This screening will be introduced by season co-curator Millie Zhou.

Inititated by the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, twenty outstanding Taiwanese directors were each asked to create one five-minute short film inspired by the same topic: the uniqueness of Taiwan.

The resulting stories and documentaries, which did not have to adhere to any kind of dictates, either formally or in terms of content, provide an astonishingly multifaceted panorama of Taiwanese society. The filmmakers’ personal perspectives span a wide-ranging network of images, between historical events and political vigilance, rebellion and devotion, magical realism and unflinching illusion. The diverse cinematic approaches used by these cineastes open a window onto their own imagination - whether they choose to employ an epistolary form, or a monologue, to include elements of a thriller, silent cinema, theatre of the absurd or dark comedy, or simply to observe carefully with a camera.

From the Oscar-winning team behind 20 Days in Mariupol, 2000 Meters to Andriivka documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point. Following his historic account of the civilian toll in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov turns his lens towards Ukrainian soldiers - who they are, where they came from, and the impossible decisions they face in the trenches as they fight for every inch of their land.

The Garden Cinema View:

Following 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov and his team have once again embedded themselves at the centre of the fighting in Ukraine, providing quite unbelievable proximity to the front lines of this grinding conflict. This is as immediate a record as it is realistically possible to achieve. A terrifying (and disturbingly thrilling) confrontation with the utter inhumanity of modern warfare, a stark reminder of the current war in Europe, and a film that carries an implicit warning regarding humanity’s future.  

A joint presentation by EAST2046 Festival and Chinese Cinema Project - Wong Kar-wai's all star visionary follow-up to In the Mood for Love. The screening explores how futuristic aesthetics and themes of displacement resonate with contemporary Asian diasporic experiences.

Set in a near-future world, writer Chow Mo-wan retreats to room 2046 in a Hong Kong hotel, where he encounters mysterious women and writes science fiction stories about a place called 2046 - a realm where people go to reclaim lost memories. As reality and fiction blur, the film becomes a meditation on love, loss, and the possibility of return in an ever-changing world.

Both screenings of this new restoration of A City of Sadness will feature pre-recorded introductions from Tony Rayns.

Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, A City of Sadness announced Hou’s arrival as a world-class filmmaker and foremost recorder of his nation’s troubled past. This intimate epic chronicles the tragedies that befall the three Lin brothers - a gangster, a translator for the Japanese administration, and a photographer - and those around them during a chaotic period in Taiwan’s national history, between the end of Japanese Imperial rule (1945) and the secession from Mainland China and creation of martial law (1949-1987). The film was groundbreaking in its depiction of the February 28 Incident of 1947, when thousands of native Taiwanese were killed in protests against the Nationalist government.

Each screening of A Confucian Confusion will be preceded by a video introduction from Tony Rayns.

Edward Yang’s first cinematic foray into comedy may have been a surprising stylistic departure, but in its richly novelistic vision of urban discontent, it is quintessential Yang. This relationship roundelay centers on a coterie of young Taipei professionals whose paths converge at an entertainment company where the boundaries between art and commerce, and love and business, have become hopelessly blurred. Evoking the chaos of a city infiltrated by Western chains, logos, and attitudes, A Confucian Confusion is an incisive reflection on the role of traditional values in a materialistic, amoral society.

Made in 1973, two years after Bangladesh’s independence, A River Called Titas remains a deeply relevant cinematic gem from Ritwik Ghatak, a master filmmaker who was described by Satyajit Ray as, “one of the few truly original talents in Indian cinema.”

Based on the 1956 Bengali classic novel of the same name by Adwaita Mallabarman, renowned Bengali auteur Ritwik Ghatak’s hauntingly beautiful, elegiac saga is set in pre-independence India and follows the tumultuous lives of the Malo fishing community along the banks of the Titas River in pre-Partition East Bengal (Now Bangladesh). Focusing on the tragic intertwining fates of a series of fascinating characters, in particular, the indomitable widow Basanti (Rosy Samad/Afsary), Ghatak tells the poignant story of an entire community’s vanishing way of life and culture.

An early example of hyperlink cinema (featuring multiple protagonists in interwoven narrative threads), A River Called Titas also demonstrates Ghatak’s bold creative vision that slowly but surely spreads out (like the river itself), offering infinite, non-linear perspectives on the characters and the landscape that shapes and determines their individual and collective destinies.

In the above trailer Martin Scorsese (director of The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, which helped to restore the film) discusses the significance of A River Called Titas.

The screening will be preceded by a pre-recorded introduction by guest curator Anupma Shanker.

Anupma Shanker is a British-Indian film curator and archives researcher with a deep and evolving interest in marginalised and minority screen narratives from, of and about the past. Her curatorial practice is focused on bringing to light films and filmmakers that remain overlooked, inaccessible and undiscovered but can offer valuable insight, wisdom and guidance in contextualizing the difficult but urgent discourses about the myths and realities of shared/contested histories, heritage, identities and memories.

Restored in 2010 by Cineteca di Bologna /L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in association with Ritwik Memorial Trust, the National Film Archive of India, and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.

Select Japan is excited to bring Shunji Iwai's masterpiece of contemporary Japanese cinema, All About Lily Chou-Chou back to London. Join us on Saturday 30 August where Shunji Iwai himself will be beaming in from Tokyo for an online Q&A following the screening.

For kids around the world, music is often the only salvation when the pain and anxiety of teenage life becomes too much to bear. Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is in the 8th grade and he worships Lily Chou-Chou, a Bjork-like chanteuse whose epic music is lush and transcendent. Yuichi only lives for Lily Chou-Chou's big Tokyo concert, where the lies and violence can be washed away by the presence of his goddess and her powerful music. But fate has yet another obstacle in store for Lily's devoted fan.

Content warnings: suicide, sexual violence.

The screening on Sunday 3 August will be preceded by a live harp performance of some Mozart pieces by the wonderful Harriet Adie. Tickets for the performance and screening are £15.50 for members, and £16.50 for non-members.

The first theatrical re-release of eight-time Academy Award winner Amadeus in over 20 years, now digitally restored.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

About Harriet Adie:

Featured on Scala Radio as ‘One To Watch’, harpist and composer Harriet Adie is known for her intense musicality, creativity, and focus. Harriet is passionate about her instrument and relishes the many opportunities her multifaceted career has provided for sharing her love of the harp with other people.

A highly qualified musician, with degrees from Oxford University and Trinity Laban Conservatoire, award-winning harpist Harriet has performed at star studded events such as the BRIT Awards, prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, and for the late Queen Elizabeth II. An accomplished composer, she has had her music performed on Classic FM and BBC Radio 3 and by harpists across the world.

Website

Hanamichi Productions and Select Japan present An Actor’s Revenge: A Kabuki Salon, a multi-disciplinary performance event that celebrates the magnificent artistry and history of Kabuki. This 400-year-old Japanese theatrical tradition is known for its stylised movement, elaborate costumes, and vivid visual storytelling.

The evening begins with a live Tsugaru shamisen performance by Hibiki Ichikawa and a sake reception in the Garden Cinema bar. This is followed by a Kabuki-inspired poetry performance by actor-dancer Suleiman Suleiman, whose original poem offers a lens through which to view Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 masterpiece An Actor’s Revenge.

Drawing on the visual and performative language of Kabuki - particularly the tradition of the onnagata (male actors who portray idealised female roles) - Suleiman will guide the audience into the film’s dreamlike world of disguise, gender illusion, and poetic vengeance.

After the screening, guests are invited to return to the bar for an ambient soundscape by English Garden Lounging and an informal Q&A with the artists.

Guests are warmly encouraged to take inspiration from Kabuki or Bowie in their attire.

About the film:

A uniquely prolific and chameleonic figure of world cinema, Kon Ichikawa delivered a burst of stylistic bravado with this intricate tale of betrayal and retribution. Set in the cloistered world of nineteenth-century kabuki theatre, the film charts a female impersonator’s attempts to avenge the deaths of his parents, who were driven to insanity and suicide by a trio of corrupt men. Ichikawa takes the conventions of melodrama and turns them on their head, bringing the hero’s fractured psyche to life in boldly experimental widescreen compositions infused with kaleidoscopic colour, pop-art influences, and meticulous choreography.

Programme timings:

19:00 - Doors open, sake at the bar, and live shamisen performance by Hibiki Ichikawa

19:30 - Poetic introduction by Suleiman Suleiman

20:00 - An Actor’s Revenge screening

22:00 - DJ set and ambient visuals in the bar, with soundscape by English Garden Lounging

23:00 - Close

Tickets for the event are £18 for members and £20 for non-members, and include a complimentary serving of sake (or non-alcoholic alternative).

Bar Shorts hosts a retrospective of the cult UK animated series, Dog Judo, which has just turned  21 years old. It follows a pair of dysfunctional anthropomorphic dogs trying to do "proper Judo". The show was originally commissioned by Virgin Mobile as animated content to promote their new camera phones and achieved millions of truly viral views. Virgin released the IP to the creators who went on to make a further 140 episodes featuring stars like Rik Mayall, Kathy Burke, Joe Pantoliano (best known for his role as Ralph Cifaretto in The Sopranos) and Simon Day.

The evening will feature a compilation of classic episodes and a Q&A (hosted by Chris Shepherd) with creators, the Dog & Rabbit animation studio, about comedy, judo and how the series could be a template for future brand funded animation.

There will also be classic Dog Judo T Shirts on sale at noughties prices.

This is a special centenary edition of Sergei Eisenstein’s legendary Battleship Potemkin featuring the celebrated Tenant / Lowe score performed by Pet Shop Boys and Dresdner Sinfoniker.

A fixture in the critical canon almost since its premiere, Eisenstein’s film about a 1905 naval mutiny was revolutionary in both form and content. Battleship Potemkin is renowned for its

dynamic compositional strength and editing of such frame perfect precision that it’s hard not to be swept along.

First revealed at a special outdoor screening in front of an estimated 25,000 in Trafalgar Square in 2004, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s score, performed with the Dresdner Sinfoniker and orchestrated by Torsten Rasch, blends electronic beats with orchestral grandeur to create a contemporary cinematic experience.

Northern China, 1999. The grisly discovery of several corpses is made in a small town. A bloody incident during the attempt to capture the alleged murderer leaves two police officers dead and another badly injured. The surviving officer Zhang Zili is suspended from duty; he takes a job as a security guard at a factory. Five years later, another series of mysterious murders occurs. Aided by a former colleague, Zhang decides to investigate under his own initiative.

Diao Yinan's Golden Bear winning third feature is a noirish thriller in drained colours which, whilst playfully alluding to the genre, also invites us into the lives of very ordinary people

UK Premiere of the director’s cut version, the screening will be preceded by a recorded video from the director Wu Wenguang.

EAST2046 Festival and Chinese Cinema Project jointly present Wu Wenguang's ground-breaking documentary, Bumming in Beijing, widely regarded as one of the founding works of Chinese independent cinema. The screening explores how the filmmakers’ pioneering aesthetics and themes of urban wandering speak to contemporary experiences of cultural displacement and artistic community-building, in an Asian diasporic context.

Following five young artists drifting through Beijing in the late 1980s, the film captures a generation caught between tradition and modernity, artistic ambition and economic reality. Wu Wenguang's intimate camera reveals the precarious lives of cultural workers navigating China's rapid social changes, creating a raw portrait of displacement and creative survival in a transforming metropolis.

Cast: Artist collective including musicians, painters, and writers from Beijing's underground cultural scene

Hotshot race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is living life in the fast lane...until he hits a detour and gets stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on Route 66. There he meets Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) and a heap of hilarious characters who help him discover there's more to life than trophies and fame.

Cars is a heartwarming film about friendship, teamwork, and community.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you.

Our screening of Cecil B. Demented on the 14th of August will feature an introduction by season co-curator Ronja Blight.

An insane action-comedy about a young lunatic director and his devoted cult of cinema terrorists who kidnap a movie goddess and force her to star in their underground movie. Vowing to punish the crass sins of commercial cinema, fueled by revolutionary zeal and their self-imposed sexual frustration, Cecil B. DeMented and his guerrilla production crew invade the streets of Baltimore to shoot their no-budget epic. When Cecil says Action, he means action! Nothing is going to stand in his way.

The screening will feature a digital introduction by curator Tuyết Vân Huỳnh.

Not all battles are fought with fists, some are for the right to choose your future.

In Children of the Mist, we follow 12-year-old Di, a Hmong girl from rural Vietnam, as she faces the deeply ingrained cultural practice of bride kidnapping. This powerful documentary offers a rare, unflinching look at Di’s personal battle for autonomy against a backdrop of tradition, family, and cultural expectation. As the film unfolds, we not only witness the personal struggles of Di, but we also delve into the ethical challenges of documentary filmmaking.

The documentary questions the role of the filmmaker in capturing such sensitive subjects while offering a deeply human portrait of rural life in contemporary Vietnam. It is a poignant exploration of resistance, self-determination, and the complexity of tradition in a rapidly changing world.

The screening will be preceded by Xe Đạp (The Bicycle, 2000), a radical animated short made by an all-women team, showcasing textured, paper-cut aesthetics that defied formal norms of the time.

Presented by Tuyết Vân Huỳnh

With support from Arts Council England, the British Council Connections Through Culture programme, and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

In collaboration with TPD: The Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents, the Vietnam Film Institute and Varan Hanoi.

A selection of new works from festival alumni of the BIFA Qualifying Kino Short London Short Film Festival. They’ve qualified for the Best British Short Film BIFA in the past… why not give it to one of them this time?

Blue Violet (Josie Charles)

Blue’s gift preparations for her beloved Violet transforms into something darker when reality picks up the phone.

Mum's the Word (Oz Arshad)

In rural England, a 16-year-old boy joins his uncle on a work experience errand, but strange noises from the car boot reveal a terrifying reality—a man bound in a blood-stained rug.

Amigo (James Newman, Harrison Newman)

'Amigo', the rent-a-friend app has taken London by storm. An unfriendly Amigo's life comes crashing down when he finds out his life is a lie.

Dressed to the Nines [London Premiere] (Madeleine Shenai, Ivana Mazza-Coates)

Luke goes on a journey of self-discovery in his mum's bedroom. Trying on dresses, perfume and make-up he dances away, losing himself. But what happens when his unsuspecting dad catches him?

Leg of a Salesman [World Premiere] (Ryan Williams)

A broke salesman finds out his wealthy grandfather has left him everything in his will. But to claim the estate, Henry must cut off one of his legs with a hacksaw...

The Quackening (James Button)

A grumpy Welshman reluctantly visits his grandmother, only to discover she has only gone and got herself cursed! So now he needs to bloody save her (and the world) from a demon duck… before midnight.

