotland, but actually took place in Broadstairs as the team stayed at the Carlton Hotel before taking the ferry over to France and glory. https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/chariots-of-fire/
The Palace has teamed up with Thanet Roadrunners Athletic Club to support their official 2024 charity, Pilgrims Hospices. The cinema is grateful for all donations dropped into the tin in the foyer and is also offering fans of the band Blur the chance to win a real cinema poster for the documentary Blur: To The End by entering a raffle, all proceeds of which go to Pilgrims. https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/blur-to-the-end/
At the end of August, the Palace is screening what is considered by many to be one of the finest animations ever made, Studio Ghibli’s wonderful My Neighbour Totoro (1988) directed by Hiyao Miyazaki (whose The Boy and the Heron was at the Palace earlier this year). The tender, funny and moving tale of two young sisters who move to the countryside with their dad and discover a whole new world of magic will screen in the afternoons in its English dub and in the evenings in original Japanese with subtitles. https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/my-neighbour-totoro/
The Palace is running its popular illustrated Cinema Walks throughout the month, exploring the locations and stories of cinemas and other places to see a film in Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate from the silent era to today, including everything from converted sheds to glorious super cinemas and from buildings still standing to those long gone.
The Margate Cinema Walk is on Sunday 18 August and Ramsgate is on Sunday 25 August. Walks start at 10:30 and last approx. one hour. Local cinema history fans also have more to look forward to next month when the Palace offers free special events and a mini filmmaking workshop for Heritage Open Days on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/palace-cinema-broadstairs.html