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2026
2026 Programme
5 Centimetres per Second
Artist Petra Szemán presents a rare screening of Makoto Shinkai’s 2007 anime alongside a selection of their own video work.
In 5 Centimetres per Second, director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You) tells the tale of two close friends separated by chance and reunited by determination. A journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the minutes and months of their lives.
In 5 Centimetres per Second, director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You) tells the tale of two close friends separated by chance and reunited by determination. A journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the minutes and months of their lives.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Widely believed to be the very first animated feature film, Lotte Reiniger’s astonishing 1926 adaptation of tales from “One Thousand and One Nights” uses striking silhouette cutouts and gorgeous colour tinting to bring to life the story of an Arabian prince who is whisked away on a flying horse to an enchanted land where he tangles with an evil sorcerer, rescues a princess, and joins forces with none other than Aladdin.
Painstakingly composed frame by frame by Reiniger over the course of three years, this landmark work is both an enchanting storybook saga and a retina-delighting triumph of visual imagination.
Painstakingly composed frame by frame by Reiniger over the course of three years, this landmark work is both an enchanting storybook saga and a retina-delighting triumph of visual imagination.
Agent of Happiness
How can you measure happiness? The country of Bhutan invented Gross National Happiness to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who travels door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. He is still living with his elderly mother at the age of 40 but is nevertheless a hopeless romantic who dreams of finding love: a happiness agent who is in search of his own happiness.
We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live.
We embark with Amber on a cross-country road trip meeting citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. No matter where we live.
All We Imagine as Light
The light, the lives, and the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai are centred and celebrated through this poetic character study of three women from different generations facing distinct challenges.
All We Imagine as Light is a beautiful, sweeping, soulful film that explores the complexities of female friendship and captures the frantic and heady atmosphere of modern Mumbai.
All We Imagine as Light is a beautiful, sweeping, soulful film that explores the complexities of female friendship and captures the frantic and heady atmosphere of modern Mumbai.
A Matter of Life and Death
After miraculously surviving a jump from his burning plane, RAF pilot Peter Carter (David Niven) encounters the American radio operator (Kim Hunter) to whom he has just delivered his dying wishes, and, face-to-face on a tranquil English beach, the pair fall in love.
When a messenger from the hereafter arrives to correct the bureaucratic error that spared his life, Peter must mount a fierce defence for his right to stay on earth.
When a messenger from the hereafter arrives to correct the bureaucratic error that spared his life, Peter must mount a fierce defence for his right to stay on earth.
Arctic Tale
Set in the vast snow kingdom at the top of the world, Arctic Tale is a real-life adventure from the people who brought you March of the Penguins.
Narrated by Queen Latifa, we follow two very different arctic creatures, Nanu the polar bear cub and Seela the walrus pup. Armed only with their natural instincts and mothers’ guidance, these inspiring animals face countless trials and challenges in a beautiful icebound world that is rapidly melting beneath them.
Narrated by Queen Latifa, we follow two very different arctic creatures, Nanu the polar bear cub and Seela the walrus pup. Armed only with their natural instincts and mothers’ guidance, these inspiring animals face countless trials and challenges in a beautiful icebound world that is rapidly melting beneath them.
Arsenic and Old Lace
A timeless black comedy from Frank Capra and Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace screens in St. Andrews cemetery chapel in this Tyne Valley Film Festival screening.
This riotously funny farce is the story of two charming old aunts and their surprising hobby… killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar!
A marvellous meeting of the madcap and the macabre, this 1944 comedy finds humour in the most unexpected places and is sure to tickle a funny bone or two.
This riotously funny farce is the story of two charming old aunts and their surprising hobby… killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar!
A marvellous meeting of the madcap and the macabre, this 1944 comedy finds humour in the most unexpected places and is sure to tickle a funny bone or two.
PREVIEW: The Blue Trail
The Blue Trail is a transfixing late in life coming of age tale where the unfamiliar river bends to new routes of freedom.
In near future Brazil, elderly citizens are forced to relocate to remote retirement colonies to avoid hindering their offspring’s productivity. Having reached the fateful age, defiant Tereza instead embarks on an illegal but life-changing journey through the Amazon.