The Stork (Stephen Gallacher)

Ready to start a family via artificial insemination, a queer woman orders Norwegian semen online. But when she’s not in to receive the order, her well intentioned (but clueless) parents end up in a bit of sticky situation.

Baby Tooth [UK Premiere] (Olivia Accardo)

A young woman puts out an advertisement for two things: to sell her Grandad's boat and for someone to pull out her baby tooth. Can she find one person right for both?

Experience (Ben Lankester)

An actress battles feelings of anxiety and self-doubt while preparing for an audition.

Jael Drives the Nail [World Premiere] (Maddie Dai)

A woman works out the best way to kill an unconscious enemy general who has sought refuge in her tent, while her two best friends dissuade her using a combination of wit, distraction, and utter disbelief in her ability to pull it off.

The Last Dance (Hayden Mclean)

When Fox’s "LA Bar" is hit with a compulsory purchase order, a cornerstone of Caribbean life in 90's East London is threatened. In defiance and longing, a last dance ignites—one that will be remembered for the ages.

Our screening of Desperate Living on the 29th of August will feature an introduction from Token Homo, programmer of the legendary Bar Trash and Queer Horror Nights.

John Waters first feature without Divine in the lead takes some cues from mid-century womens pictures and queers it up with the gross-out, boundary pushing, excess that made him famous and an ambitious forray into fantsyland. Mink Stole is hysterical (and hysteric) as a woman on the run hiding out in the fairytale town of Mortville where evil Queen Carlotta (Waters regular Edith Massey) rules with an iron fist. Every emotion is played pitched up to the highest height while all of the humor skews to the lowest low. If something so deliberately tacky and in such poor taste could be considered operatic, then Desperate Living is it.

The father, the mother and their three kids live at the outskirts of a city. There is a tall fence surrounding the house. The kids have never been outside that fence. They are being educated, entertained, bored and exercised in the manner that their

parents deem appropriate, without any influence from the outside world. They believe that the airplanes flying over are toys and that zombies are small yellow flowers. The only person allowed to enter the house is Christina. She works as a security guard at the father’s business. The father arranges her visits to the house in order to appease the sexual urges of the son. The whole family is fond of her, especially the eldest daughter. One day Christina gives her as a present a headband that has stones that glow in the dark and asks for something in return.

The Oslo Stories Trilogy (Sex, Dreams, Love) is an ambitious set of films from novelist-turned-filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud, contemplating romance, intimacy, and desire in contemporary Norway.

A Berlin Golden Bear Winner (2025), Dreams is a coming-of-age story about Johane, who falls in love for the first time with her teacher. Preserving her emotions and experiences in her journal, she shows the work to her mother and grandmother. Initially shocked, they soon see the literary potential and debate whether to encourage its publication, setting in motion a frank exploration of their differing views on love, sexuality, and self-discovery.

Witty, gentle, and eye-opening, Haugerud charts a full investigation on what contemporary love means in this series of films about romantic, sexual, philosophical, and creative awakenings.

The Garden Cinema View:

The last to be filmed (but second chronologically) in this loose trilogy of human relations has the clearest narrative structure of the trio, whilst still retaining a strong visual flair, and digressions into moments of quiet poetry. Whilst the film is heavy with voiceover narration, this seems fitting for a story about writers, and indeed about an interior world of fantasy and desire. At the core of Dreams is an ethical issue concerning safeguarding and grooming, and this plays out intelligently, with scenes involving the teenage protagonist, her mother and grandmother, showing the contrasting wisdom and blind spots of these three generations of women. Dag Johan Haugerud films Oslo in close detail, picking out the communities and contradictions of a city which contains wonderful nature, characterful districts, and the impersonal surfaces of global capitalism.  

Our screening on 8 September will be introduced by Tom Cunliffe (UCL).

Having completed junior high education, Wan leaves his hometown for Taipei City. With him is Huen, the girl he grew up with. In Taipei, they lead a very hard, but happy life. Then, Wan is drafted into military service. On the eve of his departure, Huen gives him 1,096 self-addressed and postal stamped envelopes, hoping that Wan will write to her every day during his three-year military service period.

Based on the personal experience of Wu Nien-jen, the co-writer of the film, Dust in the Wind is a nostalgic portrayal of the changing Taiwan of the early 1970s

An epic and darkly funny symphony of family dysfunction, Dying follows the estranged members of the Lunies family as they wrestle with chaotic private lives. Son Tom (Lars Eidinger), a well-regarded conductor, is too preoccupied to give his

ailing parents the attention they need. He’s juggling work - overseeing a new orchestral piece - and a confusing relationship with an ex who wants him to co-parent her newborn child. Meanwhile, daughter Ellen fumbles through life plagued by alcohol-induced blackouts and an affair with a married colleague.

Winner of Best Screenplay at the Berlin Film Festival and Best Film at the German Film Awards, Dying is a brilliant and sharply comic portrayal of a family slowly unraveling as they contend with the chaos life brings.

The Garden Cinema View:

A film that subverts expectations, in that Dying is more lowkey than the title, logline, and running-time, suggest. Starting in seemingly grim end-of-life circumstances (think Amour or Vortex), but opening up to consider a broader view of a dysfunctional German family with some sharply written, and often quite funny scenes. Other than steely matriarch Lissy, our principal trio is completed by stressed out conductor Tom, and alcoholic dental nurse Ellen. Lissy’s scenes are perhaps the most painful, and the most piercingly honest, whilst Ellen’s chapter feels quite thin, her character lacking dimensions. Tom - who would feel at home in a Ruben Östlund film - is ultimately the centre of a film that feels at times quite novelistic, and at others a little artificial (Tom conducts a piece titled 'Dying' which is described at overlong and pointless).

Our screening on Friday 19 September will be introduced by Victor Fan (KCL).

Ang Lee’s generous, touching Eat Drink Man Woman focuses on master chef Chu and his three daughters (all of them living at home) as they confront seismic changes in their lives. The film is the third instalment in Ang Lee’s family trilogy, known unofficially (and ironically) as the 'Father Knows Best' series, largely because venerable actor Sihung Lung (whom Lee lured out of retirement) played a father in each film. Constructed around a series of all-in family dinners, where each of the characters eventually (very reluctantly) drops a bombshell announcement, the film hinges on the tension between modernity and tradition, family and personal freedom, and, especially, the necessity of confiding and sharing. With the profound empathy that typifies his best work, Lee drops us into the drama without much explanation and carefully disrupts our assumptions about the characters - and the narratives they construct about themselves.

This Taiwanese Cinema: Now & Then opening night screening of Eat Drink Man Woman will be followed by a drinks reception in The Atrium Bar, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, open to members' tickets holders and their +1s.

Ang Lee’s generous, touching Eat Drink Man Woman focuses on master chef Chu and his three daughters (all of them living at home) as they confront seismic changes in their lives. The film is the third instalment in Ang Lee’s family trilogy, known unofficially (and ironically) as the 'Father Knows Best' series, largely because venerable actor Sihung Lung (whom Lee lured out of retirement) played a father in each film. Constructed around a series of all-in family dinners, where each of the characters eventually (very reluctantly) drops a bombshell announcement, the film hinges on the tension between modernity and tradition, family and personal freedom, and, especially, the necessity of confiding and sharing. With the profound empathy that typifies his best work, Lee drops us into the drama without much explanation and carefully disrupts our assumptions about the characters - and the narratives they construct about themselves.

In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

The Garden Cinema View:

Writing about Eddington without destroying its quirks and surprises is tricky - but here we are. In this surprisingly ambitious attempt to diagnose the mess of contradictions and chaos that is the USA, Ari Aster ultimately trips over his own anxieties and spirals into a chasm of neurosis and nihilism. The town of Eddington is itself a wonderfully realised space, and is potentially rich soil for a state-of-the-nation satire. There are nods to the Coens (No Country for Old Men and The Big Lebowski), John Sayles (Lone Star), and PTA (Inherent Vice), but without the consistency of tone that truly merits such comparisons.

It's a shocking, silly, fried-out mess - and that goes for the US and for Eddington.  

Eureka plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by Ben Webb, who writes: 'It would be great to see Nic Roeg’s masterpiece on a big screen. It features a towering central performance from Gene Hackman, who sadly passed away recently. It’s Roeg’s Citizen Kane but more entertaining and it was lost for many years due to studio politics.'

Twenty years after uncovering an unimaginable bounty of gold in the Klondike, prospector Jack McCann, now settled in the Caribbean, finds both his wealth and soul at stake amongst a sinister web of nefarious influences, spiritual malaise and criminal elements.

A saga of almost cosmic proportions, headlined by an exceptional cast including Gene Hackman, Rutger Hauer, Theresa Russell, Mickey Rourke, Joe Pesci, and Joe Spinell, Eureka is as powerfully acted, formally audacious, thematically layered, and emotionally complex as any of Roeg’s work.

Join us for the first in our IRL panel series, Fat Lib Live: Voices of Fat Resistance, an evening of celebration, community, and thinking about the future with fat activists from across the spectrum.

This powerful panel brings together a cross-section of the UK’s fat liberation movement to reflect on where we’ve come from, where we are now—and where we need to go next. As anti-fat discrimination intensifies in the wake of the overuse and endorsement of GLP1 medications, this event is a rallying point: a space to gather, reflect, and build momentum.

Featuring:

Carlie Pendleton – fat historian and activist. In the final year of their PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London, researching histories of fat queer activism in modern Britain. They previously obtained their MA Queer History from Goldsmiths in 2020 and an MSt in British and European History from the University of Oxford in 2017. They are an Early Career Member of the Royal Historical Society and a Co-Convenor for the IHR History of Sexuality Seminar.

Hannah Ogilvie-Young – fat influencer & podcaster. Hannah Ogilvie-Young is a plus size fashion content creator by the name Queenbeastsays who shares her style and body peace journey. Hannah also hosts the podcast Fats on Film exploring fat representation in film, tv and wider media.

Jade Elouise – fat liberation advocate and poet. Jade Elouise is a fat, Black, queer, neurodivergent fat liberationist and mental health practitioner, who explores body image through their art, writing and poetry and co-founded Fat Liberation London.

Laurel Dean – grassroots activist. Laurel Dean is a fat activist and community organiser. They are a founding member of Fat Club Brighton.

Hosted by Simran Kaur Sandhu – co-founder of Fat Liberation London.

Together, we’ll explore how the fat lib movement has mobilised in the past and how it’s changing through scholarship, artistry, social media, influencer culture, and grassroots community organising—and share tangible actions we can all take to support and protect one another during this hostile time.

Expect thoughtful discussion, solidarity, laughter, rage, and real talk. You'll leave feeling connected, informed, and ready to take up space and take action.

The panel will be about an hour, with time for questions afterwards, and we’ll hold drinks in the same space afterwards so we can all meet some fat-positive friends!

TICKET PRICES

Fats to the front – but ALLIES ARE WELCOME.

Whether you're deep in the movement or just beginning to unlearn, this is your chance to be part of the conversation.

Tickets are £7 for fats, £10 for allies – and we mean it when we say: bring a friend.

This is the flagship event of Fat Liberation Month — don’t miss it.

ABOUT

Welcome to Fat Liberation London!

We are a friendly, inclusive group of fat people who wanted to find a safe space and loving IRL community who feel the same way we do about body image and fat liberation - so we started this group!

This is all about connecting with people who have shared lived experience existing in a fat body, whether you are a small or mid-size fat person, or a large, super or infinifat. We have monthly coffee meet ups in an accessible, fat-friendly cozy space, and also throw a range of events like board games nights, casual drinks, book clubs focussing on fat writings, picnics, group tickets to fat-focussed events and more as we grow.

Community is so important and it can be so healing to find people who understand your experience and celebrate the unique complexities it brings to who we are. This is not a space focussed on changing who we are or our bodies, and with this in mind, we’ve got some guidelines for our space to help everyone feel safe!

Community Guidelines

In this group, we are:

Fat-First. Fat Liberation London was created for fat people, by fat people. Our community therefore centres large fat+ bodies first. We use self-identifying terms that are common in fat spaces (i.e. midsize, small fat, large fat, superfat and infinifat), and ask community members in smaller bodies to be considerate of the fact that our community prioritises the most marginalised bodies.

Rooted in community. We want to bring people with shared experience together to have fun and build relationships in a friendly, accessible and non-judgemental space. We will always do our best to make our new and existing community feel welcome, and we also want members to feel comfortable organising their own meet-ups and events with others in our community.

A safe space for intersectional identities and marginalised bodies. We aim to champion anti-racism, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, accessibility for disabled and neurodivergent people, and anti-discrimination of all kinds. While it is an unlikely occurrence, please be aware that anyone creating unnecessary conflict or displaying malicious, prejudiced or discriminatory behaviour will be asked to leave our events. This is not a singles group! We're creating a safe space for fat people to come together in joyful friendship.

Mindful of individual differences. We know that everyone will be in different places in their fat liberation journey, and recognise that some discussion topics, events and venues may be more accessible to some than others. We ask our community to utilise content warnings for potentially triggering conversations that may come up in events. We also aim to provide as much information as possible about event space accessibility.

Our screening of Female Trouble on the 16th of August will feature an introduction by Jaye Hudson from TGirlsOnFilm

Glamour has never been more grotesque than in Female Trouble, which injects the Hollywood melodrama with anarchic decadence. Divine, director John Waters’ larger-than-life muse, engulfs the screen with charisma as Dawn Davenport, the living embodiment of the film’s lurid mantra, 'Crime is beauty', who progresses from a teenage nightmare hell-bent on getting cha-cha heels for Christmas to a fame monster whose egomaniacal impulses land her in the electric chair. Shot in Waters’ native Baltimore on 16mm, with a cast drawn from his beloved troupe of regulars, the Dreamlanders (including Mink Stole, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Edith Massey, and Cookie Mueller), this film­ - the director’s favorite of his work with Divine - comes to life through the tinsel-toned vision of production designer Vincent Peranio and costume designer/makeup artist Van Smith. An endlessly quotable fan favorite, Female Trouble offers up perverse pleasures that never fail to satisfy.

This refreshingly anarchic, darkly strange, and absurdist look at male bonding and the breakdown of a relationship is also the funniest American comedy in years.

When an errant delivery pulls suburban dad Craig Waterman into the orbit of his mysterious and charismatic new neighbour Austin Carmichael, a sweet bromance appears to blossom over an innocent evening of urban exploration, punk rock, and a mutual appreciation for paleolithic antiquities. But is this really the start of a beautiful friendship…?

