ILKLEY Film Society opens its 47th season on Sunday, September 6 with the triple-Oscar winning epic of childhood and parenting, Boyhood, at 8pm at Ilkley Playhouse.

Filmed over a period of 12 years, with the cast and crew shooting for a few weeks each summer, Boyhood offers the unique experience in a fiction film of seeing the central character grow from 6 years old to 18, without being played by different actors. Director Richard Linklater is no stranger to this kind of extended shooting, as he also directed the hugely popular Before Sunrise/ Before Sunset/ Before Midnight trilogy with nine-year gaps between the films.

The 24 films in the Society's new season come from 14 countries on five continents including, for the first time in Ilkley, Mauretania and Estonia. As well as Boyhood, other Oscar winners include Still Alice (Best Actress award for Julianne Moore) and the unforgettable Polish film Ida (Best Foreign Language Film).

The carefully balanced blend of serious and lighter films in 13 languages was compiled, as always, from the votes of the members, who can always be relied on for some adventurous choices. These include the Iranian vampire film, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, the Icelandic Of Horses And Men and the Estonian film Tangerines which has only ever had a single screening in the UK.

British contributions to the programme include Testament Of Youth, the new version of Far From The Madding Crowd, the hilarious and uplifting Pride and the Yorkshire-set Catch Me Daddy.

As a special event in February, the society will commemorate the centenary of the WW1 battle of Verdun with a screening of the French silent epic Verdun: Visions Of History, yet another film which has hardly ever been seen in this country.

Wherever possible the films will be screened in Blu-ray format for the best possible image quality. The venue has an induction loop facility for audience members who use hearing aids.

The society's membership is limited to 200, but some places are still available. Brochures, containing a membership application form, can be found in Ilkley at the Library, Visitor Information Centre and the Clarke Foley Centre. Enquiries can also be made via the website at ilkleyfilmsociety.org.uk. The membership fee is £40 to see all 24 films.

Non-members are always welcome as guests (price £4) but should phone secretary Richard Fort in advance on 01535 653471.