In near future Brazil, elderly citizens are forced to relocate to remote retirement colonies to avoid hindering their offspring’s productivity. Having reached the fateful age, defiant Tereza instead embarks on an illegal but life-changing journey through the Amazon.
Brassed Off
Mark Herman’s award-winning comedy, starring Ewan McGregor, Pete Postlethwaite and Tara Fitzgerald, filmed entirely on location in Yorkshire.
The Grimley Colliery Brass Band are local heroes of their small town, led by retired miner Danny. As the band prepare for national competition the local coal mine is threatened with closure and Danny has trouble maintaining the morale of the musicians. But he believes they have what it takes to win and restore pride back to their community.
The Grimley Colliery Brass Band are local heroes of their small town, led by retired miner Danny. As the band prepare for national competition the local coal mine is threatened with closure and Danny has trouble maintaining the morale of the musicians. But he believes they have what it takes to win and restore pride back to their community.
Cabaret
Cabaret brings 1931 Berlin to life inside and outside of the Kit Kat Club. There, starry eyed American Sally Bowles and an impish emcee sound the call for decadent fun. While in the street the Nazi party is beginning to grow into a brutal political force. Into this heady world arrives naive British language teacher, Brian, who quickly falls for Sally’s charm.
PREVIEW: California Schemin'
Based on a true story that’s stranger than fiction, James McAvoy’s directorial debut is the irresistible, feel-good underdog tale of Silibil N’ Brains, the Dundee rap duo, who determined to escape regional prejudice reinvent themselves as a self-confident pair of American MCs to achieve their dreams of hip-hop stardom.
In the early 2000’s, Dundee rappers Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd were talented, hungry, but dismissed for sounding "too Scottish" to make it in hip hop. So they hatched an audacious plan: fake American identities, re-record their tracks with Californian accents, and hustle their way into the heart of the UK music industry as “Silibil N’ Brains”—childhood friends of D12 and stars-in-the-making.
In the early 2000’s, Dundee rappers Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd were talented, hungry, but dismissed for sounding "too Scottish" to make it in hip hop. So they hatched an audacious plan: fake American identities, re-record their tracks with Californian accents, and hustle their way into the heart of the UK music industry as “Silibil N’ Brains”—childhood friends of D12 and stars-in-the-making.
PREVIEW: Dead Man's Wire
Gus Van Sant returns from a 7-year hiatus with this true crime thriller that dramatises the events of a 1977 hostage crisis with “black-comic flair and cool, cruel unsentimentality.”
Starring Bill Skarsgard, Cary Elwes, Al Pacino, Myha'la, Colman Domingo and Dacre Montgomery.
The morning of February 8, 1977, Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” from the trigger to Hall’s head.
This is the true story of the stand-off that took the world by storm as Tony demanded $5 million, no charges or prosecution, and a personal apology from the Halls for cheating him out of what he was “owed.”
Starring Bill Skarsgard, Cary Elwes, Al Pacino, Myha'la, Colman Domingo and Dacre Montgomery.
The morning of February 8, 1977, Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” from the trigger to Hall’s head.
This is the true story of the stand-off that took the world by storm as Tony demanded $5 million, no charges or prosecution, and a personal apology from the Halls for cheating him out of what he was “owed.”
Driving Mum
Hilmar Oddsson’s darkly comedic road movie is a bewitching 1980-set odyssey of self-discovery and acceptance across the beautifully photographed landscapes of Iceland.
Jón’s isolated world is upended by the sudden death of his domineering mother. Following her final instructions, Jón sets out on a journey across Iceland in his small car with his mother and beloved family dog in tow.
The wearing of Icelandic sweaters is encouraged but not essential!
Jón’s isolated world is upended by the sudden death of his domineering mother. Following her final instructions, Jón sets out on a journey across Iceland in his small car with his mother and beloved family dog in tow.
The wearing of Icelandic sweaters is encouraged but not essential!
The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain
Set in 1917 two English cartographers visit the small South Wales village of Ffynnon Garw to map the local terrain. When their measurement reveals the villagers cherished “mountain” - long claimed to be the "first mountain inside of Wales," to be in fact only a hill, the villagers are outraged and take matters into their own hands.
