Pride London  Announces Gala Opera Night and Film Festival

LONDON, April 28  –  A Gala opera night with the English National Opera at the London Coliseum and a Pride Film Festival are to feature in the Pride London Festival Fortnight being held  between June 18 and July 1.

The London Coliseum, home of English National Opera (ENO) will host a special Pride London ’05 Opera Gala of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, as part of the Pride Festival Fortnight (June 18 – July 1 2005) on Monday 20 June 2005 at 7pm, jointly benefiting Pride London ’05 and Crusaid, the national fundraiser for HIV and AIDS.

The festival, the first of its kind in the capital, comprises music, visual arts, theatre, film comedy, cabaret and sport and is fully supported by Ken Livingstone, as well as Visit London, the capital’s tourist authority.

Eugene Onegin, based Pushkin’s poem, is Tchaikovsky’s most popular opera and is widely regarded as his stage masterpiece.

Gerald Finley returns to ENO and make s his title role début as the sophisticated Onegin opposite Catrin Wyn-Davies as the intense and bookish Tatyana, who falls victim to his charms, with devastating consequences.

Making his ENO début is conductor Jonathan Darlington, Music Director of both Vancouver Opera and the Duisburg Philharmonic.  The production was first staged in 1994, and Julia Hollander returns to direct her staging for the third time.

Tickets for the Opera Gala are priced at £40 and £50 and can be purchased by telephoning 0207 632 8338.

For movie fans, ten films – some of the most exciting gay and lesbian films currently around – will be screened at the inaugural Pride Film Festival, being presented jointly by Vue Cinemas and Millivres Multimedia.

The five day film festival will kick off on June 19 with the UK Gala Premiere of the much acclaimed film Latter Days, a moving tale of two sexually confused young men who find themselves being drawn into a passionate romance that risks destroying their lives.

The festival will run in various Vue Cinemas across London and the films, chosen by festival sponsor Millivres Multimedia, will represent a mix of new, recent and classic gay cinema covering a variety of themes. The films include 200 American, A.K.A, Benzina, Do I Love You?, Head On and Trick but the real highlights are Cowboys & Angels (Winner of the 2004 Newport Beach Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay) and Goldfish Memory which explores the comical nature of love, straight, gay and the in-between.

The film festival is part of Pride Festival Fortnight which will culminate in Pride Day on July 2nd. They are holding over 150 events which will cover the visual arts, theatre, film, music, comedy, cabaret and sport.

Other elements under the festival umbrella will feature club and charity fundraising events including Crusaid’s Walk for Life. The festival is supported by its patrons who include; Lord Waheed Ali, Michael Cashman MEP, Rhona Cameron, Sir Ian McKellen, Wayne Sleep and former MP Chris Smith.

Full details of all events at Pride London Festival Fortnight can be found on their website.

28 April  2005