MOVIE-BUFFS are in for a treat next month as the Hartford Film Club kicks off its tenth season.

Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, will open this year’s season on Tuesday, September 20, from 7.15pm, at the Grange Theatre.

Set in the early 1900s, the film is based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who became an opera singer known for her painful lack of singing skill.

Trish Parker, who organises the Hartford Film Club season, said: “In her later years she continued to indulge her passion for singing to audiences, blissfully unaware that she was unable to sing in tune, or that her audiences' laughter was not in appreciation of her art.

“However, her records sold out and are now collectors' pieces.

“Meryl Streep, a trained singer herself, worked hard to replicate Florence's sound and has been widely praised for her performance, as has Hugh Grant, in his uncharacteristic role as a devoted husband.”

Trish, from Hartford, started the film club in 2006 following the closure of The Regal Cinema in Northwich.

The club shows one film a month until the season ends, with the profits divided among Cheshire charities.

Trish said: “We approached the council at the time because we thought it would be nice to put on some films.

“And now we’re about to start our tenth year. I just cannot believe it.

“It can be a bit much at times, but then I think, I’m raising over £1,000 for local charities, and with the nice people, and it really makes it all worthwhile.

Trish organises each even with the help of her husband, who designs the promotional posters and tickets.

For its tenth season, the club will show seven films. There will be no films showed in December or April.

Trish admits that she wasn’t the biggest film-buff when she started out. But now she always keeps up to date with the latest releases.

Two of her favourites from over the years are The Theory of Everything, featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Eddie Redmayne, and The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch

“The Theory of Everything was just terrific,” Trish said. “Eddie Redmayne was just incredible.

“Both films were tremendous.”

Tickets for life of Florence cost £5 and can be purchased from Elson News and Hartford Dry Cleaners.

For more information call Tricia Parker on 01606 74024.