Film star Cate Blanchett pulls out of Chichester film festival over strike

Cate was due to make an appearance at the festival which is featuring a section of films looking back at her work this year. But she said felt it would be wrong to attend in view of the ongoing strike.

Cate said: “I am honoured that Chichester Film Festival is screening a retrospective of my work and was looking forward to being present for a direct, buoyant and robust audience discussion regarding Tár, a film which I am extremely proud to have been part of as both an executive producer and actor. Even though Tár has already been released I am sensitive to the fact that it was produced by a currently struck company, so while my union is in the midst of vital negotiations, I feel it inappropriate to attend.”

Worthing-based freelance critic, curator and film historian Pamela Hutchinson will give a talk on Blanchett at this year’s Chichester International Film Festival (Mon, August 21, 11am) – her roles from the young Queen Elizabeth to brutal Lydia Tár, the seductive older women in Carol and Notes on a Scandal to the high-society hysteria of Blue Jasmine.

And then after a screening of Blanchett’s film Tár, the hope was that Cate would be there in person for a Q&A.

This year’s festival is – after 31 years – Roger Gibson's final festival as artistic director. This festival is dedicated to the late great film critic Derek Malcolm (1932-2023).

Roger is promising the best festival ever, with the usual array of premieres and previews (over 25 UK premieres this year) from around the world; plus a variety of retrospectives - including Hugh Bonneville, Blanchett and Jean-Luc Godard; enlightening talks; Silent Cinema; open-air screenings; and special guests.