SKIPTON bar-restaurant Alexander’s will host a curtain-raiser for the Hinterlands Film Festival.

The screenings of two films, ahead of the new annual festival celebrating rural film and the countryside, will also launch Alexander’s own film club.

On May 10 and 12 the Art Deco-inspired dining venue will screen two award-winning films by the London and Skipton-based Tempo Productions.

One is a feature length documentary, Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me, about the well-known soul singer, and the other is family feelgood film Oyster Farmer.

Owner of Alexander’s, Susannah Daley, said she was thrilled to host the curtain-raiser for the inaugural Hinterlands Film Festival which she described as an exciting new cultural event for the area.

She said: “The incredibly moving and toe-tapping Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me on Friday May 10 will be aptly followed by a soul funk disco.

“On Sunday May 12, the multi award-winning Oyster Farmer set in rural Australia, will be prefaced by a talk by the film’s producer Piers Tempest and a gourmet barbecue from our Australian chef Luke Dawson.”

Hinterlands, an international rural film festival supported by the Great Place: Lakes and Dales programme, will be held in Skipton between May 16 and 19.

Highlights include a special screening of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom in Aireville Park accompanied by live music, a boutique camp-out, campfire, bar, storytelling, and orienteering.

There will also be a horror all-nighter at the Plaza cinema and a showing of comedy-drama Hunt for the Wilderpeople, followed by a free treasure hunt in Skipton Woods inspired by the film.

Great Place is committed to using culture, heritage and the arts to encourage more young people to live and work in the Lakes and Dales.

Programme manager Lindsey Hebden said: “We know from our research that film and cinema are among the main interests of young people and we are delighted that Alexander’s is getting behind Hinterlands with screenings from local, world-renowned film producer Piers Tempest.”

Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me recently premiered at the BFI to critical acclaim and won the audience award at the Philadelphia Film Festival.

The feature-length documentary about American R&B artist Teddy Pendergrass – directed by award-winning director Olivia Lichtenstein – charts the untold story of one of the greatest soul singers of all time.

Nominated for Best Picture at the AFI awards, the 2004 Oyster Farmer, written and directed by Anna Reeves, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was selected as the opening film of the 2007 Commonwealth Film Festival.

The film, which is set on the Hawkesbury River, tells the story of Jack Flange who runs away from his big city job and life to the remote region to start again as an oyster farmer in its small rural community.

Celebrating 15 years of award-winning film-making, Skipton and London based Tempo Productions, set up 15 years ago, was founded by Piers Tempest of Broughton Hall and Jo Bamford. Its most recent productions include the award-winning The Wife starring Glenn Close.

Visit alexanders-skipton.com or call 01756 228030 to book tickets for either of the screenings.

Visit hinterlandsfestival.org.uk for further information about the film festival.