The General
Considered by most film critics as the last great comedy of the silent era, Buster Keaton’s The General celebrates its landmark 100 year anniversary in this Tyne Valley Film Festival screening, with all tickets just £3.
Taking inspiration from a real Civil War incident when Union soldiers hijacked a Confederate train, The General is silent comedian Buster Keaton’s most grandly conceived project.
Taking inspiration from a real Civil War incident when Union soldiers hijacked a Confederate train, The General is silent comedian Buster Keaton’s most grandly conceived project.
Hinter: An Apocalypse
Hinter: An Apocalypse is a film rooted in the history, both recent and ancient, of the area surrounding Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, the northernmost county in England. Questioning the nature of enclosure and land ownership, the piece traces a common thread of self-destruction from the colonial project, stretching back to the Roman Empire, to the acts of ecological vandalism which take place on both large and small scales in the present day
Seeking to encapsulate this quiet landscape that is at the same time a teeming repository of stories, violence, politics, and existential lessons, Hinter functions as both an elegy for an ancient tree and a protest against human rapaciousness and abuse of power.
A film by Matthew Burdis, written by Rachel Chanter, narrated by Claire Rodgerson (The Old Oak) with an original score by Barry Hyde (The Futureheads).
Seeking to encapsulate this quiet landscape that is at the same time a teeming repository of stories, violence, politics, and existential lessons, Hinter functions as both an elegy for an ancient tree and a protest against human rapaciousness and abuse of power.
A film by Matthew Burdis, written by Rachel Chanter, narrated by Claire Rodgerson (The Old Oak) with an original score by Barry Hyde (The Futureheads).
Holy Cow
18-year-old Totone spends most of his time drinking beer and partying in the Jura region with his group of friends until reality catches up with him when he has to take care of his 7-year-old sister and find a way to make a living. He sets out to make the best Comté cheese in the region in an attempt to win the gold medal at the agricultural competition and 30,000 euros.
In Fading Light
In Fading Light is a feature drama set within the declining fishing industry of North Shields, written by local writer Tom Hadaway and produced by Amber Films in 1989.
The film centres on the upheaval caused in a traditional fishing community by the unexpected arrival of a young woman.
To authentically depict the community, Amber Films purchased and operated a 63-foot anchor seine netter, integrating themselves into the daily routines of the fishermen. Actors auditioning for roles found themselves at sea for days, gutting fish alongside seasoned fishermen. When the story required a storm sequence, cast, crew, and fishermen set sail into a force 9 gale, with tripods anchored to the deck.
The outcome is an authentic blend of drama and documentary of epic human proportions. A beautiful visual record of a once true time and place, and a vital lasting piece of independent British social-realist cinema.
The film centres on the upheaval caused in a traditional fishing community by the unexpected arrival of a young woman.
To authentically depict the community, Amber Films purchased and operated a 63-foot anchor seine netter, integrating themselves into the daily routines of the fishermen. Actors auditioning for roles found themselves at sea for days, gutting fish alongside seasoned fishermen. When the story required a storm sequence, cast, crew, and fishermen set sail into a force 9 gale, with tripods anchored to the deck.
The outcome is an authentic blend of drama and documentary of epic human proportions. A beautiful visual record of a once true time and place, and a vital lasting piece of independent British social-realist cinema.
The Kitchen Brigade
Disgruntled sous-chef Cathy Marie (Lamy) leaves her job at a high-end gourmet restaurant to pursue her dreams of becoming a head chef at her own restaurant. But when her plans don’t quite work out, she finds herself strapped for cash and with a new job running the cafeteria at the local migrant shelter run by Lorenzo (Cluzet) and Sabine (Chantal Neuwirth).
In charge of a run-down kitchen and needing to make food for hungry young men, Cathy hates her job, but it’s not long before she realises that she can provide valuable life skills – and maybe learn something herself too!
Charming, and brilliantly performed by a talented ensemble cast, The Kitchen Brigade packs mouth-watering food, big laughs and a valuable message into its runtime.
In charge of a run-down kitchen and needing to make food for hungry young men, Cathy hates her job, but it’s not long before she realises that she can provide valuable life skills – and maybe learn something herself too!
