The London Film Festival is to stage the UK premiere of Mike Leigh’s upcoming film about the Peterloo massacre – in Manchester.

The gala screening will mark the first time the London Film Festival has held a premiere outside the capital. While the cast and crew will attend the screening at HOME in Manchester, the film itself will be simultaneously shown at cinemas across the country.

With a cast including Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake and Tim McInnerny, Leigh’s film portray’s the events of a pro-democracy demonstration, in 1819, which turned violent when government forces charged into a crowd of 60,000 people in St Peter’s Field in the city; 15 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. The event is regarded by some as a defining moment in British democracy.

The London Film Festival’s Artistic Director Tricia Tuttle said, “In Peterloo, Mike Leigh and his talented cast and crew have delivered a rousing, powerful film of immense scale and ambition.”

The director said he was truly delighted that his drama would be shown “where it all happened.” In a statement, he said, “It’s always an honour to be included in the glorious London Film Festival, but how inspired and generous of the Festival to screen Peterloo in Manchester.”

The UK premiere of Peterloo will take place on 17th October, with the film going on general release across the UK on 2nd November.