Bradford 2025 and Channel 4 today announce a new major partnership for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

The collaboration will enhance the events programme for Bradford 2025 through a range of film screenings, special events, skills and training initiatives and opportunities for locally based film-makers.

The activities support Bradford 2025’s film strand Bradford: A City of Film, building on Bradford’s proud heritage as a leading centre of filmmaking, which saw the city become the first UNESCO City of Film in 2009. Thanks to a partnership between Bradford 2025, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) and the National Science and Media Museum, the magic of the silver screen is travelling to all corners of Bradford district.

The new partnership with Channel 4, which includes Film4 and the broadcaster’s skills and development programme, 4Skills, will begin with a series of film screenings, premieres, and director Q&As curated by Film4 and presented at the National Science and Media Museum’s Pictureville Cinema, focusing on debut films by Film4 backed writers and directors.

Screenings include a preview of Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s directorial debut Hot Milk (2025), followed by a Q&A with Lenkiewicz and producer Christine Langan on Thursday 26 June ahead of the film’s theatrical release via MUBI. Adapted by Lenkiewicz from Deborah Levy’s novel, the film explores a mother-daughter relationship, with Fiona Shaw and Emma Mackey in the lead roles.

Other films in the Film4 season at Pictureville include Asif Kapadia’s BAFTA-winning debut The Warrior (2001), which will screen on 35mm and also feature a Q&A with Oscar-winner Kapadia (Amy, Senna, 2073), an IMAX screening of Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2013), and Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges (2006), paired with the director’s Oscar-winning debut short Six Shooter (2004).

Though not his debut film, but a return to his homegrown filmmaking roots, Ben Wheatley’s latest feature Bulk (2025) comes to Bradford in August following its world-premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Wheatley will join for a Q&A.

Jonathan Glazer’s cult-classic Sexy Beast (2000), starring Ray Winstone, will also join the roster for an August bank holiday weekend of immersive outdoor screenings at Ilkley Lido, one of the country’s best-preserved 1930s outdoor swimming pools. Presented in partnership with award-winning event producers Wild Rumpus, the weekend is the next in a series of site-specific, outdoor big screen experiences taking place across Bradford district, with further film titles to be announced.

Alongside this film activity, 4Skills will also deliver a raft of skills and development initiatives in partnership with Bradford 2025. There will be a range of 4Skills activity from workshops and outreach with film talent, to opportunities to build writing skills, to supporting local filmmaking talent and skills, and digital content opportunities. This will also include 4Skills ongoing support of The Unit based at Keighley Creative, and 4Schools will work with schools in the Bradford district in the autumn, helping young people to explore creative careers.