The Garden Cinema View:

As with ostensibly ‘serious’ Adam Sandler films, such as Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, transposing a comic-clown persona like Tim Robinson into a world closer to reality makes for a oddly psychotic and edgy experience. Thus, what initially feels like a call-back to I Love You Man descends into the kind of white collar worker meltdown of Falling Down, and stalker energy of Fatal Attraction.

Friendship is filmed and edited with a degree of flair, and explores themes of male bonding and social anxiety. Although, the frequent inclusions of sketch-type set ups means that it never has the consistency of purpose as the last great friendship-breakup movie, The Banshees of Inisherin. And it’s those moments that make Friendship feel geared towards Robinson fans, rather than a wider audience.

As it didn't feel quite right to screen member Renee Francis' suggestion of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown without gazpacho, we're excited to partner up with our friends from Barrafina again for a members-only event on Sunday 17 August.

From 14:30, come enjoy a refreshing glass of the iconic chilled soup to get in the mood for Almodóvar's quintessential comedy. There will be Spanish tunes aplenty, and delicious vermouth available from the bar - at a summery discounted price, of course!

Merging international cinema with karaoke, we'll also have a pop-up ADR station available to those who (like the film's protagonist Pepa) have always wanted to try their hand at 'the art of dubbing', allowing you to provide your own improvised dialogue for some iconic non-English film scenes.

Wearing your best polka dot garment, soft pink skirt suit, or primary-coloured outfit is encouraged, as there will be the opportunity to have your picture taken.

Tickets are available for just £15, and restricted to 2 per member, meaning you're welcome to bring an amiga or amigo along for the occasion. They include a glass of (vegan) gazpacho, access to the pre-screening event, and an unallocated seat for the film.

Event timings:

14:30  Gazpacho, Spanish tunes & film dubbing in the Atrium Bar

15:45  Screening of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

17:25  Expected finish

Special offer:

To further satisfy your palate after the moreish gazpacho, Barrafina are welcoming members to enjoy a generous 25% discount on their bill at their Drury Lane location (just down the street from the cinema) in the two weeks following the event. You can make a reservation via this link to receive the discount - perfect for a pre-screening lunch or post-screening dinner!

About the film:

Melding melodrama with screwball farce, this Academy Award–nominated black comedy was Pedro Almodóvar’s international breakthrough and secured his place at the vanguard of modern Spanish cinema. Continuing the auteur’s exploration of the female psyche, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown tells the story of Pepa - played by the director’s frequent collaborator Carmen Maura - who resolves to kill herself with a batch of sleeping-pill-laced gazpacho after her lover leaves her. Fortunately, she is interrupted by a deliciously chaotic series of events. The filmmaker channeled Hollywood inspiration into his own unique vision, arriving at the irreverent humor and vibrant visual sense that define his work today. With an exceptional ensemble cast that also includes Antonio Banderas and Rossy de Palma, this film shows an artist in total control of his craft.

About Barrafina:

Barrafina is a modern Spanish tapas restaurant group founded by Sam and Eddie Hart, with Executive Head Chefs Antonio Gonzalez Milla and Francisco Jose Torrico at the helm. There are five Barrafinas across London: Adelaide Street in Trafalgar Square, Drury Lane in Covent Garden, Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, Borough Yards near London Bridge, and Dean Street in Soho - home to the original site, which first opened on Frith Street in 2007 before relocating in 2016.

Barrafina is renowned for its theatrical countertop dining experience, where guests enjoy exceptional Spanish tapas prepared directly across from them. The à la carte menus celebrate authentic regional dishes from across Spain, complemented by daily specials unique to each site. A focused wine list showcases some of Spain’s best sherries, Cavas and regional wines. Barrafina Adelaide Street is recognised on The World’s 50 Best Discovery list.

Website | Instagram

Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a contract killer, a master of his trade who can whirl a gun at warp speed and moves through this world like a phantom - stealthy and evanescent. In the spirit of the samurai, he has pledged his loyalty to a small time mobster named Louie (John Tormey) who saved his life many years before.

Girl plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by our member Joseph Miller, who writes: 'Before his masterpiece Close (2022), Lukas Dhont created a controversial yet deeply humane look at transitioning through the eyes of Lara (based on Nora Monsecour‘s own life), A unique experience needed to be screened.'

Lukas Dhont's breathtaking debut feature encompasses the heartache, courage, and punishing training of a ballerina transitioning in her teenage years. Winner of three prizes at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, including one for the extraordinary physical performance by teenage dancer Victor Polster as Lara, through whom we see the daily toil of the desperate desire to accelerate the sluggish process of transition.

The screening on 19 August will be followed by a panel discussion co-hosted with  DIVERT BounceBack.

The screening on 21 August is a Relaxed Screening.

The screening is open to all, but is particularly mindful of neurodiverse audiences, with adjustments in place to create an inclusive, relaxed environment for everyone. For this screening, the house lights will remain at a low level and the volume will be turned slightly down. The screening will have captions. You will be free to leave and return to your seats during the screening, and to make noise. There will be a dedicated quiet space available.

Directed by Emmy-nominated Sophie Compton (Another Body) and BAFTA Breakthrough Daisy-May Hudson (Half Way, Lollipop), HOLLOWAY is a profound, emotionally charged and visually striking film set entirely inside the now-demolished Holloway Prison in London, once the largest women’s prison in Europe.

Six women return to the abandoned building of Holloway Prison to take part in a women’s circle. Sharing some of the most intimate experiences of their lives, they unravel what led each of them to prison, building an eye-opening portrait of failing systems, childhood trauma and discovering their extraordinary capacity to heal through sisterhood. Formally daring and collaboratively made, HOLLOWAY is the result of an innovative, trauma-informed production model developed with its contributors, who are recognised as lived experience experts. Their input shaped every stage of the film, from development through to editing, ensuring the women’s voices remain central throughout. This co-creative process has been recognised by academics from Middlesex University as a “blueprint” for ethical, trauma-informed storytelling.

“radical and emotionally devastating” (Cineuropa),

“raw and essential” (Film Carnage)

“a vital act of storytelling” (Loud and Clear)

War overshadows Lviv, a beautiful ancient city in western Ukraine, but life continues to move forward. How does one cope with maintaining normalcy, when sirens are ablaze with constant Russian attacks threatening all aspects of society? Hong Kong iconic documentary filmmaker Tammy Cheung (Secondary School, Rice Distribution) dives into the realities lived by Lviv and its people, her camera as her tool of solidarity, sharing the stories of ordinary citizens, refugees, drafted men, journalists, medics, and more.  

Lviv Diary is a sombering insight into the tears and trauma of war, shining necessary spotlight on the people holding onto Ukraine’s fight for freedom and against authoritarian expansion. As a practitioner of “Direct Cinema” and long-time documentarian on social and political causes, Cheung does not employ voice over or interviews, reiterating the unifying power of observation and being present.

Holding its world premiere at Hong Kong Film Festival UK, Lviv Diary is Cheung’s second documentary about the war in Ukraine.

Followed by an in person conversation with director Tammy Cheung, moderated by Chris Berry.

In Ukrainian with Chinese and English subtitles

With support from Amnesty International UK.

Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns for its third edition from 12–28 September in London, presenting reflective, boundary-shifting cinema from Hong Kong and the ESEA diaspora. This year’s programme foregrounds transient and transitioning identities, exploring perspectives on migration, activism, marginalised communities, and gender, highlighting also the creative lens of women filmmakers. From dynamic contemporary works to intimate personal narratives, the festival centres voices that challenge, navigate, and reimagine belonging. Supported by the BFI.

Whether caused by the rising cost of living or our tumultuous political environments, many of us across Europe and Asia are bound by the desire to emigrate and seek greener pastures in another country. But what are the emotional costs of such a move?

In Next Stop, Somewhere, filmmakers James Lee and Jeremiah Foo explore the personal struggles of emigration in all their intimacy and complexity through two parallel stories of separation and connection: Huang (Anthony Wong), a Hong Kong actor enduring a two-week hotel quarantine upon relocating to Taiwan, and Kim (Kendra Sow), a Vietnamese woman navigating challenging new relationships as she arrives in Malaysia for an arranged marriage.

Framed with the sensitivity of an Edward Yang film, an unusually tight aspect ratio, and a beautiful use of colour, Next Stop, Somewhere is a tender exploration of diasporic experience and what happens when our longing to escape confronts the realities of emigration.

Followed by a live online Q&A with Director James Lee and Producer Jeremiah Foo.

In Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese with Chinese and English subtitles

Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns for its third edition from 12–28 September in London, presenting reflective, boundary-shifting cinema from Hong Kong and the ESEA diaspora. This year’s programme foregrounds transient and transitioning identities, exploring perspectives on migration, activism, marginalised communities, and gender, highlighting also the creative lens of women filmmakers. From dynamic contemporary works to intimate personal narratives, the festival centres voices that challenge, navigate, and reimagine belonging. Supported by the BFI.

Monica Vitti stars here as Giuliana, the slightly whacky girl with whom bourgeois lawyer Pietro (Giorgio Albertazzi) meets cute at a bohemian bacchanal. Just as quickly, the two get married, setting the stage for a humorous study of then-contemporary romance and the state of sexual politics in Italy. Something of a time capsule, I Married You for Fun contributed significantly to Vitti branching out from the inscrutable Antonioni talisman to becoming more synonymous with Italian cinema in the 1960s.

This is part of 'Anthony Chen Double Feature' jointly presented by Bun Bites Screening and Chinese Cinema Project.

Ilo Ilo is the debut feature film of Anthony Chen, which won the prestigious Caméra d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The film presents a child's perspective through Jiale, a 9-year-old Singaporean boy. He is rebellious and bratty when facing family conflicts, but develops a friendship with a quiet Filipino maid.

Set in Singapore, Ilo Ilo chronicles the relationship between the Lim family and their newly arrived maid, Teresa. Like many other Filipino women, she has come to this city in search of a better life. Her presence in the family worsens their already strained relationship. Jiale, the young and troublesome son, starts to form a unique bond with Teresa, who soon becomes an unspoken part of the family. But this is 1997 and the Asian Financial Crisis is beginning to be felt in the region...

Bun Bites Screening is a London-based emerging film club dedicated to spotlighting the voices of the younger generation in Asia and the Global South, while fostering an inclusive community for film lovers. We curate and screen films made by young people, about young people, and in support of young visions.

As The Garden Cinema members community is not just made up of cinema enthusiasts, but also covers a large range of film creatives, we like to help connect our members working across all departments of the industry. For our regular industry panels, we invite knowledgeable speakers to discuss their specific branch of the industry, leaving plenty of time for asking questions. After the discussion, we all head into the bar to network with fellow members.

For our upcoming session on Monday 8 September, we are crosspollinating with our Planting Seeds strand, as we will be joined by Danusia Samal and Will Attenborough from Green Rider, a movement of artists and productions shifting the TV & film industry towards a fairer and healthier way of working. We will discuss how different key players from the film sector come together to create a greener film industry.

Tickets are £5, and include a token for a complimentary soft drink, house wine, or beer. They're restricted to 1 per member.

About the speakers:

Danusia Samal is a co-founder of Green Rider. She's also an actor and writer, known for The Great, Gangs of London and Bodies. She won the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for Out of Sorts in 2018. In 2020, she launched the Virtual Collaborators Network, supporting creatives to collaborate remotely in lockdown.

Will Attenborough is a co-founder of Green Rider. He is an actor and climate campaigner, known for Our Girl, The Output, and Dunkirk, as well as Another Country and Photograph 51 in the West End. He's an experienced climate finance strategist who's run successful campaigns with Equity and the Mayor of London, which led to billions of pounds being moved out of fossil fuel investments and into clean solutions.

Check out our Youtube channel for videos of our previous industry panels, which have included:

• Film music, with Jen Moss (I, Tonya), Gary Downing (MRKR), and Harry Escott (Shame)
• Art direction, with Lydia Fry (Blade Runner 2049) and Charlotte Dirickx (Saltburn)
• Trailer editing, with Dan Noall and Kate Miller
• Screenwriting, with Luna Carmoon (Hoard) and Daniel Kokotajlo (Starve Acre)
• Casting, with Rebecca Wright (Chuck Chuck Baby) and Lucy Jordan (Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things)
• Animation, with Michaël Dudok de Wit (The Red Turtle) and Alexandra Sasha Balan (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse)
• Cinematography, with Evelin van Rei (Passenger), Bebe Dierken (Midas Man) and Nanu Segal (Hoard)
• Costume, with Joanna Johnston (Lincoln) and Charlotte Finlay (Barbie)
• Documentary, with Edward Lovelace (Name Me Lawand) and Tom Howson (Dogwoof)
• Film festivals, with Christina Papasotiriou (Raindance Film Festival) and Philip Ilson (London Short Film Festival)
• Film journalism, with Jacob Stolworthy (The Independent) and Jack Shepherd (Total Film)
• Production, with Georgia Goggin (Pretty Red Dress) and Susan Simnett (Fadia's Tree)

The provocative Italian filmmaker Elio Petri’s most internationally acclaimed work is this remarkable, visceral, Oscar-winning thriller. Petri maintains a tricky balance between absurdity and realism in telling the Kafkaesque tale of a Roman police inspector (a commanding Gian Maria Volontè) investigating a heinous crime - which he himself committed. Both a compelling character study and a disturbing commentary on the draconian government crackdowns in Italy in the late 1960s and early 70s, Petri’s kinetic portrait of surreal bureaucracy is a perversely pleasurable rendering of controlled chaos.

At a political rally, bricklayer Oreste (Marcello Mastroianni) sees flower girl Adelaide (Monica Vitti) and is so thoroughly smitten that he decides he must leave his wife for her. The pair's happiness doesn't last, however, as a young pizza chef named Nello (Giancarlo Giannini) also has eyes for Adelaide. He sends her a heart-shaped pizza pie and in no time has broken up their relationship. Adelaide leaves Oreste, who becomes passionately grief-stricken and considers suicide.

Intimacy Coordinator - a new crew position that’s quickly becoming the standard for all films with sensitive scenes. They can help make your actors feel comfortable and bring a deeper level of authenticity to intimate scenes, but what should you be looking for when considering bringing one onboard your production?

In this KLSFF Industry Session, learn about the exciting frontier of on screen intimacy as we’re joined in conversation by Intimacy Coordinator Rosanna Normanton, plus several individuals involved in the Intimate Complexity screening block - a selection of shorts exploring themes of sex and intimacy.

