Warwick film festival faces screen block

Warwick’s Food and Film Festival has taken a knock after the district council banned organisers from offering open-air screenings of classic films like The Goonies and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Apr 2014, 10:23 BST

The festival attracted some 30,000 people into the town last summer and organisers hope it will do the same again between August 21-25.

But the district council says some of the films booked to be shown in Market Place - like The Goonies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Jaws and Dirty Dancing - can no longer be shown because they do not have a U or PG classification.

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A spokesman for Warwick Rocks, the consortium of local traders and town supporters, said: “We are clearly disappointed about this announcement.

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“Around 2,500 people watched Top Gun in Market Place last year and a similar number watched The Princess Bride.

“We didn’t receive a single complaint from anyone attending last year.

“We understand the district council has a responsibility to protect young children from any images or themes which may cause distress.

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“We are determined to provide a weekend in Warwick to remember and are now reviewing the weekend and the film screenings. We hope to make an announcement in the next week.

The district council says it is keen to work with Warwick Rocks to develop a follow up to last year’s festival but confirmed its position that film selection be restricted to those classified as U or PG by the British Film Classification Council.