The Day The Earth Caught Fire (Dir. Val Guest, 1961, 98min, format: 35mm)

The Incredible becomes Real! The Impossible becomes Fact! the Unbelievable becomes True!  An investigative journalist smells something fishy when he notices temperatures rising in London, and following his nose discovers a cynical government cover up of an impending global disaster. 

Simultaneous nuclear tests in Cold War USA and USSR have sent the earth of its axis, resulting in a rapid warming, and the only solution would seem to be yet more explosions - is it sense or pure madness?

+ Silent Running (1972, USA, Dir:Douglas Turnbull, Colour, 89mins, format: 16mm)

Directed by the SFX supervisor on 2001: A Space Oddyssey, this ecological sci-fi flick is set in a future where all plant life on earth is dead, but for a few specimens sent out to space in a fleet of botanically-equipped spaceships. 

When an order from earth arrives to abort the mission by jettisoning the ships' green house domes, rebellious nature lover Bruce Dern refuses and sets off on a solo mission to save the small corner of earth he is towing into space.  Heavily influential on the recent Moon this is sci-fi in its golden age.

This event is part of the AV FESTIVAL (5-14 March 2010)

The AV Festival is the biennial international Festival of electronic arts, taking place from 5-14 March 2010.

This year the curatorial theme is energy: a universal force that connects, transforms and renews life. Exploring energy from scientific, technological, environmental and spiritual perspectives we present work that resonates across the Festival centres in NewcastleGateshead, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and beyond.

For a whole programme of the AV festival, you can have a look at their website here

The Star and Shadow Cinema will be the late night hub of the AV Festival, in the middle of a botanical garden...

Whole programme for the AV Fesival at the Star and Shadow Cinema here