The line-up will take place at Midlands Arts Centre and Mockingbird Cinema from Fri 3 – Sun 12 November 2023
Square Eyes TV Festival has been commissioned for a third season and this year’s broadcast schedule features another mouth-watering mix of archive rarities, classic series and recent favourites. The third iteration once again features a number of special guests, this year welcoming Shazia Mirza, Lucy Prebble, Arthur Matthews, Michael Cumming, Tara Prem and Hugo Myatt to MAC and Mockingbird Cinema.
David Baldwin, Square Eyes Festival Producer, MAC Cinema and Screen Producer, said: ‘My parents used to tell me that I watched too much TV, but luckily, as an adult I’ve managed to turn that obsession into running a festival where I get to watch even more TV. I’m particularly pleased to bring The Mockingbird on board Square Eyes this year, hopefully the start of a beautiful relationship akin to the timeless romance of Frank and Pat Butcher.’
Highlights include –
Writers’ Room: Succession – Fri 3 November
Award-winning executive producer Lucy Prebble and story editor/staff writer Jamie Carragher host a special Writers’ Room discussing Succession’s roots in the darker side of British comedy.
Brum On The Box with Chris & Shazia – Sat 4 November
Fresh off Celebrity Masterchef, successful comedian Shazia Mirza and failed author Chris Beanland (who’s not fresh off Celebrity Mastermind) delve into the best, worst and truly cringe-inducing examples of Midlands television from across the decades. Step back into a world when Pebble Mill had guests like Bill Hicks, regional broadcasters like ATV ruled the roost and Birmingham was somehow the best place to film a show about yachting (80s drama Howard’s Way).
Toast of London + Q&A – Sat 4 November
Director Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Snuff Box) and writer Arthur Matthews (Father Ted, Big Train) have chosen two of their very favourite episodes for this special screening at The Mockingbird Cinema in Digbeth, and will be chatting in between about all things Toast, including the show’s genesis for Channel 4 and its eventual transformation into Toast Of Tinseltown for the BBC.
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors – Sat 4 November
To mark the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who Square Eyes will revisit the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors, a 90-minute special that reunited all (but one) previous incarnations of the Time Lord.
Death To Smoochy – Thu 9 November
Danny De Vito’s utterly chaotic 2002 feature screens at MAC’s Cinema. Delve into the world of alcoholic children’s TV host Randolph Smiley (Robin Williams) as he plots the murder of his replacement Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton) – a do-gooder who dresses as a loveable purple rhino called Smoochy.
20 Days In Mariupol – Fri 10 November
After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, 20 Days In Mariupol is journalist Mstyslav Chernov’s first feature film, following a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol as they struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war demonstrate what it’s like to report from a conflict zone and the impact of such journalism around the globe.
Carry On Up The ‘Scope! – Sat 11 November
For good or bad, you really can’t talk about British comedy without tackling the Carry On franchise. On Sat 11 Nov, TV archivists Kaleidoscope will once again be getting their hands absolutely filthy as they dig up a collection of rarities and obscurities that saw Carry On plastered across the gogglebox.
This unique celebration of television brings celebrated talent, hidden gems, and broadcast classics to two of Birmingham’s much-loved indie cinemas. An eclectic programme like no other in the UK. Book now at: macbirmingham.co.uk/square-eyes-tv-festival-2023