For the past two weeks Leeds International Film Festival has taken over cinema screens in Leeds, delivering the very best in new British and foreign films to the masses. With a programme comprised of over 250 screenings over 16 days in 14 venues across the city there was something to suit even the most discerning viewer. Hannah Woodhead presents a look at some of the films she managed to catch.

What We Do in the Shadows

What do you get when you cross the comedy genius of Flight of the Conchords with a vampire film? A bloody good time, which is exactly what this mockumentary proved to be. The story of four vampires sharing a house together in Wellington and trying to reconcile their archaic existence with the perils of life in present-day New Zealand. What We Do in the Shadows was the recipient of the Audience Award at LIFF28, fighting off stiff competition from films including The Imitation Game and brand new Yorkshire-produced film, X+Y, and it’s an accolade well deserved as this comedy is truly one of the indie triumphs of the year.

Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

From the visionary director of films including 21 Grams and Babel, Birdman was LIFF’s Closing Gala film; a brilliant black comedy featuring some of the most accomplished performances of the year, particularly from leading man Michael Keaton and rising star Emma Stone as the compelling father-daughter duo who provide the film with its poignant heart. The plot concerns an aging superhero movie star trying to regain his credibility by adapting the work of Raymond Carver for Broadway, but this old trope is given new life through sharp dialogue and an impeccable cast. Well worth a watch when it is released early next year.

Showpieces with Alan Moore

Despite being perhaps the most influential comic book artist living today, Alan Moore is notoriously reclusive, shunning the spotlight and eschewing interviews in favour of a quiet life. However, LIFF managed to coax him to Leeds Town Hall for one night only, where he presented three short films which he wrote and produced alongside close friend Mitch Jenkins. The films were well worth a watch within their own right, a sort of ‘League of Gentlemen meets The Shining’ experience, but it was the insightful and surprisingly relaxed Q&A that followed with Moore, Jenkins and their primary cast that really made the evening special.

Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?

Making the case for a whole new way of seeing documentary is Michel Gondry’s experimental interview film with Noam Chomsky, one of the most important and influential philosophers of the twentieth century. Lovingly hand drawn animations and snippets of film accompany a series of conversations between Gondry and Chomsky about politics, philosophy, and Chomsky’s own incredible life. Experimental and unexpectedly funny, it’s an absolute treat even for a philosophy novice, and a film guaranteed to keep you talking long after you’ve left the cinema.

My Old Lady

Maggie Smith proves again she can do no wrong in this charming British-American film set in Paris, written and directed by influential playwright Israel Horovitz. It’s unsurprising then that the film’s real strength lies in its dialogue, but it’s the performances given by Smith and her co-stars Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas that make the film really work. Accompanied by the gorgeous French scenery, it’s a thoroughly charming little film that serves not only as a story about family and the concept of home, but as love letter to the beautiful city of Paris.

Hannah Woodhead

Image: Worldview Entertainment