Festival Highlights
Featuring a commanding performance from Sir Anthony Hopkins as Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, also known as the “British Schindler”, who helped rescue hundreds of children from Europe on the verge of World War II. Based on a deeply moving true story of kindness, the narrative explores an act of compassion that was almost forgotten for 50 years.
An all-star cast led by Sir Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton bring this wickedly mischievous reimagining of Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call to vivid life. A story of ambition and desire with a dazzling anti-hero at its dark heart delivering a whodunnit wrapped in a devastatingly deadly web of blackmail and betrayal.
Engaging with notions of masculinity, self-discovery and gender expression with touching honesty and insight, writer-director Dionne Edwards delivers a beautifully poignant narrative journey supported by a stellar cast and featuring the music of Tina Turner. An exhilarating sojourn through South London weaves a story of powerful self-expression, confronting the past and of course, a glorious red dress.
The inimitable Sir Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson bring this true story to life focusing on a war veteran who made global headlines as he staged a "great escape" from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy to commemorate fallen comrades.
Charting the breakup of a marriage, a forgotten letter brings a couple together to face their past and their most intimate feelings for each other. Featuring an honest, tender script navigating the highs and lows of married life, Marcus Markou crafts an engrossing and engaging drama fuelled by solid central performances.
An epic Rock Opera directed by Ken Russell, based on The Who's album. It stars Roger Daltrey as Tommy, a boy struck deaf, dumb, and blind who rises to fame as a pinball wizard. Also starring Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Elton John, and Tina Turner, the film features surreal visuals and a memorable soundtrack, exploring themes of celebrity and spirituality.
Based on a true scandal of the 1920s. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley play neighbours who get on each other’s nerves in this dark comedy about a small English town where residents start receiving anonymous, expletive-laden letters, igniting a scandal in their community.
Official Selection
Gabriel Byrne brings Samuel Beckett to life in this biographical drama helmed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Marsh. Beckett was many things: Parisian bon vivant, World War II Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband, and recluse. Despite all the adulation that came his way, he was a man acutely aware of his own failings.
An almost unrecognisable Helen Mirren brings Israel's historic Prime Minister Golda Meir to vivid life showcasing a performance befitting one of the most iconic and influential political leaders of the twentieth century as millions of lives hang in the balance during the tense period of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Featuring all the hit songs of British pop icons Take That and adapted from the smash stage show, Greatest Days is an epic musical that will have you singing and dancing through the aisles as it follows five best friends who have the night of their lives seeing their favourite boy band in concert.
Investigating the concept of cultural identity and personal legacy, this white-knuckle historical thriller stars Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon and Ciarán Hinds. Set in a remote Irish village, a retired assassin finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists.
Start your engines for this compelling documentary profile of Formula 1 World Champion, team owner and legend of the sport, Sir Jackie Stewart.
A touching tale of friendship from the executive producers of The Kings Speech and Soul Surfer, following a group of young men who return to their hometown to turn their friend's final days into a celebration of life and friendship. A tender examination of mortality with a strong central performance from George Somner.
He grew up in poverty, left school when he was only nine years old and by the age of 30, Noël Coward was the most successful multi-talented artist of the 20th Century. This is his inspirational story told in his own words and music.
Few directors have been mythologised like Alfred Hitchcock. Extensively and intricately researched, this insightful documentary weaves footage from virtually every film Hitchcock ever made to offer a fresh profile of the masterful movie maker and his practice. A deep dive into cinema history, director Mark Cousins offers fans old and new an inspiring portrait of a truly iconic filmmaker.
Festival favourite Timothy Spall leads a diverse ensemble in this comedy of errors that follows a group with a chronic fear of flying who are stranded in the wintry north. Lost, freezing and terrified, they must find a way of facing their fears and working together to spread their wings... and fly.
Featuring a commanding performance from Sir Anthony Hopkins as Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, also known as the “British Schindler”, who helped rescue hundreds of children from Europe on the verge of World War II. Based on a deeply moving true story of kindness, the narrative explores an act of compassion that was almost forgotten for 50 years.
Engaging with notions of masculinity, self-discovery and gender expression with touching honesty and insight, writer-director Dionne Edwards delivers a beautifully poignant narrative journey supported by a stellar cast and featuring the music of Tina Turner. An exhilarating sojourn through South London weaves a story of powerful self-expression, confronting the past and of course, a glorious red dress.
