The Angela Lansbury Film Festival

Poplar Film in east London is hosting The Angela Lansbury Film Festival over the weekend of 5th/6th April. There will be 7 screenings curated by the popular star of Murder She Wrote and over 50 films, as well as family entertainment.

On Saturday 5th four films will be shown at Spotlight, a new creative youth space next to Langdon Park DLR. The films, chosen by Dame Angela, include Gaslight, which earnt her her first Academy Award nomination, and The Mirror Crack’d in which she plays Miss Marple alongside Elizabeth Taylor.

Lansbury herself will be making several appearances, including an exclusive interview and Q&A chaired by Sir Chris Frayling, former Chairman of the Arts Council and governor of BFI, on Sunday afternoon. This will be followed by a screening of The Manchurian Candidate, a highly acclaimed political thriller.

On Sunday 6th, Dame Angela will also introduce a free outdoor family screening of Bedknobs and Broomsticks in Chrisp Street Market, E14; followed by Nanny McPhee.

While Angela was born in North London, she spent her early years in Poplar. Her father, Edgar Lansbury was a former mayor of the Borough of Poplar and her grandfather, George Lansbury, was MP for Bow & Bromley. George Lansbury went on to lead the Labour Party from 1932-1935 and spent his political life campaigning for social justice, women’s rights and world disarmament. A memorial in his honour was recently unveiled in Rocky Park.

The Lansbury Estate in Poplar is named after him. It was built as part of the 1951 Festival of Britain, as an example of ‘housing for the people’ after the Second World War. Chrisp Street Market was built as part of the ‘living architecture’ element of the Festival and was the first pedestrianised shopping centre of its kind.

The Angela Lansbury Film Festival is being organised in association with local social landlord Poplar HARCA.

Timetable
Saturday
1pm – Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
3pm – The Company of Wolves (1984)
5pm – The Mirror Crack’d (1980)
7pm – Gaslight (1944)
Tickets to all films on Saturday are priced at £7.00

Sunday
1pm – Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) Introduced by Angela Lansbury *Free
2.30pm – Angela Lansbury Interview + The Manchurian Candidate (1962) £25
3pm – Nanny McPhee (2005) *Free