19-02-2025
Prince's Purple Rain debut film joins Newcastle's MOBO celebrations
Films celebrating Black musicians on film are being featured at a city cinema as part of the MOBO Awards fringe festival.
As Newcastle gears up for the big awards night - an event billed as Europe's biggest celebration of Black music and culture - which it be hosting this Tuesday for the first time, excitement is building about its line-up of nominees and special guests. And, as previously reported, a fringe festival is also taking place around it to keep that momentum going.
The city centre's Tyneside Cinema has also joined forces with the MOBO fringe festival, with its own focus upon Black music talent - this time in film. And on its Original Genius programme this February will be the iconic 1984 rock musical Purple Rain which starred Prince in his acting debut.
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The late artist - who later changed his stage name to a symbol which couldn't be pronounced so he was usually referred to as 'the artist formerly known as Prince - went on to win an Oscar for best original song score for the film's soundtrack which included the likes of Let's Go Crazy and the specially-written When Doves Cry.
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It has been described as one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Now fans will be able to re-live the Purple Rain experience at Tyneside Cinema on February 23 and 27 when there will be screenings at 5pm and 3pm respectively, and there is still some ticket availability.
The Tyneside's Original Genius programme of 'ground-breaking artists and iconic performances' also includes Summer of Soul this Monday, a documentary featuring long-lost footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, and Space is the Place - a sci-fi blend of concept album and film by Sun Ra - on Wednesday. The cinema also has been running Beyond the Screen: a programme of MOBO-inspired workshops intended to encourage young people to create music videos, with involvement from local experts from filmmakers to producers, editors and designers.
For more about Tyneside Cinema see here and find all MOBO Awards coverage here.
