Today (Tuesday, 6 September) brings the first in the new season of meetings of Maldon Film Club.

The 2022/23 season will see the club meet at Maldon Town Hall. Doors will open at 7.30pm and all films will commence at 8pm sharp.

The new season begins with the screening of the highly acclaimed The Duke directed by Roger Mitchell.

In 1961, Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a 60 year old taxi driver, stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. He sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legends..

The club's second film, on Tuesday 20 September, is the BAFTA award nominated The Rescue which tells of the rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018. Using a wealth of existing material and exclusive interviews, the directors bring alive one of the most perilous and extraordinary rescues in modern times, highlighting the high-risk world of cave diving, the courage and compassion of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community that united to save the boys.

John Salisbury from the club says: "Our programme for the new season covers a wide variety of themes with films from different regions of the world. Included in the programme are 9 Oscar award winners - West Side Story, Another Round, Nomadland, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Belfast, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Father and Drive My Car - as well as Quo Vadis Aida, Babyteeth, Ammonite, Parallel Mothers and The Worst Person in the World  all of which received at least one Oscar or BAFTA  nomination.  The season continues until 24th May 2023 with films being shown fortnightly on Tuesdays in 2022 and Wednesdays in 2023."

The Club is run by a committee that selects and screens an annual programme from the best of recent English and foreign language releases plus one classic/members' choice. Annual membership costs £25 and this entitles members to free admission to all of the season's films. In addition there are a limited number of places for junior members aged 16-18 in full time education and training at the reduced cost of £18. Membership is open to all and new members will be made very welcome. In addition invited guests may attend for just £3 per film

For further details and an application form please check out our web site www.maldonfilmclub.uk, phone 01621 869133, visit the Maldon Visitor Information Centre (1100 – 1600 Tuesday to Saturday) or contact John on 07905971608.