In conversation:

• writer/director Iris Breward (Afterplay)

• writer/director) Elizabeth Connick (Please Carry On)

• writer/director Muriel d'Ansembourg (Fuck-a-Fan & upcoming feature debut Truly Naked)

• actor & adult entertainer Alessa Savage (Fuck-a-Fan, Truly Naked)

Join us as we announce the winners of the BIFA Qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival in the following categories:

• Best No Budget Short

• Micro Budget Short

• Best Low Budget Short

• Best Sponsored Short

• Best Director

• Best Performance in a Drama

• Best Performance in a Comedy

• Best Cinematography

• Best Screenplay

• Best Editing

• Best Original Score

• Best Production Design

• Best First Time Filmmaker

• Audience Award

A selection of shorts from talented emerging filmmakers who wouldn’t let the lack of a budget get in their way from making their mini-masterpieces. All works have had production budgets of under £2500.

The Full Spectrum of Nag (Sam Brain)

A husband and wife’s ordinary weekday breakfast features a surprising routine.

Busy [London Premiere] (Jane Moriarty)

Lucy and her friends decide to put their next date in the diary, but it proves harder than they anticipated.

Coupon [London Premiere] (Taylor Caddick)

When a customer attempts to redeem their coupon, the promotion forces a robbery.

The Worst Hangover (Jonny Ruff)

Beth knows that tomorrow is an early start… but out at the bar she just can't help herself. When morning comes she is visited by an unwelcome guest.

Lifelessnessless (Riley Wong)

In the afterlife, Melanie meets Death, an HR-lady who executes a rigorous performance review of Melanie's banal life.

Extraction [London Premiere] (Lola Shaw)

A 25 year old woman's wisdom tooth forces her to stop infantilising herself.

After the Fact [London Premiere] (Josh Silverlock)

A group of young uni friends attempt to become viral prank YouTubers. Their need for ever more extreme reactions pushes them to cross a line.

Wake [World Premiere] (Alan Mckenna)

Josh wants nothing more than to connect with his father, Mick. Mick wants nothing more than a hard drink.

Star Quest! (Domhnall Cotter)

Set in a hospital, a famous sci-fi has-been actor connects with a terminally ill boy. Beneath the shimmering veneer of the retro sci-fi fantasies lies a moving narrative of hope, friendship, and acceptance.

Old School (Ieuan Coombs)

In this documentary, former world champion bodybuilder Ian Dowe reflects on his past and future.

Hopes and Beans (Klara Kaliger)

Inspired by a self-help book, Zoe offers to buy a stranger a coffee. And it goes terribly wrong. So she starts over – even worse. And again – absolute car crash.

A selection of shorts from talented emerging filmmakers who wouldn’t let the lack of a budget get in their way from making their mini-masterpieces. All works have had production budgets of under £500.

A Wonderful Neighbour (Alun Rhys Morgan)

A widow who adores the tranquility of her garden is disrupted by the noisy boy next door.

Jack Goes to Work (Aron Randhawa)

An office worker defies dullness by retreating into a fantasy world full of music and dance.

Hot Mess (Tortor Smith)

This animated short offers insight into ADHD by highlighting the damage and anxiety that can be caused by a well-meaning, but ultimately toxic, parent.

Bi-Nocular Panic (Anouk Witkowska Hiffler)

Cass and Jane spend their afternoon doing what every normal teenager does on a sunny day: spying on boys. But when the captivating Melody appears, Cass realises she might be interested in more than just boys.

Good Choice, Joseph (James Farrell)

A man who feels paralysed by choice is sent into an existential spiral after finding a mysterious tape player that can tell the future.

A Man and His Machine (Tegan Howard)

This documentary tells the story of Marley Maidment, an emerging fashion designer with a contagious taste for creating the unique and unusual.

I Think God Lives in Eastbourne [London Premiere] (Malindi Asuncion)

Narrated by Eastbourne’s resident pier tarot reader, this film explores the cycles of life and death in a town that is both the sunniest place in the UK and one of the top 3 suicide spots in the world.

Tidy Away [London Premiere] (Chris Cosentino)

If you’d lost your husband of 40 years, how would you cope? Would you cry? Would you scream into the void? Or would you just keep busy with housework and try not to think about it?

Ingest (Callum Wilkins)

Whilst clearing through his dead Dad's apartment, David discovers an unmarked videotape. Which, upon playing, draws him to a sinister self-reflection.

Mouth [London Premiere] (Guy Woods)

A boy dies and is allowed to do one thing before he moves on. He tries to cry.

Bleached (Zac Lugar)

A brief encounter on a night train in Berlin.

Subject 73 [London Premiere] (Reiff Gaskell)

In a mysterious experiment, a participant's pursuit of wealth unravels as money and morality clash.

Pomegranate (Livvy Seabrook-Wilkins)

A mother comes to terms with her Post-Natal Depression.

Nocturnal Eyes (Matilda Harding-Kemp)

A Cornish surfer cuts through the shadows of unruly waves, defying societal scrutiny, with her unwavering determination during her second pregnancy. Tamsyn challenges preconceived notions, riding waves in pursuit of her passion, freedom and womanhood.

Coming Out [Festival Premiere] (Jevan Chowdhury)

When Mary returns home for Thanksgiving, she carries with her a truth she’s terrified to share. What begins as a reunion quickly builds toward an unexpected confession that challenges her family’s assumptions and forces a reckoning.

Director/producer Alix Austin takes you through the entire process of making her debut feature film “Kill Your Lover”.

This session is essential for short filmmakers considering making the leap to features.

Alix demystifies the process and provides valuable insights into aspects unique to the feature filmmaking process that short filmmakers often don’t know about in advance.

Alix is a London-based British Director/Producer with a passion for films driven by practical effects & lethal sound design, having grown up bilingually (English/German) in Basel, Switzerland.

Her work has screened at festivals including Chicago International Film Festival, Overlook Film Festival and Brussels International Fantastic Festival.

She directed and sold her first feature film KILL YOUR LOVER, with creative partner in crime Keir Siewert.

Solo-directing projects include SUCKER (premiered on SHUDDER) and crime short TRUE VALUE.

Alix is a member of Directors UK, is a recipient of the Raimi Productions Scholarship and was mentored by Kate Herron (LAST OF US, LOKI S1) through DUK Inspire.

She is currently a part of the BIFA Springboard Genre 2025 cohort, being mentored by Ed King (HIS HOUSE)

Buy a ticket to all six industry sessions and a £10 discount will automatically apply at the checkout making it just £20.

A selection of shorts exploring themes of sex and intimacy, including a wide range of perspectives -- from straight to queer, from young to old, from sex workers to those exploring themselves. This selection of shorts explores the complexities that having or not having sex has on human relationships. For mature audiences only.

Lucy & Tom Have A One-Night Stand (Megan Harding)

When sexually adventurous Lucy and newly single Tom go home together after a uni night out, their attempt at a carefree one-night stand is complicated by the increasingly apparent insecurities that motivate their bold behaviour.

Do You Want To (Andy Berriman)

Under the sheets, Connor and Jake’s domestic bliss is put to the test. It’s bedtime - one is in the mood, the other isn’t.

Smokescreen (Nathan Hubble)

The sending of a strategic nude backfires on a teen when the photo goes viral, forcing her to confront the harsh realities of identity and privacy in the digital age.

Only A Call Away [London Premiere] (Maëlle Leggiadro)

Bored, alone, and tired of waiting for a reply from her 40-year-old married lover, 25 year old Anna can no longer wait. She takes matters into her own hands.

Please Carry On (Elizabeth Connick)

Overhearing the breakdown of her neighbours secret sexual relationship, Catherine, an introverted data analyst desperately claws at the walls.

Fuck-a-Fan [UK Premiere] (Muriel d’Ansembourg)

A porn star launches a contest to let one lucky fan live out his dream. The winner is an awkward young man whose heart was recently crushed. In his loneliness and desperation, he can’t help projecting something deeper onto the situation.

Olive (Rosie Potts)

A coming of old-age romance where over one summer a woman in her 80’s has a sexual awakening.

Afterplay [London Premiere] (Iris Breward)

After sex, a couple's conversation about their relationship gets derailed by a persistent fly.

A selection of short films produced by Kino Short Film (either financed in whole or part via their £5000 film fund or through private equity), and films shortlisted for funding whom they wished they could’ve supported… but kudos to these filmmakers who still managed to get their films made without Kino’s help anyway.

Olympus Lost [Kino Original] (Amadeus Redha)

Now a mortal, the wrathful Greek God Zeus faces his greatest challenge to date: assembling a piece of flatpack furniture.

Don’t Bury It [Kino Original] [World Premiere] (Kristian Fitsall)

Dumped by his girlfriend, Doug's mental health deteriorates and he begins burying his problems, quite literally, in his garden; unpaid bills, dirty dishes, it all goes in, until what started as simple avoidance escalates to a murder spree.

Discord [Kino Original] (Jen Lim)

At a young girl's first lesson with a new piano teacher tensions rise.

EVOL [Kino Original] (Haylee Reeve)

A poetic short film about a young woman, Dolly, who’s grappling with the haunting echoes of past relationships and her unraveling of self.

Space Daddy [Kino Original] (Stephen Carruthers)

After connecting via the dating app Strangr, a hookup between twenty-something twink Andy, and a mysterious hunk (played by Crystal from Drag Race UK) ends with some out-of-this-world consequences.

What Men Do For Love [Kino Original] (Sai Karan Talwar)

An aging dentist kidnaps a young man with intentions of killing him because he's had an affair with his wife, but an unlikely connection starts to form between them.

Boys Like You (Paul Holbrook)

A depressed housewife seeks out a troubled young man from her past, with disastrous consequences.

Decksdark (Kane Wilson)

In a dystopian realm where consciousness is encased within neural implants, Logan, a solitary Decksdark, finds himself intertwined with an ethereal entity.

David (Solace, Chapter 1) [Festival Premiere] (Pilar Malo)

Two men arrive at the same bridge at the same time, ready to jump… They soon discover it may be because of the same reason.

OK/NOTOK (Pardeep Sahota)

Loretta, a working-class British Asian woman, attempts to navigate a turbulent world with a new stranger in her life and unskippable adverts.

Exploring themes of toxic masculinity, tremendous physical feats to help transcend the mind, loss, grief, perception… this selection of shorts explores themes of mental health curated by KLSFF programmer Mark van Heusden.

The Hold (JD Donnelly)

A real-time journey into the mind and story of champion free-diver Alice Hickson as she performs her record breath hold.

Achievement [London Premiere] (Owain Hopkins)

After a tragedy occurs in their small Welsh town, two friends look back over their lives, trying to piece together the reasons for what occurred.

Contact Hours (Harry Richards)

The life of a university caretaker is upturned when one of his students hasn’t been seen in days. It falls to him to unlock their door…

Please [World Premiere] (Will Matthews)

Tormented by the toxic rantings of an inner demon, a man arranges a hook-up with the intention of seeking revenge on a single woman. Misguided, to him she represents the source of all his problems. However, upon meeting her in the flesh his toxic belief system is challenged.

Triangle (Péter Engelmann)

Triangle, the graduation film of Peter Engelmann from the Arts University Bournemouth, is a sci-fi pseudodocu drama exploring the dark realms of the human mind. The story follows three strangers who - based on a 1997's psychological experiment on the bonds of friendship - are about to become friends for life,

separated only by 36 questions…

Alone Across Gola [London Premiere] (Jude Kriwald)

This gripping documentary follows Jude’s extraordinary solo journey through Liberia's dense Gola rainforest where every step meant battling through thick undergrowth with nothing more than a bicycle and a tent. Through moments of profound introspection, Jude’s journey asks: What happens when we step off the beaten track of our careers and everyday routines to follow the dreams we thought we’d left behind?

KLSFF returns with a collection of top shelf shorts curated exclusively by award-winning filmmakers. Join us as we kick off this year’s festival by screening some of the most stand out

Official Selections of 2025.

Stress Head (Kyle Jon Shephard)

A casual yet tense hangout between two friends spirals into an oddly physical, stress-fuelled venting session.

Wish You Were Here (Ramzey Sabbagh, Fhuad Braimoh)

A lonely old woman goes to great lengths to find some kind of human connection.

Nuisance [London Premiere] (Nott Brothers)

An elderly couple finds their quiet life unsettled by their new neighbours’ disturbing allegations.

Hermanos (Rachel McDonald)

Two children refugees are separated from their mother & detained at the U.S. border. When an unlikely opportunity to escape presents itself, the brothers risk everything to protect each other and stay alive as they cross Texas on foot.

Frayed [World Premiere] (Ben Silver, Nadine Iskandar)

Under the influence of a brilliant yet controversial director, relentless ambition drives an obsessive young actress to the brink.

The Pearl Comb (Ali Cook)

In 1893, a doctor hellbent on proving a woman’s place is is not practising medicine, gets more than he bargained for when trying to expose a Cornish fisherman’s wife who claims unearthly powers.

What We Wished We Could Be (Luke Shelley)

Two interwoven moments in the relationship of a couple affected by the contaminated blood scandal of the 70’s & 80’s, revealing their sacrifices, their love, and the things they never felt safe to say.

The Viewing [UK Premiere] (Nick Blake)

A house viewing spirals into a surreal nightmare for a young woman with a troubled past

As AI is becoming trendier and trendier, there are those filmmakers who are chasing to instead to go back to analog. Interested in shooting your next short film on actual film?

In this KLSFF industry session, Claire Richardson (From the Silver Screen) and Carlotta Beck Peccoz (Straight 8)

speak with filmmakers who have chosen to shoot on film.

In conversation:

• festival alumni & BIFA nominated writer/director Ben Lankester (Delivery, Experience, Who’s Counting)

• director Luke Shelley & cinematographer Yannick Hausler (What We Wished We Could Be - shot of 16mm film)

• Writer/director Aron Randhawa (Jack Goes to Work - shot on 8mm film as part of the Straight 8 Competition)

Buy a ticket to all six industry sessions and a £10 discount will automatically apply at the checkout making it just £20.

What are festival programmers looking for?

What makes your short film stand out in a saturated market?

Festival strategist Katie Bignell (Festival Formula) moderates an open conversation with festival directors, founders, programmers, and curators to get insight into their varying processes.

In conversation:

• Mark Brennan (BIFA qualifying Exit 6 Film Festival)

• Gillian Harker (BIFA qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival)

• Philip Ilson (BAFTA qualifying London Short Film Festival)

• MarBelle (BIFA qualifying Directors Notes)

• Sarah Smith (BIFA qualifying Brighton Rocks International Film Festival)

• James Wren (BIFA qualifying Unrestricted View Film Festival)

So you want money to make to your short film?

In this KLSFF Industry Session, Kino CEO Dustin Curtis Murphy speaks about the Kino Short Film Fund and to other short film financiers about their varying processes and how your funding application can stand out from the rest.

