Snooker film Break is highlight of Sheffield’s first drive-in cinema weekend

Heart-warming British thriller Break, a film about a gifted young snooker player that was shot at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, will be among the highlights of a drive-in movie weekend in the city.
World snooker champion Ken Doherty and Sam Gittins in a scene from the film Break.World snooker champion Ken Doherty and Sam Gittins in a scene from the film Break.
World snooker champion Ken Doherty and Sam Gittins in a scene from the film Break.

The film will be screened at Don Valley Bowl on Sunday, fresh from its drive-in premiere in London.

Producer and actress Terri Dwyer. whose performance credits include the TV soap Hollyoaks, said: “Being an independent film, we were hugely affected by Covid-19. We didn’t know when or where we could release our film. After ten years of hard work we wanted to give the film a release it deserved. We had to be in Sheffield to coincide with the World Snooker Finals and we thought an open-air drive-in at Don Valley would be the perfect place to host our event.

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"We would like to thank Sheffield Council for their support in arranging the first ever drive-in to Sheffield. We have put together a variety of family programming to give Sheffield a great drive-in experience.”

Break has a stellar cast including British icon Jamie Foreman, BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, TV sensations Terri Dwyer and Sam Gittins, Luke Mably, international actor David Yip, and the late Hollywood legend Rutger Hauer in his final screen role.

The film also features appearances by British snooker star Jack Lisowski, Chinese sensation Liang Wenbo and world snooker champion Ken Doherty.

Filmed in Sheffield’s world famous Crucible Theatre, London and Beijing, this life affirming rags-to-riches story follows the troubled but talented Spencer Pryde (Sam Gittins) a gifted, inner-city kid, wasting his life on petty crime and violence, until a chance encounter with Chinese stranger and former ‘eight ball’ pool champion, Vince Qiang (David Yip) and tough guy club owner Ray (Rutger Hauer) presents him with the opportunity to turn his life around.

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When tragedy strikes, Spencer finally breaks away from his so-called friends and all the negative influences of his life - which include the UK’s current issues with drugs, violence and knife crime. With Qiang’s guidance Spencer makes a bid for a prestigious snooker tournament held in Beijing…but can he overcome his demons and use the talents he was blessed with?

Screenings of Break take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, at 7pm and 10pm.

The weekend will begin on Saturday at 10am with Disney’s Up, an animated feature film that won two Academy Awards and has been voted the best animation film of all time.

Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a remake of Roald Dahl’s book about children who win a tour of an amazing chocolate factory and screens at 1pm.

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Keeping in the spirits of the outdoor movie theme comes the fun and timeless film Grease. While vacationing in Australia, Danny and Sandy indulge in a passionate love affair with each other. They part ways believing they will not see each other again but fate has other plans. Catch Grease at 4pm.

Sunday’s highlights include Black Beauty, a 1994 American film adaptation of Anna Sewell's novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew Knott, Sean Bean and David Thewlis and starts at 10am.

Dolittle, starring Robert Downy Jr and Emma Thompson, tells the tale of an eccentric doctor and his exotic animal companions who embark on an epic adventure to a mythical island to find a cure for young Queen Victoria’s grave illness. Catch the adventure at 1pm.

Rocky Horror Picture Show, a low-budget, cult classic freak show concerns the misadventures of Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) who encounter colourful characters at a party hosted by a transvestite in a strange mansion. This film screens at 4pm.

Admission to each film is £20 per car.

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The sound will be broadcast via a FM transmitter and tuned in via the car radio.

The audience will be able to order refreshments online direct and delivered directly to their vehicle, along with contactless payments so they can remain socially distanced. There will be toilet facilities available.

To buy tickets for the Don Valley Drive-In, go to breakfilms.co.uk