Storyhouse programmes a one-off week of films to see before you’re 12 to mark the beginning of the school holidays.

Storyhouse in Chester has announced a series of family films that deserve to be experienced on the big screen.

Featuring fairy-tales, adventures and stunning animation these 5 films are equally as timeless and brilliant.

27 July, 2pm Labyrinth – Jim Henson’s 1986 musical fantasy film flopped on its original release but has gradually increased its stature – it’s now a bona fide cult classic. Aesthetically the film still looks incredible with some of the cinema world’s best-ever puppetry. The film features castles, extraordinary creatures, Escher staircases and of course the late and great David Bowie as the Goblin King.

28 July, 2pm, The Princess Bride directed by Hollywood legend Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me) is a 1987 swashbuckling adventure film with an all-star cast including Robin Wright, Wallace Shaw and Cary Elwes. It’s a family movie that the grown-ups will enjoy just as much as the kids. A classic, timeless fairy tale with Reiner’s imitable comedy.

29 July, 2pm Spirited Away – created by Hayao Miyazakia co-founder of Studio Ghibli and widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation. Spirited Away is often described as a work of art -  it has its foundation in the traditional bedrock of animation: frame-by-frame drawing. This is a truly rare chance to see such a beautiful film on the big screen.

30 July, 2pm Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – for most under 12s the only opportunity to see this Potter adventure is on TV (complete with a dozen advert breaks). Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire takes the franchise down a darker corridor; it has dragon chases, races with mer-people, mysterious mazes and Ralph Fiennes reprising his iconic role as Voldemort.

31 July 2pm The Goonies, although this film is 35 years old it still resonates with young and curious minds today. It’s about a group of outcasts who discover a treasure map and are pursued by a notorious crime family. Parents can sit back and relive their youths whilst the kids can experience a rambunctious adventure complete with booby traps, one-eyed pirates and hidden gold.  

Nicky Beaumont, film and digital programme manager at Storyhouse said:

This was such a difficult list to collate! But we feel these movies offer primary aged kids a lot to be inspired by. We’re certain that families will leave the cinema fizzing with excitement over something that they have all enjoyed together. These films are being screened in our movie-theatre – our theatre space that we have transformed into a stunning cinema -  so there’s plenty of space to enjoy the film whilst safely socially distancing. Storyhouse needs people's support right now and buying a ticket and coming to a screening is a perfect opportunity to do just that.'

Tickets for kids are £6 and £8.50 for adults and £7.65 for members, book online at storyhouse.com

About Storyhouse

Storyhouse is one of the UK’s foremost cultural centres incorporating a library, theatres and a cinema. It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than one million customer visits each year.

The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm. It runs over 2,000 sessions a year for marginalised communities

The company also runs a highly successful theatre company and the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre, in the city’s Grosvenor Park.

Storyhouse currently holds the official title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre and was the overall national winner in the 2018 Guardian Public Service Awards

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