The Bashford Twins: Cotton Kings Concept Trailer & Talk

Event Details

Sunday

3:30pm – 4:00pm

Age

All ages

Venue

Reel Cinema

How to attend

Bookable

Price

Free

Book Tickets

Film directors The Bashford Twins introduce a concept trailer for their new film project, ‘Cotton Kings’.

Cotton Kings is the untold, adrenaline-fuelled story of a crew of working-class entrepreneurs from Blackburn who transformed the legacy of a declining mill town into a streetwear phenomenon that would leave its mark on a generation.

Set against the backdrop of Lancashire’s post-industrial landscape, the film traces a remarkable journey from cotton mills and factory floors to nightclub queues, football terraces and the explosion of Britain’s acid house culture. Driven by ambition, ingenuity and a refusal to accept the limits of their circumstances, a group of local lads built an underground fashion empire that thrived on hustle, risk and razor-sharp instinct.

More than a story about fashion, Cotton Kings is a portrait of a place and a generation. It captures the energy, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that emerged from communities reshaped by industrial decline, revealing how style, music and identity became powerful forms of self-expression and opportunity.

Built on graft. Stolen with style. This is the story of the lads who dressed a generation, and nearly lost everything doing it.

Please note: Unfortunately there are only two spaces for wheelchairs per screening. These are available to book online. Please contact a member of festival staff at the venue if you’d like to see if there are available spaces on the day.

Presented in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and the University of Lancashire.

Tickets now available!

About The Bashford Twins

Liam and Kyle Bashford, (The Bashford Twins), are award-winning filmmakers from Blackburn, Lancashire. They began their careers making short horror films and, at just 19 years old, won Best Director for their short inspired by the urban legend Bloody Mary. Since then, they have collaborated with talent from global productions including Stranger Things, alongside crew members from The Last of Us and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Their work, recognised with more than 20 awards and 60 international nominations, is driven by bold, socially conscious storytelling. After spending eight years developing their craft at Pinewood Studios, they went on to direct Waiting For Time, starring BAFTA winner Ariyon Bakare and co-produce the Indian action-thriller Bloodline, released in cinemas across India in 2025.

Their company, Eleven Eleven Pictures, recently executive-produced Una Notte with Harris Dickinson’s Devisio Pictures, which has been nominated at BAFTA and BIFA qualifying film festivals. They continue supporting Northern talent and are set to direct a psychological horror feature this year.

Instagram