Charming, and brilliantly performed by a talented ensemble cast, The Kitchen Brigade packs mouth-watering food, big laughs and a valuable message into its runtime.
PREVIEW: Köln 75
Keith Jarrett’s iconic January 1975 performance nearly never happened. Based on a true story, Koln 75 follows the young, driven concert promoter Vera Brandes as she conceived and organises the event against all odds.
From securing the venue and selling tickets to persuading Jarrett to perform when the promised Bosendofer Imperial Grand piano is missing, Vera’s determination is tested at every turn. The film reveals the compelling and little-known story behind Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which went to become the best-selling solo jazz album in history.
From securing the venue and selling tickets to persuading Jarrett to perform when the promised Bosendofer Imperial Grand piano is missing, Vera’s determination is tested at every turn. The film reveals the compelling and little-known story behind Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which went to become the best-selling solo jazz album in history.
Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up
This richly crafted, hand-drawn 2D animated adventure marks the first fully animated feature-length film in Looney Tunes history, told on a scope and scale that’s truly out of this world.
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck venture to the big screen as unlikely heroes and Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Faced with cosmic odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!) ... that is if they don’t drive each other totally looney in the process.
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck venture to the big screen as unlikely heroes and Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Faced with cosmic odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!) ... that is if they don’t drive each other totally looney in the process.
Nebraska
When a father (Bruce Dern) and his adult son (Will Forte) embark on a journey from Montana to Nebraska to claim a million-dollar prize, what begins as a fools errand becomes a search for the road to redemption in this triumphant masterpiece from Academy-Award winning director Alexander Payne.
PREVIEW: The North
Having taken the same 350-mile walk in their youth, former best friends and roommates Chris and Lluis meet up after a decade to hike Scotland’s West Highland Way and Cape Wrath Trail. The pair hope to rekindle their once-strong friendship by spending 30 days together in the majestic, raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands.
Shot entirely on the route of the walk, and in chronological order, The North is a beautiful ode to friendship and the healing power of nature. It’s not only a poignant and powerful drama, but also perhaps the definitive hiking film, allowing us to take in the stunning majesty of the Highlands shoulder-to-shoulder with Lluis and Chris as they reconnect with each other and with nature.
Shot entirely on the route of the walk, and in chronological order, The North is a beautiful ode to friendship and the healing power of nature. It’s not only a poignant and powerful drama, but also perhaps the definitive hiking film, allowing us to take in the stunning majesty of the Highlands shoulder-to-shoulder with Lluis and Chris as they reconnect with each other and with nature.
Palestine 36 + Short Film
In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem. Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.
Palestine's Official Selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
Prior to Palestine 36 we are proud to present the short film Ana Dammi Falastini, made by North East arts collective, Zeytoun Arts. This official selection of the 2025 BFI Film Festival, delves into the life of a Palestinian in Newcastle. Separated from a culture and a way of life, this film captures the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity, offering hope, challenging narratives, and inspiring solidarity.
Palestine's Official Selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
Prior to Palestine 36 we are proud to present the short film Ana Dammi Falastini, made by North East arts collective, Zeytoun Arts. This official selection of the 2025 BFI Film Festival, delves into the life of a Palestinian in Newcastle. Separated from a culture and a way of life, this film captures the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity, offering hope, challenging narratives, and inspiring solidarity.
Payroll
A whole decade before Get Carter would depict Tyneside’s gritty underworld to international acclaim, Payroll set the template with this overlooked Newcastle heist thriller.
The familiar winding streets and dramatic high and low levels of the city provide the perfect action setting as a vicious gang of crook’s plan to steal the wages of a local factory. When the factory unexpectedly employs an armoured van to carry the cash, the plan is botched and the men turn on each other in the ensuing fallout.
Prior to Payroll we are pleased to present Nails, a short action film made by Newcastle Film Club.
The familiar winding streets and dramatic high and low levels of the city provide the perfect action setting as a vicious gang of crook’s plan to steal the wages of a local factory. When the factory unexpectedly employs an armoured van to carry the cash, the plan is botched and the men turn on each other in the ensuing fallout.
Prior to Payroll we are pleased to present Nails, a short action film made by Newcastle Film Club.
Previous Festivals
2019
2020
2022
2023
2024
2025
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