TWO diverse and enthralling film festivals take place at the Brewery Cinema this month.

The Kendal arts centre's homegrown Generation K Film Season will be launched on February 17 and will run until March 18.

The Generation K film project - put together by the Brewery’s new Young Programmers Group - has been designed to support the British Film Institute in its aim to engage with young people. Working with the Brewery’s film programmer Chris Ashton, the students have programmed the season with their own selection of films based around the theme Coming of Age.

The specially student friendly priced programme includes the winner of last year’s Best Picture Academy Award, Moonlight, and acclaimed off-beat comedy, Submarine, by the producers of hit British movies This is England and Four Lions.

Also, back at the Brewery for a fourth year is the popular Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme.

Running from February 16 until March 28, the programme returns to the Brewery to showcase some of the best films in Japanese cinema, looking at how the country’s filmmakers have been drawn to portraying the "(un)true" colours of human nature. The twists and turns of life portrayed in the programme are at times heart rending, at others hilarious, but always enthralling.

The Dark Maidens sets the reels in motion on Friday, February 16, a dark murder mystery drama focused around a group of school girls. An action comedy, The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji from renowned director Takashi Miike will be screened on March 16. Next on will be award nominated, Oh Lucy! a Japanese American co-production, starring Josh Hartnett on March 22.

Meanwhile, the Brewery’s independent film programme continues with a selection of films plus special discussions with cast and crew or relevant interest groups. John Godber’s social comedy Last Laugh hits the big screen on January 25, followed by a Q&A with director Daniel Coll, and the silent film London Symphony gives an artistic snapshot of the capital, with Q&A from director Alex Barrett, on March 3.

South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Cumbria Action for Sustainability will take part in a Q&A along with members of Amnesty International at a screening of the award-winning refugee crisis documentary Human Flow from renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei on January 29.

SLACC and CAfS will also attend a Q&A following a screening of the agricultural documentary In Our Hands on March 12, with members of the Land Workers Alliance and the film’s producers.

Chris Ashton said that it was one of the Brewery's most diverse film seasons yet. "We are thrilled to welcome back the Japan Foundation Touring Film programme, and we are delighted with how the Generation K Film season has evolved. We intend on continuing working with our Young Programmers Group and hope they will inform our cinema programme in the future."

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