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This year, Widescreen Weekend celebrates the 70th anniversary of Todd-AO, the groundbreaking widescreen 70mm film format developed in the mid-1950s by theatrical innovator Mike Todd and cinema executive Robert Naify, in collaboration with the American Optical Company.  

Introduced as a high-fidelity alternative to CinemaScope and designed to compete with the visual spectacle of television, Todd-AO revolutionized cinematic presentation by combining an expanded frame with a deeply immersive six-channel stereophonic sound system. Premiering 70 years ago with the 1955 film Oklahoma!, the format quickly gained acclaim for its clarity, colour depth, and expansive field of view, setting a new standard for epic filmmaking. Over the decades, Todd-AO became synonymous with prestige productions and grand storytelling, influencing generations of filmmakers and preserving its legacy in cinema history as one of the most technically ambitious film formats ever created. This year we celebrate the format as well as its legacy throughout the last 70 years including trends and revivals such as the anamorphic Todd AO 35 lenses. 

Thursday 25 September 2025

• 18:30 – Patton (12) Commanding portrait of one of WWII’s most controversial leaders. (Pictureville)

Friday 26 September 2025

• 10:00 – Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (U) Ensemble comedy capturing the whimsy of early aviation. (Pictureville)

• 18:00 – Special presentation: Dune (12A) David Lynch’s ambitious sci-fi epic, dazzling and confounding in equal measure. (Pictureville).

Saturday 27 September 2025

• 14:00 – Baraka (PG) A stunning visual poem beyond narrative, breathtaking in 70mm. (Pictureville)

• 20:00 – Mad Max (15) A kinetic blast of vengeance and velocity from George Miller. (Cubby Broccoli Cinema)

• 23:00 – Flash Gordon (12A) Campy, spectacular space opera—Widescreen Weekend’s first ever late-night feature. (Pictureville)

Sunday 28 September 2025

• 15:00 – The Alamo (PG) John Wayne’s sweeping, mythic American epic in glorious widescreen. (Pictureville)

>>Discover the full programme for Widescreen Weekend 2025 here.