Get ‘On Your Bike!’ for free family festival
QFT and the Belfast Film Festival invite you to get On Your Bike! on Sunday 4 September at the Belfast Waterfront, for an all-day, free family event about cycling on the big screen and in everyday life.
On Your Bike! will showcase the power of the pedal with a range of cycling themed film screenings, performances, exhibitions, stalls, tours and workshops throughout the day.
Part of the film programme led by Northern Ireland Screen, On Your Bike! is funded by the Legacy Trust UK Connections Programme which is managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Legacy Trust UK is an independent charity set up to create a lasting cultural legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.
Susan Picken, Head of QFT said: “Cycling participation in Belfast has more than doubled over the past ten years, according to a recent report*. On Your Bike! aims to celebrate this fact and to encourage more people to become involved in cycling culture. And just like cycling itself, On Your Bike! is fun and free!”
Films to be screened in this cycling extravaganza include Pee Wee’s Big Adventure directed by Tim Burton, Italian classic Bicycle Thieves and the hilarious Jour de Fête, starring Jacques Tati. Meanwhile, the documentary We Are Traffic! chronicles the history and development of the "Critical Mass" bicycle movement and Way Back Home features the talents of Scottish street trials pro rider Danny MacAskill, whose work has been seen over 20 million times on YouTube.
For younger cycling fans, the kids’ beanbag cinema screenings will include 1980s family adventure BMX Bandits (with Nicole Kidman in her very first screen role) and Belleville Rendezvous, a charming French animated film about a missing Tour de France cyclist and his eccentric triplet aunts.
In addition there will be music from Katie and the Carnival, The Swing Gals and much more, a fashion show from Cycle Chic and even an exhibition of bicycle inspired art from local visual arts curator Carrie Neely.
Michele Devlin, Director of the Belfast Film Festival said: “Showcasing film in unexpected ways and in unusual places is what we do best and we are delighted to be teaming up with QFT for this unique project. From silent film to animation, comedy, drama and documentary, cycling has been a topic of fascination for film-makers for decades now and will hopefully continue to be so for decades more to come!”
From clowns on bikes to breathtaking BMX demos, On Your Bike! will feature performers for all ages. The Magilligan Family will be offering theatre performances on unicycles, while The Barren Carousel will be staging an acrobatic walkabout on a musical tricycle and the BMX riders from Ramprage will simply take your breath away.
Dugald Mackie, Chair of Legacy Trust UK, said: “The games are about more than just sport. They are a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland to millions of people across the world. We believe that these projects will inspire and encourage people throughout Northern Ireland to get involved and will leave a lasting legacy for the region.”
On Your Bike! is inspired by the Olympics to create a cultural legacy from the 2012 games. It is free and open to all the family, so dust down your tricycle, bicycle, tandem or penny farthing and come along to join in the fun!
For further information on On Your Bike! please visit www.queensfilmtheatre.com or www.belfastfilmfestival.org