Acclaimed culture-clash comedy Pride premieres in London

Pride (2014)

Culture-clash comedy Pride receives its premiere in London tonight, followed by a special BFI Flare preview at BFI Southbank tomorrow. Set 30 years ago, during the summer of 1984, it’s the true story of gay and lesbian activists who lend their support to the cause of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) during that year’s miners’ strike.

Imelda Staunton and George Mackay are among the Gay Pride marchers who, undeterred by the Union’s initial embarrassment at their interest, set off in a minibus to a Welsh mining village to donate to the cause. Bill Nighy and Paddy Considine star as miners on the other side of what becomes a most unusual political alliance.

Backed by the BFI Film Fund, Matthew Warchus’s film first screened among a brace of British titles at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won a standing ovation and was widely acclaimed. Trade magazine Variety called it an “irresistible crowdpleaser”, while the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw wrote:

Matthew Warchus’s Pride is an impassioned and distinctly loveable movie … a film on the unfashionable subjects of empathy and solidarity. It is warm and witty, with terrific performances; Stephen Beresford’s script is fast and funny and there’s a rousing musical score from Chris Nightingale.

The film’s producer David Livingstone, along with actors Andrew Scott, Ben Schnetzer and Faye Marsay, will take part in an on-stage Q&A following BFI Southbank’s preview screening on 3 September. Pride will be out in cinemas nationwide from 12 September.

Watch the trailer