In conversation:

• Mickey Angelov (Look Aside Films)

• Alex Kayode-Kay (Young Black Filmmakers Fund)

• Jen Lim (Emerging Voices Film Foundation)

• Claire Richardson (From the Silver Screen)

• James Wren (Unrestricted View)

The Kino Short Film Fund powered by Genera Films, where any filmmaker anywhere in the world to apply for up to £5000 to cover the costs of Production, Post-Production or Distribution + a weekend hire of one of The Unit Bag's bespoke camera and lens packages + a lighting package courtesy of Matte Black + mentorship

Whether you’re looking for a chance to screen your short film in front of a live audience or you’re looking to watch something wild, wacky, and creative outside of the mainstream, our open mic is refreshingly non-competitive in an all-too-oftentimes intimidating industry.

Both industry professionals and first-timers bring their shorts to Kino making the quality of cinema screened at each event both diverse and entertaining. And with such a broad spectrum of new work being screened, our Open Mic is a genuine reflection of the current output of London-based filmmakers.

REGISTER TO SCREEN YOUR SHORT FILM HERE:

www.kinoshortfilm.com/short-film-openmic

Rules:

• One film per filmmaker

• Register in advance

• Filmmakers must be present to introduce film

• Films are accepted on a first-come, first-screened basis

• Film running time should be under 10 mins

Whether you’re looking for a chance to screen your short film in front of a live audience or you’re looking to watch something wild, wacky, and creative outside of the mainstream, our open mic is refreshingly non-competitive in an all-too-oftentimes intimidating industry.

Both industry professionals and first-timers bring their shorts to Kino making the quality of cinema screened at each event both diverse and entertaining. And with such a broad spectrum of new work being screened, our Open Mic is a genuine reflection of the current output of London-based filmmakers.

REGISTER TO SCREEN YOUR SHORT FILM HERE:

www.kinoshortfilm.com/short-film-openmic

Rules:

• One film per filmmaker

• Register in advance

• Filmmakers must be present to introduce film

• Films are accepted on a first-come, first-screened basis

• Film running time should be under 10 mins

At 15:00, August 25th we’ll announce all of our festival award winners. During this block you’ll get a chance to see them once again, all together. Get your say in what screens by voting for the Audience Award during all previous screening blocks.

Best No Budget Short Film

Best film of the festival with a budget of under £500 as selected by our Industry Jury.

Best Micro-Budget Short Film

Best film of the festival with a budget of under £2500 as selected by our Industry Jury.

Best Low Budget Short Film

Best film of the festival with a budget of under £10,000 as selected by our Industry Jury.

Best Funded Short Film

Best film of the festival with a budget of over £10,000 as selected by our Industry Jury.

Audience Award Winner

Your choice.

Additional films in one or more of the follow categories may also screen if time allows: Best Director, Best Performance in a Drama, Best Performance in a Comedy, Best Cinematography,

Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best First Time Filmmaker.

How can your short film receive more festival acceptance at festivals that really matter?

KLSFF festival director Dustin Curtis Murphy speaks with Katie Bignell of Festival Formula about how using a festival strategist to plan and schedule your festival submissions can lead to greater success, help your overall budget, and point you toward opportunities you didn’t even know were there.

Festival Formula blends strong industry knowledge with a creator’s sensibility to help filmmakers navigate the film festival landscape. For filmmakers, they provide detailed, bespoke strategies, created by their team of industry experts to help you and your film find a home.

Dustin Curtis Murphy is not only the festival director of KLSFF and CEO of Kino Short Film, but also a filmmaker in his own right having written, produced, and directed several successful shorts and recently his debut feature film. He’s previously used the services of festival strategists for his own projects and as Executive Producer also advises Kino Original’s on their festival strategies

Buy a ticket to all six industry sessions and a £10 discount will automatically apply at the checkout making it just £20.

The Kino London Short Film Festival is infamous for dynamic and diverse programs featuring comedy, drama, horror and more all in a single screening block. This style of curation is for the bold and curious, with the only through-line being that all shorts are made by the most interesting emerging voices.

Decoy [London Premiere] (Sarah Nocquet)

Moments after winning a prestigious award, a jaded celebrity’s conversation with a young fan through a toilet stall door makes her reckon with what her success really means to her.

Art [London Premiere] (Ben Kernow)

With the cost of living going up, Biddy and Rob feel the pressure to sell their now quaint fishing cottage. However Biddy has a plan, Biddy has an idea, Biddy has a desire to paint. The question is, will any of her work save them from financial ruin?

House Hunters (Joe Warner)

In a festering future, the scarcity of houses has created a market where money alone is no longer enough. Landlords rule, and one particularly blood-thirsty Estate Agent will not give up until she makes that commission – whatever the cost…

Exchange Rate (Emma Stansfield)

A mother struggling to make ends meet, details the incremental sacrifices she will make to give her daughter a brighter future.

The Woman in the Wardrobe (Ruby Phelan)

During a bombing, a woman finds sanctuary inside a wardrobe whilst giving birth to her daughter.

Morning, Glory [London Premiere] (Sonny Poon Tip)

A heartwarming story of how one small break in life can feel like it turns everything around.

Popes (James Duffy)

A group of inept Catholic priests are tasked with creating The Vatican's online hub.

How to Break Up (Adam Grant)

A young couple at the end of their tether plan the most spectacular public break-up of all time.

The Kino London Short Film Festival is infamous for dynamic and diverse programs featuring comedy, drama, horror and more all in a single screening block. This style of curation is for the bold and curious, with the only through-line being that all shorts are made by the most interesting emerging voices.

mandem (Joladé Olusanya)

Inspired by the late poet Gboyega Odubanjo, this documentary delves into the significance of the term “mandem” within the Black British collective through conversation and a poem.

The Carrot (Joakim Benum)

A man travels back to his smalltown home to tell his parents about the disturbing discovery he made in his brother’s freezer.

Rodent (Joe Fereday)

A rat transports us through the last vestiges of humanity as it forages for food for its family. Confronted by a formidable threat, we discover the true magnitude of recent global events.

First Sight (Andrew McGee)

Luna's dating life takes a dark turn in this gripping sci-fi about love, loss, and augmented reality.

Princeton's in the Mix [UK Premiere] (Jonathan DiMaio)

When the wealthy mother of a high schooler discovers that her son can get extra time on the SAT if he gets injured, things spiral out of control.

A Film in Another Language (César Velasco)

An immigrant unable to speak the local language works as a dishwasher in a busy restaurant. One night at the end of her shift a miscommunication with a police officer leads to a series of intense situations.

The Test [London Premiere] (Hsieh Meng Han)

I-Ling’s experience whilst taking her Life in the UK test reminds her of the difficulties and constraints she faces as an immigrant working hard to get her citizenship.

Eyes, Front. [London Premiere] (Alex Wheeler)

Set in 2007, army recruit Lewis Bailey battles with his conscience as a female peer is harassed by an idolised young man in their section.

Bluff [London Premiere] (Naomi Wright)

When a visually-impaired girl begins to lose her sight during a much longed-for family holiday by the sea, she is torn between proving nothing is wrong and the difficulty of being believed.

Wool Coat (Megan Smith)

After discovering her grandmother has died during the night, Ellie begins to say goodbye to the life she knew, while allowing her younger sister Sophie one final carefree day on their family farm.

Mafia (James Cleave)

A wine-fuelled family plays a post-dinner round of Mafia, a playful game of murder and deceit that soon spirals out of control as embarrassing secrets are revealed.

Kino holds community at it’s core. They champion a diverse group of filmmakers - from first timers to Oscar winners.

This screening includes a selection of shorts curated by Festival Director Dustin Curtis Murphy, following the values and ethos of authentically inclusivity - specially recognising the filmmakers that make Kino a safe space for filmmakers to express themselves and experiment.

All films included were either made by filmmakers discovered via Kino’s infamous Short Film Open Mic, featured in our Kino’s Short of the Week series, or made by filmmakers who’ve made a significant contribution to the Kino community.

The Friendship of Fish (Sherice Griffiths)

A man with an emergency for his new pet fish collides with strangers in the park.

Hedged (Fergus March)

When Vernon goes to sleep, things get stolen…

Nice Package [World Premiere] (Fran St Clair)

The frustrated and unfulfilled Alexa finds herself daydreaming about her delivery driver. But after a series of missed deliveries, can one nice package solve everything?

Little Lamb [Festival Premiere] (Drew Sheridan-Wheeler)

Two siblings reunite for the first time in over a decade.

The Time Machine (Zak Harney)

A scientist grapples with the consequences of his actions as he navigates through different eras, haunted by the ghosts of his past.

Run Like We (Rhys Aaron Lewis)

It’s the 2012 London Olympics and the whole world is going crazy for the fastest man on the planet: Usain Bolt. Everyone apart from Alvin, an awkward 14 year-old who hates sports and constantly disappoints his Jamaican father, Lester, an ex-athlete who can’t understand why his son is “so soft”.

Greensleeves inc. [Festival Premiere] (Guy Taylor)

Eco-influencer Fleur heads to the studio for the launch of her new 'green' brand deal, but she's quickly met with the harsh reality of the corporate machine.

Leviathan [World Premiere] (James Mansell)

The year is 1888 and the Whitechapel murders continue to ravage the East End of London. Fate has brought together an unlikely alliance who must put aside their differences and unite to end the autumn of terror.

Cry Like a Guy (Anthony Rubinstein)

An educational, emotional, gruff and goofy adventure through the hidden world of male tears. A feast for the feels.

The concluding chapter of Michelangelo Antonioni’s informal trilogy on contemporary malaise (following L’avventura and La notte), L’eclisse tells the story of a young woman (Monica Vitti) who leaves one lover (Francisco Rabal) and drifts into a relationship with another (Alain Delon). Using the architecture of Rome as a backdrop for the doomed affair, Antonioni achieves the apotheosis of his style in this return to the theme that preoccupied him the most: the difficulty of connection in an alienating modern world.

To launch our celebration of Monica Vitti in style, members are invited to join us on Friday 19 September for a pre-screening cocktail hour. We'll be serving up the drink that was named after the actress, as well as delicious tiramisù, courtesty of our friends from Agrodolce in Fitzrovia. Their restaurant, like Vitti herself, originates in Rome, and aims to bring a slice of the capital city's gastronomic heritage to the heart of Central London.

Join us in the Atrium Bar from 19:30 for drinks & dessert, while the soulful voices of Mina, Adriano Celentano, and their contemporaries croon in the background. At 20:30 we'll head into the screen to continue our dive into Rome, with Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Eclisse, which features one of Vitti's most iconic performances.

Tickets are £18.50 each and available to members only, but you are welcome to book up to 2 and bring a friend along for the occasion. They include a complimentary alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail, a serving of tiramisù, and an unallocated seat for the film. If you have any access needs or require a specific seat in the screen, please email membership@thegardencinema.co.uk so we can do our best to accommodate. Unfortunately, we are unable to cater to dietary restrictions or offer alternatives for the tiramisù.

About Agrodolce:

In Rome, Agrodolce has always emphasised the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, thoughtfully chosen from reliable suppliers. With the same dedication to excellence and authenticity, they have now embarked on their culinary expedition in London, by opening a location on Charlotte Street. Here, they are committed to supporting the local market and ensuring that only the finest and most pristine ingredients grace our dishes. Agrodolce’s menu is a celebration of Italian gastronomy, blending passion, tradition, and flavor. At its core is the art of handmade pasta, with indulgent dishes like creamy Cacio e Pepe and rich Carbonara. Each plate unites Rome’s timeless culinary heritage with the vibrant markets of London. This perfect balance of authenticity and creativity embodies their philosophy: 'tradizione fatta con amore' - tradition made with love, served with pride, and savored in every bite.

Website | Instagram

An entirely ordinary day on the beds ward of a surgical department. The nursing team is understaffed due to a shortage of personnel. Despite the hectic environment, Floria cares for her patients with expertise and full dedication. Although she gives her all, the shift gradually spirals out of control - until it eventually leads to a dramatic outburst.

The Garden Cinema View:

In Petra Volpe's experienced hands, what might have been a dry meditation on the global medical crisis transforms into an understated cinematic feast. Presented as a single, unbroken shot (reminiscent of Adolescence or Victoria), the film has impeccable craft and rhythm.

A real strength of Late Shift lies in Leonie Benesch's (The Teachers' Lounge) performance - a brilliant display of minimalism and truth that perfectly captures a misfunctioning system. In this portrayal, we observe the unappreciated work of medical staff trapped in understaffed hospitals, enduring never-ending shifts that push human endurance to its limits.

This is filmmaking of remarkable precision - a powerful achievement that lets the gravity of its subject matter speak without flourish or directorial vanity.

In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts. After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armour of fedora and trench coat can protect him. An elegantly stylised masterpiece of cool by maverick director Jean‑Pierre Melville, Le samouraï is a razor-sharp cocktail of 1940s American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop culture - with a liberal dose of Japanese lone-warrior mythology.

Our screening on 21 September will be introduced by Victor Fan (KCL).

Although most commonly associated with the wuxia genre, in 1979 King Hu directed the epic fantasy-horror, Legend of the Mountain. Heavily influenced by traditional Chinese aesthetics and Zen Buddhist philosophy, it has come to be regarded as one of his greatest filmmaking achievements.

A young scholar, Ho Yunqing (Shih Jun, A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn), is tasked by an eminent monk to transcribe a Buddhist sutra said to have immense power over the spirits of the afterlife. To execute his work in peace, he travels to an isolated monastery deep in the mountains, where he encounters a number of strange people, including the mysterious and beautiful Melody (Hsu Feng, A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn). As malicious spirits attempt to steal the sutra, Ho becomes entangled in a conflict between duelling forces of good and evil. Will he leave the mountain alive?

Bi Gan followed the mesmerising Kaili Blues with this noir-tinged stunner about a lost soul (Jue Huang) on a quest to find a missing woman from his past (Wei Tang, Lust, Caution). Following leads across Guizhou province, he crosses paths with a series of colorful characters, among them a prickly hairdresser played by Taiwanese superstar Sylvia Chang. When the search leads him to a dingy movie theater, the film launches into an hour-long, gravity-defying long-take which plunges its protagonist - and us - into a labyrinthine cityscape. China's biggest arthouse hit of all time, the film took in more than £30 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.

Screening in the 2D version.

The Oslo Stories Trilogy (Sex, Dreams, Love) is an ambitious set of films from novelist-turned-filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud, contemplating romance, intimacy, and desire in contemporary Norway.

In Love, (Venice, 2024), Haugerud explores the sexual freedom experienced by Tor, a gay nurse, and the more conventional constraints Marianne, his straight colleague, encounters. Neither wants to be bound by conforming to societal norms, but where one can seemingly live a carefree existence, for women, the realities are more complex.

