Movie News

Film4 hits Freeview

Tue 04 Jul 8:00 AM

Channel 4’s film channel, Film4, releaunches as a free service on Sunday July 23 at 9pm with the free-to-air premiere of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning film, Lost in Translation.

The channel, which is subject of a new advertising campaign featuring Kevin Spacey, Dame Judi Dench and Ewan McGregor (pictured), will screen a mix of major Hollywood films with great British films, both new and old, alongside timeless classics and cult favourites.

Channel 4 Director of TV, Kevin Lygo said: "Channel 4’s unrivaled reputation in film is built on almost a quarter of a century of showing and making quality films – we’ve made a major contribution to broadening audience tastes and remain a major financier and producer of films and a showcase for the best of British and international cinema.

"Massively increasing Film4's distribution and making it freely available to all will help maintain and protect Channel 4’s stake in British film for the next quarter of a century."

Following Lost in Translation on launch night highly acclaimed British gangster film Sexy Beast, is scheduled to lead the roll out of home grown films.

Other films due to be screened include The Motorcycle Diaries, Zoolander, The Italian Job, The Shawshank Redemption, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Apocalypse Now, Trainspotting and Kagemusha.

The new channel, which joins Channel 4, E4 and More4 on the Freeview platform, replaces existing subscription channel, FilmFour, which ceases transmission on July 19.