Anton Corbijn profiles Hipgnosis, the iconic album art design studio that rock royalty used during the 1970s designing iconic album covers for bands such as Pink Floyd, Wings, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.
A bittersweet comedy from Leo Leigh (son of Mike) about social isolation, and the lengths we go to for a moment of respite. We meet Sue as she navigates re-entering the dating scene after many years. Honest, touching and uplifting, this naturalistic narrative offers a joyful take on the unexpected second chances life gives you.
An all-star cast led by Sir Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton bring this wickedly mischievous reimagining of Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call to vivid life. A story of ambition and desire with a dazzling anti-hero at its dark heart delivering a whodunnit wrapped in a devastatingly deadly web of blackmail and betrayal.
The inimitable Sir Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson bring this true story to life focusing on a war veteran who made global headlines as he staged a "great escape" from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy to commemorate fallen comrades.
Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl McCormack ignite the screen in this literary thriller tracking a young writer who takes a job tutoring the son of an arrogant literary giant.
A publican struggles to hold onto his small-town pub as tensions rise upon the arrival of Syrian refugees seeking asylum. This new work from revered filmmaker Ken Loach, who continues to examine social and human rights issues, delivers a heartfelt narrative on the power of acceptance and community.
A darkly satirical showcase of a dinner party gone wrong, a brilliant ensemble cast featuring Rufus Sewell and Olivia Williams make up the guest list as we track the dissolving relationship of two couples and the deadly behaviour of an unexpected dinner guest.
Charting the breakup of a marriage, a forgotten letter brings a couple together to face their past and their most intimate feelings for each other. Featuring an honest, tender script navigating the highs and lows of married life, Marcus Markou crafts an engrossing and engaging drama fuelled by solid central performances.
An epic Rock Opera directed by Ken Russell, based on The Who's album. It stars Roger Daltrey as Tommy, a boy struck deaf, dumb, and blind who rises to fame as a pinball wizard. Also starring Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Elton John, and Tina Turner, the film features surreal visuals and a memorable soundtrack, exploring themes of celebrity and spirituality.
Based on a true scandal of the 1920s. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley play neighbours who get on each other’s nerves in this dark comedy about a small English town where residents start receiving anonymous, expletive-laden letters, igniting a scandal in their community.
Retrospective
40 years after its infamous release, a new ultimate cut showcases an unprecedented amount of never-before-seen footage detailing the story of Caligula, who seizes power and begins to dismantle the Roman Empire from within. Starring Malcolm McDowell, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, and Helen Mirren.
Famed filmmaker James Ivory brings E.M. Forster's novel of the same name to vivid life. Featuring exquisite period detail and supported by a strong A-Grade ensemble, notably Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter, this exploration of the evolving landscape of early 20th-century England offers a deeply engaging dramatic core.
Featuring the late, great David Warner as Morgan Delt, an eccentric artist struggling to win back his upper-class wife (Vanessa Redgrave), this satirical exploration of the counterculture and societal norms of 1960s delivers surreal elements and astute political satire.
Maggie Smith shines in her Oscar winning role as the unconventional teacher Jean Brodie, telling the story of her influence on a group of students at a conservative school in the 1930s, exploring themes of loyalty, manipulation and individuality, offering a sincere character drama with tour de force performances.
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, featuring BAFTA winning performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, this moving drama explores love, duty, and regret through the story of a loyal butler, Stevens, and his repressed emotions as he reflects on his past service in a British aristocratic household.
Iconoclast Ken Russell brings D.H. Lawrence's novel to the screen exploring the complex relationships between two sisters and two men. Progressive, tantalizing and polarizing, this explicitly powerful and darkly funny work delivers a period piece which earned Glenda Jackson an Oscar for her performance.
Documentaries
Start your engines for this compelling documentary profile of Formula 1 World Champion, team owner and legend of the sport, Sir Jackie Stewart.
He grew up in poverty, left school when he was only nine years old and by the age of 30, Noël Coward was the most successful multi-talented artist of the 20th Century. This is his inspirational story told in his own words and music.
Few directors have been mythologised like Alfred Hitchcock. Extensively and intricately researched, this insightful documentary weaves footage from virtually every film Hitchcock ever made to offer a fresh profile of the masterful movie maker and his practice. A deep dive into cinema history, director Mark Cousins offers fans old and new an inspiring portrait of a truly iconic filmmaker.
Anton Corbijn profiles Hipgnosis, the iconic album art design studio that rock royalty used during the 1970s designing iconic album covers for bands such as Pink Floyd, Wings, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.