Witty, gentle, and eye-opening, Haugerud charts a full investigation on what contemporary love means in this series of films about romantic, sexual, philosophical, and creative awakenings.

The Garden Cinema View:

The second to be filmed (but third chronologically - not that it matters) in Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy of relationships is, fittingly given the title, the most tender. A loose structure revolves around ferry journeys across the Oslofjord (apparently a hotbed of cruising and pickup activity), centennial celebration preparations at city hall, and the love lives of medical professions working in a cancer clinic. Like the other entries in the trilogy, this is a film that interweaves beautifully captured montages of the city with extended conversations. These dialogues are often impressively intelligent, mature, and honest. Haugerud’s Oslo is a pleasure to inhabit, and his characters are fascinating to eavesdrop on.

Michelangelo Antonioni invented a new film grammar with this masterwork. An iconic piece of challenging 1960s cinema and a gripping narrative on its own terms, L’avventura concerns the enigmatic disappearance of a young woman during a yachting trip off the coast of Sicily, and the search taken up by her disaffected lover (Gabriele Ferzetti) and best friend (Monica Vitti, in her breakout role). Antonioni’s controversial international sensation is a gorgeously shot tale of modern ennui and spiritual isolation.

A group of spoiled animals who have spent all their life in the New York Central Zoo escape with the help of four fugitive penguins. When they find themselves in the jungles of Madagascar, they must adjust to living in the wild.

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith headline an all-star cast of hilarious animals, including a quartet of mischievous penguins and legions of lemurs, led by the outrageous King Julien.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you.

From Celine Song, the Academy Award-nominated writer and director of Past Lives, comes Materialists: the story of a young, ambitious New York City matchmaker torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is the star matchmaker at a boutique New York agency, and believes love is a numbers game. Her beliefs are put to the test when two potential suitors for her come along at once.

One is Harry (Pedro Pascal), a suave, wealthy bachelor who's perfect on paper, and can offer her the lifestyle she covets. The other is her ex: John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor working as a cater-waiter, whose messy lifestyle is her biggest hindrance. But how do you choose between the life you want and the love you need?

The Garden Cinema View:

With it’s Vogue aesthetics, Manhattan setting, and laughably attractive cast, Materialists feels initially like stepping back into a blighted mid-00s world of Sex and the City and Hitch. Of course, the surface begins to crack, and all is not as glossy as it seems. This is quite a strange film. Celine Song’s script is full of uncomfortable truths about modern dating, but the screwball setting and one-liners are never exactly funny. In fact, the endless itemising of material wealth and physical capital, and discussions of the mathematics of dating edge this closer to a Bret Easton Ellis New York satire. Comparisons of matchmaking to insurance or mortician work might have come directly from Cronenberg’s The Shrouds (actually Materialists contains some light body horror). Perhaps this explains Dakota Johnson’s glazed lead performance. To be generous, this perfectly fits the narrative of empty consumerism (otherwise it’s just entirely miscast/misjudged).

An enjoyable, occasionally astute and even moving, but rather odd watch.    

On Thursday 14 August, join us in the Atrium Bar from 19:00 onwards to meet fellow film fans at our first Members' Mingle event. Think film chat with cinema enthusiasts, great drinks, and a playlist of iconic songs from favourite features - curated by you! You can add your song suggestions for the evening's soundtrack here.

Concerned the conversation might run dry? Fear not, as our bar team have you covered! Not only will your ticket include a complimentary cocktail for a bit of Dutch courage, but your drink will also come with a film-based prompt to serve as an icebreaker to introduce yourself to fellow members. Who knows, you might meet a like-minded cinephile to attend future screenings with!

Tickets for the event are just £5, are restricted to 1 per member, and include a complimentary cocktail, house wine, beer, or soft drink.

Millennium Actress plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season. The film was proposed by Harry Robertson, who writes: 'My favourite Satoshi Kon movie that I can never find anywhere to stream and would love to see on the big screen. It’s a movie about holding on to something even when the whole world tells you to let go. It seamlessly blends a love of Japanese cinema with the career of its protagonist and has a lovely wholesome and humorous tone.'

From anime genius Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika), take a journey through cinema history via his unique, world-bending perspective.

With the renowned Ginei Studios shutting down and their buildings about to be demolished, film-maker Genya Tachibana sets out to commemorate this historical moment by interviewing the studio’s former superstar - the now-reclusive Chiyoko Fujiwara. As Chiyoko recounts her story, so Genya and his cameraman are pulled into a wide-ranging journey through the lens of her films. Interviews and recollections, acting and reality, all blur into the single rich tapestry of a remarkable life.

Summer holidays at The Garden Cinema would not be complete without Monsieur Hulot.

Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort, where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s masterpiece of gentle slapstick is a series of effortlessly well-choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers; it was the first entry in the Hulot series and the film that launched its maker to international stardom.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you  

Our screening on Friday 15 August will be followed by a Q&A with director Victoria Mapplebeck hosted by Rebecca del Tufo.

At the age of 38, Victoria Mapplebeck found herself single, pregnant and broke. Unable to combine motherhood with freelance directing, she was forced to abandon her career in TV, instead turning the camera on herself and her son, Jim.

Filmed over 20 years, Victoria has recorded hundreds of hours of footage, capturing each twist and turn in Jim’s life, from the thumbs-up he gave her during her first pregnancy scan to his first day at college.

The Garden Cinema View:

Although there’s a reoccurring discomfort around the ethics of filming a child during some pretty raw moments, Motherboard is a compelling watch. They payoff is something like a real-life Boyhood, and director Victoria Mapplebeck shows that the relatable highs and lows of normal life make for genuinely engaging, thought-provoking, and moving cinema.

Our screening of Multiple Maniacs on the 17th of August will feature an introduction by Sarah Cleary from Funeral Parade Presents

John Waters’ gloriously grotesque second feature is replete with all manner of depravity, from robbery to murder to one of cinema’s most memorably blasphemous moments. Made on a shoestring budget in Waters’ native Baltimore, with the filmmaker taking on nearly every technical task, this gleeful mockery of the peace-and-love ethos of its era features the Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling show mounted by a troupe of misfits whose shocking proclivities are topped only by those of their leader: the glammer-than-glam, larger-than-life Divine, out for blood after discovering her lover’s affair. Starring members of Waters’ beloved regular cast, the Dreamlanders (including David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe, Edith Massey, George Figgs, and Cookie Mueller), Multiple Maniacs is an anarchic masterwork from an artist who has doggedly tested the limits of good taste for decades.

After the concerning incidents during our Alfred Hitchcock and Al Pacino seasons, we're sad to announce yet another unfortunate occurrence at The Garden Cinema - this time involving low-life detectives, seductive femme fatales, and other iconic film noir characters.

Join us on Saturday 6 September to find out what happened in the shady alleyways and dark corners of the Atrium Bar, by hunting for clues, piecing together hints, and interviewing our suspects & witnesses - who may or may not be trustworthy.. Once you've cracked the case, you'll be invited to take your seat in the screen for our cinematic reveal, followed by a screening of the sizzling ‘80s classic neo-noir, Body Heat.

As the film’s Floridian heatwave is sure to get you sweating, tickets include a complimentary (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and suitably smoky daiquiri cocktail to quench your thirst.

Event timings:

19:00  Murder mystery and cocktails

20:30  Reveal & screening of Body Heat

22:45  Expected finish

Tickets include access to the murder mystery, a complimentary cocktail, and an unallocated seat for the film screening. They're available to members only, but there is no limit on the amount you're able to purchase, meaning you can bring multiple friends along - the more brains, the better! Every member can purchase a max. of 2 tickets at the members' rate (£25), any additional tickets will need to be purchased at the adults' rate (£27).

If you have any access needs or require a specific seat in the screen, please email membership@thegardencinema.co.uk so we can try to accommodate.

About the film:

William Hurt and Kathleen Turner strike sparks in this taut, South Florida-set tale of lust, greed, and murder that echoes 1940s film noir but is charged with a steamy passion that could only flare in the '80s. When libidinous but none-too-bright attorney Ned Racine (Hurt) begins an affair with Matty Walker (Turner), the beautiful wife of an unscrupulous tycoon, their desire to be together leads to thoughts of murder.

Stephen Frears was at the forefront of the British cinematic revival of the mid-1980s, and the delightfully transgressive My Beautiful Laundrette is his greatest triumph of the period. Working from a richly layered script by Hanif Kureishi, who was soon to be an internationally renowned writer, Frears tells an uncommon love story that takes place between a young South London Pakistani man (Gordon Warnecke), who decides to open an upscale laundromat to make his family proud, and his childhood friend, a skinhead (Daniel Day-Lewis, in a breakthrough role) who volunteers to help make his dream a reality. This culture-clash comedy is also a subversive work of social realism that dares to address racism, homophobia, and sociopolitical marginalisation in Margaret Thatcher’s England.

Directed by Dr. Lester James Peries, widely regarded as the father of Sri Lankan cinema, and based on a short story by the prominent Sinhalese author G.B Senanayake, Nidhanaya is a chilling portrait of a crumbling aristocracy in colonial Sri Lanka through the microcosm of one man’s psychological turmoil.

Often likened to his Indian contemporary Satyajit Ray, Dr. Lester James Peries won the Silver Lion at the 1972 Venice International Film Festival for Nidhanaya which has been lauded as the best film of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema and was included among the top 100 films of the century by Cinémathèque Française.

This is the first time the film is officially being screened in the UK.

Willie Abeynayake (Gamini Fonseka), the superstitious scion of a once-wealthy family facing financial ruin, comes across an ancient manuscript that holds the keys to a secret treasure. However, in order to retrieve it, Willie must find a virgin girl with four birthmarks and perform a sacrifice. Tormented by the impossibility of the task, Willy grows increasingly disturbed but when he miraculously encounters the ideal woman with birthmarks (Malini Fonseka), her unwavering devotion towards him softens his heart, until sudden economic turmoil force him once again to reconsider the sacrifice.

Nidhanaya was restored in 2013 by Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and the Lester James and Sumitra Peries Foundation, and was premiered at the 2013 Venice International Film Festival.

The screening will be preceded by a pre-recorded introduction by guest curator Anupma Shanker.

Anupma Shanker is a British-Indian film curator and archives researcher with a deep and evolving interest in marginalised and minority screen narratives from, of and about the past. Her curatorial practice is focused on bringing to light films and filmmakers that remain overlooked, inaccessible and undiscovered but can offer valuable insight, wisdom and guidance in contextualizing the difficult but urgent discourses about the myths and realities of shared/contested histories, heritage, identities and memories.

Our screening on Monday 2 June will be introduced by John Wischmeyer (City Lit).

Arguably the definitive film noir, and featuring Robert Mitchum at his best. He plays an ex-private eye trying to escape his past until former girlfriend Kathie (Jane Greer) and gangster Whit (Kirk Douglas) drag him into a world of double-crossing, revenge and murder. First-rate performances, hypnotic cinematography, and an intricate script make this a classic.

Our screening on 11 June will be introduced by freelance curator Yuriko Hamaguchi.

In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful and enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited, and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu, this gangster romance was a breakthrough for the idiosyncratic Masahiro Shinoda. The pitch-black Pale Flower is an unforgettable excursion into the underworld.

A multibuy discount applies to those attending our sake tasting as well as the screening of Pale Flower on Saturday 21 June. To activate the discount, make sure tickets for both events are in your basket. Then proceed to checkout where screening tickets will reduce to just £8.

Our screening on Friday 4 September will be followed by a Q&A with director Jethro Massey.

An unconventional romantic comedy about a young American photographer and a French girl with a taste for the macabre. Paul & Paulette’s chance encounter on a Parisian boulevard sparks an unusual friendship that grows around a dark game: reenacting scenes of notorious crimes from bygone eras at the sites they occurred. As their morbid road trip approaches the more recent past it becomes more uncomfortable, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, but finding a surprising joy in the darker corners of humanity.

Our screening of Pink Flamingos on the 22nd of August will feature an introduction from former Scala programmer, Jane Giles. The second screening on the 31st of August will feature an introduction from Category H Film Club programmer, Molly Miles.

John Waters made bad taste perversely transcendent with the forever shocking counterculture sensation Pink Flamingos, his most infamous and daring cinematic transgression. Outré diva Divine is iconic as the wanted criminal hiding out with her family of degenerates in a trailer outside Baltimore while reveling in her tabloid notoriety as the 'Filthiest Person Alive'. When a pair of sociopaths (Mink Stole and David Lochary) with a habit of kidnapping women in order to impregnate them attempt to challenge her title, Divine resolves to show them and the world the true meaning of the word 'filth'. Incest, cannibalism, shrimping, and film history’s most legendary gross-out ending—Waters and his merry band of Dreamlanders leave no taboo unsmashed in this gleefully subversive ode to outsiderhood, in which camp spectacle and pitch-black satire are wielded in an all-out assault on respectability.

For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse Divine to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: Baltimore housewife Francine Fishpaw, a heroine worthy of a Douglas Sirk melodrama. Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine turns to the bottle as her life falls apart—until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (vintage heartthrob Tab Hunter). One of Waters’ most hilarious inventions, Polyester is replete with stomach-churning smells, sadistic nuns, AA meetings, and foot stomping galore.

For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse Divine to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: Baltimore housewife Francine Fishpaw, a heroine worthy of a Douglas Sirk melodrama. Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine turns to the bottle as her life falls apart—until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (vintage heartthrob Tab Hunter). One of Waters’ most hilarious inventions, Polyester is replete with stomach-churning smells, sadistic nuns, AA meetings, and foot stomping galore.

Following his Wednesday Plays Up the Junction (1965) and Cathy Comes Home (1966), Ken Loach directed his first feature film with the powerful Poor Cow. Reuniting him with his Cathy Comes Home star Carol White, the film follows Joy (White) as she copes with working-class pressures while her husband is in jail. However, she suddenly finds herself romantically involved with young crook Dave (Terence Stamp) in what could be a hopeful change. What follows is a unique character study and portrait of London in one of its most colourful, textured periods, seen through the eyes of one of Britain’s most acclaimed filmmakers. - BFI, iPlayer

Our screening on Sunday 7 September will be introduced by Chris Berry (KCL).

Having just moved from Beijing, elderly tai chi master Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung) struggles to adjust to life in New York, living with his Americanised son Alex (Ye-tong Wang). Chu immediately butts heads with his put-upon white daughter-in-law, Martha (Deb Snyder), a writer who seems to blame him for her own paralysing inability to focus. But when Chu begins teaching tai chi at a local school, his desire to make a meaningful connection comes to fruition in the most unexpected of ways.Pushing Hands is the debut film from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, forming the first chapter in his 'Father Knows Best' trilogy, which depicts the tensions between the traditional Confucian values of the older generation and the realities of modern life.

