Nigel Havers and David Puttnam heading to Sunderland for Chariots of Fire reunion at The Fire Station

A treat for film buffs is coming to Sunderland this month when The Fire Station brings film buffs the opportunity to quiz a former Hollywood producer and one of Britain’s best known actors.

To mark the centenary of the 1924 Olympics in Paris, the High Street West venue hosts a special screening of Oscar winner Chariots of Fire, attended by the film’s producer Lord David Puttnam and one of its stars, Nigel Havers.

The film won four Oscars including Best Picture, plus three BAFTAs also including Best Film. Made in 1981, Chariots of Fire is often cited as a standout example of British film making.

It centres around two great real-life British sprinters of the day, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams.

The film will be screened on Wednesday, March 20 followed by a question and answer session with David and Nigel, both of whom will discuss their memories of making the film and their thoughts on it over 40 years later.

David Puttnam has produced a string of hit films including Midnight Express, Local Hero, The Killing Fields, Memphis Belle and Bugsy Malone. For a time he was chair and CEO of Columbia Pictures and was Chancellor of the University of Sunderland for a decade.

Nigel Havers played Lord Andrew Lindsay in Chariots of Fire, a role which earned him a BAFTA nomination.

He went on to appear in a string of popular films and television shows including Empire of the Sun, A Passage to India, Downton Abbey and Coronation Street.

The Fire Station's venue director Tamsin Austin said: “We’re privileged to be hosting such a special evening. Lord Puttnam is a towering figure in the film industry and has been a champion for Sunderland for many years.

"Nigel Havers is one of the most recognisable British actors with a hugely successful career in film, TV and on stage.

“Reuniting them on stage in Sunderland will be a very special moment – and audience members will also get to enjoy one of the best British movies ever made, a real masterpiece of film-making.”

Tickets are £25, with all profits going to The Film and Television Charity. For more information, or to book tickets, visit www.thefirestation.org.uk.