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk offers an intimate, first-hand perspective of life in Gaza, told through a series of video calls between filmmaker Sepideh Farsi and young Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona. Their digital dialogue became a vital record, bearing witness to everyday life, loss, and acts of resistance amid escalating violence. Just a day after the film’s selection at Cannes, Fatma was tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike on her home. This heartbreaking loss deepens the film’s impact, which combines raw immediacy with profound humanity to portray the stark realities of daily life during conflict, seen through the eyes of those trapped in an endless cycle of war and living under siege.

The Garden Cinema View:

Watching the year-long conversation between photojournalist Fatma Hassouna and filmmaker Sepideh Farsi is nothing but devastating given the outcome. The day after the film's Cannes 2025 selection, Hassouna was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Her death sparked global condemnation of both her killing and governments' passivity and silence regarding the atrocities in Gaza. As Ken Loach and Paul Laverty astutely observed in their note of solidarity, ‘Hassouna - who died with her two sisters, three brothers, and father - joins what Reporters Without Borders calls “the massacre” of journalists, now approaching 200, over the last 18 months.’

The documentary contrasts pixelated WhatsApp conversations with Hassouna's sharp photographs of rubble, starvation, and devastation. Yet throughout, her grace comes through - always smiling, never self-pitying, and refusing to leave Gaza because it's her home. She transmits news of dying relatives and her own starvation with stoic humour that barely conceals her anger.

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is an urgent documentary on the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed since the war began.

This film was proposed by our member Anna Leapman, who writes: 'It’s such a groundbreaking film and would be great to see it in the big screen. Better still, you could show alongside East of Eden and Giant.'

After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighbourhood tough, Buzz. When Buzz violently confronts Jim and challenges him to a drag race, the new kid’s real troubles begin.

Please note, the screening on Wednesday 13 August is our free members' screening, while the one on Thursday 21 August is a regular screening, which is open to the general public.

In Mumbai, Rani reunites with her college crush Jaydeep after 10 years while trapped in an abusive marriage. As their love rekindles, a medical crisis threatens their future, leading to a desperate search for a kidney donor.

Language: English

Producers

Uday Devaskar

Sushant Tungare

Director Statement: 'Courage. A story close to my heart, as it speaks leaps and bounds about love and what can love mean to someone. Organ donation is an act of love, and, love has no parameters. When this story came to me, the previous two sentences, like personified. While it put me in a position to question myself, why not I thought, put forth these questions in front of the audiences. Courage is a story which makes you fall in love, feel the never ending struggles of a couple and makes the audiences a part of their story even before they realise. Courage as a process was intense, satisfying and most lovable till date. I hope Courage comes in every film makers life Once!'

Reborn India Film (RIF) is a dynamic organization dedicated to the celebration of cinema through its annual film festivals and round-the-clock programs. Each year, we curate an eclectic lineup of screenings, workshops, podcasts, and more, providing a platform for filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences to engage, learn, and connect. As a production house, RIF specializes in line production, offering comprehensive services to bring film projects to life. With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to excellence, RIF continues to push boundaries, inspire creativity, and shape the future of Indian cinema.

All matinee screenings starting before 17:00 will be dubbed in English, and all evening screenings will be in French and subtitled in English.

At the edge of Borneo’s lush rainforest, Kéria rescues a baby orangutan from the palm oil plantation where her father works. When her young cousin Selaï arrives - seeking refuge from the clash between his Indigenous community and encroaching loggers - the three form a powerful bond. Together, they discover the joys and dangers of this threatened world.

The Garden Cinema View:

Following My Life as a Courgette (2016), Claude Barras has created another stunning stop-motion animation that breathes new life into the genre. Both visually striking and aurally rich, it proves that the time-consuming craftsmanship required for this medium carries its own distinctive sensibility, and one that feels especially vital in this AI-powered era.

Thematically, Savages' environmental concerns intersect with anticolonial and indigenous rights issues. While one could argue it lacks narrative complexity and follows a somewhat predictable path, this orientation toward younger audiences makes it perfectly suited for family viewing - serving as both an enjoyable adult experience and an effective cautionary tale for children

Claude Barras follows My Life As a Courgette with a stop-motion gem about a girl and an orangutan facing up to deforestation in Borneo.

Keria, who has Indigenous Penan heritage on her mother’s side, lives in Borneo with her father, who works on a palm oil plantation. News that the family home is under threat from deforestation only makes her more passionate about her environment, especially when she meets Oshi, an orphaned orangutan with whom she uncovers the joys and dangers of this beautiful but threatened world. Using his distinctive stop-motion style, Barras has produced a memorable and moving tale whose eco-message is seamlessly integrated into this hugely entertaining and highly relevant film.

This screening will be dubbed in English

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you.

Have you ever filmed something that felt risky to share? In an age where your phone can be both a witness and a weapon, Resisters in Borderland offers a powerful look at what it means to document truth under threat. Directed by Toru Kubota (Best New Director 2025, ATP, Japan), the film follows exiled Burmese filmmakers who continue to resist the Myanmar junta – armed only with their cameras.

Paired with a live panel hosted by the Security Storytelling Network (SSN), this event explores how we protect our footage, our communities, and ourselves. Whether you're an activist, artist, or everyday phone user, this screening invites you to rethink how stories are captured and secured.

All proceeds (excluding expenses) will be donated to Docu Athan, supporting filmmakers in exile.

In Burmese with English subtitles

Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns for its third edition from 12–28 September in London, presenting reflective, boundary-shifting cinema from Hong Kong and the ESEA diaspora. This year’s programme foregrounds transient and transitioning identities, exploring perspectives on migration, activism, marginalised communities, and gender, highlighting also the creative lens of women filmmakers. From dynamic contemporary works to intimate personal narratives, the festival centres voices that challenge, navigate, and reimagine belonging. Supported by the BFI.

Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters: pragmatic Elinor (Emma Thompson) and passionately wilful Marianne (Kate Winslet). When their father Henry Dashwood dies, by law his estate must pass to his eldest son from his first marriage. Suddenly homeless and impoverished, his current wife and daughters find themselves living in a simple country cottage

The screening of Serial Mom on the 5th of August will feature an intro by season co-curator Ronja Blight

John Waters brings his twisted cinematic vision to the seemingly mundane world of suburbia in Serial Mom, an outrageous dark comedy starring Kathleen Turner (Body Heat, Romancing The Stone).

Beverly (Turner) is the perfect happy homemaker. Along with her doting husband Eugene (Sam Waterston) and two children, Misty (Ricki Lake) and Chip (Matthew Lillard), she lives a life straight out of Good Housekeeping. But this nuclear family just might explode when Beverly's fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics - transforming her from middle class mom to mass murderer! Soon, the bodies begin to pile up… and suburbia faces a horror even worse than wearing white after Labor Day.

The Oslo Stories Trilogy (Sex, Dreams, Love) is an ambitious set of films from novelist-turned-filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud, contemplating romance, intimacy, and desire in contemporary Norway.

Sex (Berlin, 2024) sees two men, both in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender, and identity

Witty, gentle, and eye-opening, Haugerud charts a full investigation on what contemporary love means in this series of films about romantic, sexual, philosophical, and creative awakenings.

The Garden Cinema View:

The first entry in Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy of human relationships (although the order of viewing is arbitrary), Sex is the most male-centric. Issues of queer sexuality, gender dysmorphia, religion, fatherhood, marriage, and ego are all explored in tender and open conversations between two chimney sweeps and their families. As with Love and Dreams, Haugerud finds humour and insight in these extended dialogues, and even the most unloved corners of Oslo are captured warmly by his camera. Whether Sex marks your entry, middle, or end point to the trilogy, it’s another gem in this special series of films.

The screening will feature a digital introduction by curator Tuyết Vân Huỳnh.

The rare and much-anticipated Hát Giữa Chiều Mưa (Singing in the Rainy Afternoon), is a cinematic gem from 1990 that blends drama, humor, and radiant style. This hidden masterpiece, a hallmark of “instant noodle cinema” is a story of love, music, loss, and resilience, featuring Mai, a young woman who loses her sight in a fireworks accident and must navigate the pain of her father’s thirst for revenge, while holding on to the emotional strength that music offers. The film culminates in a whimsical, moving musical finale set in the rain, a moment of joy and transcendence.

Presented by Tuyết Vân Huỳnh

With support from Arts Council England, the British Council Connections Through Culture programme, and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

In collaboration with TPD: The Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents, the Vietnam Film Institute and Varan Hanoi.

This edition of Site&Sound will explore the subterfuge and suspense that is embodied in burglaries and heists . Film and robberies are united by the way that they deal with time and architecture – every second counts and every space matters. Whether scenes are set in a vault, basement or escape routes through the city, buildings extend beyond a mere backdrop; they become a puzzle to be solved or an obstacle to overcome. They are symbols of authority that need to be meticulously mapped out so that they can be subverted, often casting the burglar as the hero.

Plans and blueprints transcend the usual confines of construction as spatial awareness is now a tool for plot and narrative. Tension is created as spaces are navigated, considering surveillance and an expectation of what’s around the next corner. Architecture can be used to shape the rhythm of a story and dictate how the action (or lack thereof) unfolds.

Heist films often reveal bigger ideas: the desire to outwit the system, the fantasy of slipping past security or the thrill of collective risk. As spectators, we're invited to become accomplices, as we hold our breath during the silent drill, feel the weight of a steel door and imagine the experience of slipping through the cracks.

The art of transgression and the beauty of precision are key tenets in heists, with anxiety woven into the fabric of structures. Filmmakers and audiences are united through the power of cinema to steal scenes, one room at a time

Speakers include:

Daniel Hewitt

Lucy Pickford

Geoff Manaugh

Site&Sound is very grateful for the graphic support from TM (TsevdosMcNeil) who have provided the branding and identity.

This screening will be followed by a Zoom Q&A with director Huang Hui-chen.

Excutive produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien and featuring music from composer Gong Lim (Millennium Mambo), Small Talk is one of Taiwan’s most widely-acclaimed documentaries, and the first such film to be selected as Taiwan’s submission to the Academy Awards. The film is an intimate portrait of the director herself, and her mother, A-nu, a Taoist priestess in rural Taiwan.

Through a series of long-shots, Huang Hui-chen interviews A-nu about her troubled past - as a lesbian pressured into an arranged marriage at an early age with an abusive husband - and their uncomfortable estrangement that persists even after decades living under the same roof. Further conversations with A-nu’s siblings and ex-lovers produce a frank and complex portrait that reflects the prejudices and mores of a society at large, while remaining both universally significant and courageously intimate.

Smiles of a Summer Night plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by Jonathan Wakeham, who writes: 'I would love to celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of Ingmar Bergman’s best-loved films. It’s one of his few comedies, as four men and four women are caught up in a delicious and dangerous dance of attraction, manipulation, betrayal and desire. Starring many of Bergman’s regular players, it would be a perfect midsummer screening.'

After fifteen films that received mostly local acclaim, the comedy Smiles of a Summer Night at last ushered in an international audience for Ingmar Bergman. In turn-of-the-century Sweden, four men and four women attempt to navigate the laws of attraction. During a weekend in the country, the women collude to force the men’s hands in matters of the heart, exposing their pretensions and insecurities along the way. Chock-full of flirtatious propositions and sharp witticisms delivered by such Swedish screen legends as Gunnar Björnstrand and Harriet Andersson, Smiles of a Summer Night is one of cinema’s great erotic comedies.

Connie is fifteen, bored, and beautiful—with nothing much to do but hang around the mall, try on new identities, and flirt with boys. Her mother doesn’t understand her, her sister resents her, and the summer stretches out in every direction. Then a strange older man pulls up in a gold convertible...

Based on a Joyce Carol Oates story and starring baby Laura Dern, Smooth Talk is all about the danger of an endless summer afternoon. Sun-drenched and deeply unsettling, it’s a female-directed, teen-girl centred masterclass in dreamy dread.

Trigger Warning: Contains sexual threat

Summertime Sadness

Long, hot summers have always been fertile ground for anxiety, danger and despair on screen. From holiday horrors to angsty coming-of-age tales, summertime sadness is a microgenre all on its own. Even the way we watch – sitting in a dark room – goes against the spirit of warm, sunny days. Escape the packed pubs, hay fever, and heatwave irritability, and come wallow with Zodiac Film Club in a mini-season of sad girl summer classics that lull you with sunshine... then give you a shock.

Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least.

Blending heartache, humour and healing, Sorry, Baby is the stunning and star-making debut from director, writer and actor Eva Victor, also starring Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges.

As sharp as it is tender, Sorry, Baby is a quietly powerful tale of seizing back your footing after pain, and of the friendships that sustain you along the way. An authentic, bitingly funny drama that marks the arrival of a brilliant new voice in cinema.

The Garden Cinema View:

A tremendous debut from director/writer/star Eva Victor which is at once a highly literate campus comedy, an ode to female (and feline) friendship, and a clear-eyed study of a life stuck in the wake of trauma. With cinematographer Mia Cioffi Henry, Victor constructs a kind of cosy-yet-chilly, coastal Massachusetts setting of always-winter. Along with a handsome liberal arts college, this idyllic setting becomes a physical manifestation of protagonist Agnes’ grief. Her office at the college is her attacker’s; her isolated (and possibly haunted) house still the one she lived in as a grad-student. Sorry, Baby is emotionally raw in places, but ultimately comforting. It’s also frequently very funny (if jokes about Nabokov and Woolf float your boat).      

Our screening on 27 September will be followed by a Zoom Q&A with co-director Shih-Ching Tsou.

The American dream has rarely seemed so far away as in Shih-Ching Tsou and Sean Baker’s raw, vérité Take Out, an immersion in the life of an undocumented Chinese immigrant struggling to get by on the margins of post-9/11 New York City. Facing violent retaliation from a loan shark, restaurant deliveryman Ming Ding has until nightfall to pay back the money he owes, and he encounters both crushing setbacks and moments of unexpected humanity as he races against time to earn enough in tips over the course of a frantic day. From this simple setup, Tsou and Baker fashion a kind of neorealist survival thriller of the everyday, shedding compassionate light on the too often overlooked lives and labour that keep New York running.

With Tsou's new feature, Left-Handed Girl, playing at festivals to critical acclaim, this screening offer an opportunity to revist the start of her wonderful career as a director, writer, and producer.

UK restoration premiere. All screenings will be preceded by a video introduction from Tony Rayns.

Edward Yang’s first theatrical feature film (which also marked the debut of the cinematographer Christopher Doyle) is a visually and emotionally arresting melodrama of fractured romance, disaffection, and the intergenerational breakdown felt across Taiwan in the 1980s. It focuses on the reunion of two old friends - Chia-li (Sylvia Chang), a housewife trapped in a crumbling marriage, and Ching-ching (Terry Hu), a concert pianist newly returned to Taiwan after many years abroad. As they reminisce about their 13 years apart, Yang moves gracefully from past to present, and between perspectives to reflect on his two protagonists’ present stations in life. An intricate memory piece that unfolds with the pacing of a mystery, That Day, on the Beach is one of the greatest debuts of the late 20th century and announced Yang as an artist already in full command of densely layered, compositional storytelling.

Eccentric lottery winner Charles dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, back together. The fantasy becomes real when the bandmates and former lovers agree to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.

The Garden Cinema View:

The Ballad of Wallis Island might have single-handedly revitalised British comedy filmmaking. Among an extraordinary gag-rate (mainly from Tim Key) and some lovely folk music, there is a simple but genuinely affecting study of loss and loneliness. There’s also an intense sense of ‘Pembrokeshire-ness’ that permeates the film; the wintery Welsh coast perfectly resonating with the melancholy tone of the narrative. A gentle and rich watch, and probably the best remote-British-island film since The Wicker Man.  

Dating back to neolithic times, few culinary traditions have survived as long as the hearty bowl of morning porridge. Despite its simple recipe of oats, salt and water there is a lot that can vary.

Each year the sleepy highland village of Carrbridge awakens with excitement as locals and competitors from around the globe vie for the honour of winning The Golden Spurtle in the World Porridge Making Championships.

For ageing, charismatic, and soon-to-retire protagonist Charlie Miller, this competition means so much more than just a bowl of steaming oats. With ailing health but a responsibility to his fellow porridge committee members, Charlie is on a mission to secure the future of the championships - and his own legacy.

The Garden Cinema View:

An utterly charming documentary that captures something of the low-stakes-high-effort competition of The King of Kong whilst bumping against Christopher Guest’s wonderful mockumentaries, particularly Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. Behind the oats, The Golden Spurtle is, at heart, a lovely portrait of a Scottish village and its inhabitants which is never patronising, and relishes the idiosyncrasies of small communities.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by our member Mo, who writes, 'I would love to see such an epic Western on the big screen.'

With the two preceding films in his 'Dollars' trilogy having unleashed a boom in Euro Western productions, Sergio Leone knew that his concluding chapter would have to top them all. Armed with his largest budget yet, Leone created what is, for many, the final word on the subject - a violent, picaresque epic presented with operatic scope and intensity, with Clint Eastwood donning the iconic hat and poncho one last time.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by members Barbara Armstrong, Penny Averill, and John Forde, who writes: 'This year is the 50th anniversary of the murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini. Though he’s probably better known for the disturbing Salò, his film of the life of Jesus is a stunning achievement, especially when you consider he was an atheist.'

A biblical epic that only the Marxist dissident Pier Paolo Pasolini could make, this intensely faithful adaptation of Saint Matthew’s Gospel depicts the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (Enrique Irazoqui, a Spanish economics student and Communist activist), whose unwavering compassion for the poor and defiant condemnation of moral hypocrisy make him a perhaps unexpected embodiment of the director’s own worldview. Stunningly shot amid the timeless landscapes of southern Italy and set to a soundtrack that encompasses everything from Bach to Black spirituals, The Gospel According to St. Matthew cuts past dogma and straight to the core of Jesus’ radical humanism.

One of Disney's most beloved films, The Little Mermaid tells the story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid who longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life, and her father’s crown, in jeopardy.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you.

Like childhood, animation is full of wonder and simple pleasures. This carefully chosen programme for our littlest and most special audience contains 10 of the best, wonderful short animated films, full of joy, from all around the world. There’ll be talking animals, seriously fun adventures and wondrous tales to spark those little imaginations.

This delightful selection of films includes a bouncy song about the unlimited contents of a hippie's bag, a magical ping-pong tournament, peculiar hedgehogs, happy hippos, a fox who can play the most beautiful tunes on a violin and many more charming stories.

For more information about the London International Animation Festival and our programmes please check out our website at https://liaf.org.uk/

Cornershop “What did the Hippie have in his bag?”

Director: Rude, UK, 2011, 4’15

He had be-bop, German jazz, a dragon that was half-Welsh and a massive, massive cake amongst other things.

Magic Cube and Ping Pong

Director: Lei Lei, China, 2009, 4’15

In the city of the Magic Cube there is a ping-pong tournament.

Dunder

Director: Endre Skandfer, Norway, 2016, 10’00

Bulder, a wild and funny monster, is playing with his best friend Modika. Their snowball fight is interrupted when quiet Lex invites Modika to study snowflakes.

The Adventure Of The Afternoon

Director: Vance Yang, Stella Huang, Taiwan, 7’45, 2016

One beautiful afternoon, a little boy meets an unexpected friend, with whom he starts an adventurous journey.

The Kid And The Hedgehog

Director: Marc Riba, Anna Solanas, Spain, 3’00, 2016

A kid is climbing a hill. On the hill he’s about to meet a very peculiar hedgehog.

Spider Web or The Gossamer

Director: Natalia Chernysheva, Russia, 4’05, 2016

A mutual friendship is weaved when a small spider finds inspiration in a woman's knitting patterns.

Hippo and Juice

Director: Alexey Minchenok, Russia, 2’30, 2015

Hippo works as an airline pilot and he lives in a comfortable little house, where his refrigerator is always stocked with a blueberry pie and a jug full of juice.

The Fox Who Could Play the Violin

Director: Natalya Nilova, Russia, 10’50, 2015

The fox can play the violin really well – and the other woodland animals start to take notice.

Tekkol

Director: Jorn Leeuwerink, Netherlands, 2017, 2’00

A dog decides to help a hen and her chicks in crossing the river, but then he lets all kinds of animals walk all over him.

The Birdie

Director: Yekaterina Filippova, Russia, 2’00, 2015

Once upon a time the birdie met a hippo. They became friends and built a lovely house together.

Murky Papers

Director: Heta Jokinen, Finland, 2011, 8’00

A woman is reading but her cutout paper is determined to have its own way.

Hu Lulu, Hong longlong, Hua lala

Director: Lei Lei, China, 2010, 5’35

A small village is disrupted by heavy rain which threatens to disrupt the people’s peaceful lives.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you.

The Lost Weekend plays as part of our Members' Summer Selection season, and was proposed by Ben Whitehead, who writes, 'Reasons: 1. I’m continually discovering the genius of Billy Wilder, 2. I haven’t seen this one, 3. In 2011, The Lost Weekend was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry!'

Writer Don Birnam (Ray Milland) is on the wagon. Sober for only a few days, Don is supposed to be spending the weekend with his brother, Wick (Phillip Terry), but, eager for a drink, Don convinces his girlfriend (Jane Wyman) to take Wick to a show. Don, meanwhile, heads to his local bar and misses the train out of town. After recounting to the bartender (Howard da Silva) how he developed a drinking problem, Don goes on a weekend-long bender that just might prove to be his last.

In the remote Irish woods, Cellach (Brendan Gleeson) prepares a fortress for an impending attack by a Viking war party. Unbeknown to Cellach, his young nephew Brendan (Evan McGuire) -- who has no taste for battle -- works secretly as an apprentice in the scriptorium of the local monastery, learning the ancient art of calligraphy. As the Vikings approach, revered illuminator Aidan (Mick Lally) arrives at the monastery and recruits Brendan to complete a series of dangerous, magical tasks

Into Film age recommendation: 7+

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

UK resotration premiere. Our screening on Saturday 4 October will be followed by an online Q&A with Tsai Ming-liang.

The Wayward Cloud is arguably Tsai Ming-liang’s least understood and most neglected work. The film has, moreover, gathered a notorious reputation for its unusual mixture of strange musical numbers and very explicit, deliberately sordid sex - all filtered through Tsai’s signature stylistic minimalism. Like so many of Tsai’s best films, The Wayward Cloud is an offbeat love story, the tale of two lonelyhearts struggling to connect in a drought-stricken Taipei. Complicating things is the fact that one of the lovers - played, as always, by Lee Kang-sheng - is a porn actor, a profession that Tsai uses to evince the ambivalence about both filmmaking and sexuality that run throughout his films.

Content warning: Contains a scene of non-consential sex which viewers may find extremely disturbing.

Our screening on Saturday 6 September will be introduced by Chris Berry (KCL).

The breakthrough film in the West for Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, The Wedding Banquet is the moving and, for its time, groundbreaking, New York–set story of a gay Taiwanese immigrant, Gao Wai-Tung who marries Wei-Wei, a woman from China, both to help her procure a green card and to convince his parents that he is straight. This creates emotional and practical concerns for his boyfriend, Simon, and increasingly manic complications when Wai-Tung’s parents arrive from Taiwan.

The screening will be followed by an online Q&A with director Anthony Chen, moderated by Dr. How Wee Ng (University of Westminster).

This is part of 'Anthony Chen Double Feature' jointly presented by Bun Bites Screening and Chinese Cinema Project. Wet Season is Anthony Chen’s second feature film after Ilo Ilo (2013), portraying a taboo relationship between a teacher and a troubled teenage boy who has a passion for martial arts.

As Mandarin-language teacher Ling continues with fruitless IVF treatment while taking care of her ailing father-in-law, she finds herself slowly drawn towards a promising student who seems to have been abandoned by his parents. Outside it’s monsoon season, but Ling’s inner turmoil looks set to get her into a heap of trouble.

Bun Bites Screening is a London-based emerging film club dedicated to spotlighting the voices of the younger generation in Asia and the Global South, while fostering an inclusive community for film lovers. We curate and screen films made by young people, about young people, and in support of young visions.

Donghwa, a poet in his thirties, drops off Junhee, his girlfriend of three years, at her house and marvels at how large it is. He intends to look around the front yard and then leave, but by chance he runs into Junhee’s father, and ends up spending the entire day with Junhee's family.

From this simple premise Hong Sangsoo crafts a deft and moving exploration of sincerity, familial bonds and the value of a life dedicated to art.

The Garden Cinema View:

The latest (at the time of writing) film from the prolific Hong Sangsoo shuffles his pack of stock characters, actors, and situations to generate something that feels slightly unique, whilst retaining his indelible cinematic flavours. Kwon Hae-hyo is here, moving now into more paternal roles, perhaps reflecting Hong’s experiences of becoming a new father once again. There’s the usual carousel of boozy table scenes that will be so familiar and comforting to fans of the Hong Sangsoo-niverse, and the director’s recent focus on poets is continued. What Does That Nature Say to You is unusual in that Hong’s usual flirtation gameplay is missing. Rather, the ‘meet the parents’ setup leads to power moves and coded seduction with quite different stakes. This is also Hong’s most visually striking film since 2018’s Hotel by the River. Instead of that film's stark monochrome, here Hong seemingly shoots on an old DV camera. The resulting fuzzy look casts a nostalgic, home-video-like veil over the film. Pretty suitable for a trip to your parents house in the mountains in your 1996-model car.  

This programme brings together four remarkable Iranian short films, each created by talented female filmmakers working inside Iran. Together, they capture a wide range of voices and genres, offering a rare and intimate look at contemporary Iranian storytelling.

The selection includes a haunting horror film with an underlying social theme, a heartfelt drama with touches of humor, an insightful documentary exploring a significant social movement, and a sensitive drama about domestic violence.

Individually, each film has earned recognition on the international festival circuit; together, they highlight the courage, artistry, and range of a new generation of Iranian women filmmakers, exploring social and personal themes with honesty and emotional depth.

Curated by

Award-winning filmmaker Shadi Karamroudi, recipient of this year's Gold Fellowship from the Academy.

Blanka Douglas, founder of Women Without Borders Film Festival and an award-winning filmmaker.

Films in the programme:

If There Is A Ghost Among Us dir. Paniz Khoshnik | 2025

When a group of youngsters try to fake summon ghosts on Instagram live, a tragic secret about one of them is revealed that his 18-years-old friend was killed.

The Form dir. Melika Pazouki | 2024

Eli, a 15-year-old teenager, gets ready in the school restroom to go on her first sex date with someone she has never seen before.

A Move dir. Elahe Esmaili | 2024

Against the backdrop of the Women, Life, Freedom protest movement in Iran, filmmaker Elahe Esmaili is helping her parents to pack up the family home. As the boxes stack up, discussions flare between the generations: Elahe does not wear the hijab, embodying the courage of her generation's struggles. But can changing a society be as simple as moving house?

It Turns Blue dir. Shadi Karamroudi | 2023

In a moment of heat, a father slaps his 3 years old daughter in one of her weekly visits. He asks his older sister, Pari, to come to his house and figure out a way of hiding the incident and wounds from her ex-wife.

Women Without Borders Film Festival spotlights bold female filmmakers and female led stories about women who are not afraid to cross mental and physcial borders.

@wwb_filmfest

The screening on 9 August will be followed by a Q&A with the director Anthony Schatteman.

When Alexander reveals that he was in love with a boy and asks Elias if he has experienced true love, that question lingers on his mind. For the first time, Elias begins to understand the depth of his feelings as he starts to fall in love with Alexander.

The Garden Cinema:

Young Hearts is a heartwarming story of teenage love in Belgium that sensitively portrays a 14-year-old boy's queer awakening.

The film's central tension emerges from the contrasting attitudes of the two protagonists: one boy totally embracing his sexuality, while the other struggling against it, paralyzed by fears of bullying and social ostracism. This dynamic reflects our current zeitgeist, where progressive acceptance of diversity coexists with old prejudices.

Despite the inevitable parallels one can draw to Lukas Dhont's Close, this presents a much more positive overview in terms of environment's acceptance and progress.

The Dardenne brothers' social-realist drama Young Mothers follows five adolescent mothers living together at a maternal support home in Belgium. From drug addiction to precarious living situations, these women must face the challenges of their situation individually, but living together in this communal home gives them the tools, support and the community they need in order to do so.

The Garden Cinema View:

The Dardennes Brothers return with another typically well observed helping of social realism. Young Mothers is at once almost immediately recognisable as classic Dardennes, whilst feeling like a slight departure. The home for teenage mums at the centre of the film acts as springboard to tell five individual stories of hardship and triumph faced by the film’s young protagonists. The intense, and sometimes suffocating, focus of the directors' usual single issue/character studies is somewhat dispersed by this structure. And while the film isn’t always an easy watch, this anthology-adjacent structure gives the audience more breathing room, and a little more head space to consider the issues at play. Now nearly 30 years on from their Cannes breakthrough The Promise, the brothers’ filmmaking remains as tender and intelligent as ever.