What’s On Week Ahead

Opposite Everyman Bristol

Bristol has been an UNESCO City of Film since 2017, but Bristol and cinema have been entwined since – some would say before – the beginning of moving pictures. Join local enthusiast and historian Mark Fuller for the third of three gentle weekend walks.

Join The Pretend Company for this second of two Improv Cinema Club sessions, a unique opportunity to explore some of the films presented at Cinema Rediscovered in a nuanced and in-depth way.

To celebrate the centenary of Lotte Reiniger’s beautiful 1926 silhouette animation, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, The Little Film Society bring you an enchanting screening of these magical tales from the Arabian Nights showing alongside some her lesser known, but no less spellbinding, fairytale films.

Join Watershed’s Charlotte Bendrey and BFI National Archive Curator Rosie Taylor on a tour of Watershed’s projection booth and discover how the films screening at the festival make it to the screen during a festival like Cinema Rediscovered.

On the centenary of his birth, BFI National Archive presents a brand new 35mm print of Brian Forbes’ directorial debut, which put the rural North of England on screen and launched the screen career of Alan Bates.

Real comic-book artist Harvey Pekar is brought to cinematic life in this sweet, funny and off-kilter take on his highly idiosyncratic, autobiographical work.

Until Sun 13 Sep

Open your animal eyes. An immersive exhibition of groundbreaking video games & virtual reality. A must-do this summer in Bristol's Undershed Gallery.

Join Dáire Carson (The Little Film Society) for a special shadow puppet making workshop inspired by the work of Lotte Reiniger, the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation.

Few films tell a heartbreaking story as hilariously as this must-see 1960s British New Wave classic in which Tom Courtenay stars in this tale of a young clerk lost to daydreams in his Yorkshire hometown. But will they ever come true?

The Cube Microplex (about 20 min walk from Watershed)

Fresh off box-office comedy smash The Longest Yard (1974), director Robert Aldrich and star sensation Burt Reynolds ditched laughs for a gritty, uncompromising neo-noir set in the seedy underbelly of LA.

Curzon Cinema & Arts (about 45 min bus journey from Watershed)

Take a trip out to the stunning Curzon Cinema in Clevedon (and a peek at their Christie organ) followed by a special screening of this lavish late silent masterpiece introduced by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson.

Set in the final hours before a nuclear war threatens to wipe out humanity, Andrei Tarkovsky’s visionary final film is a visually breathtaking meditation on existential terror and a melancholic swan song from one of cinema’s true auteurs.

Joseph Losey’s screen adaptation of the 1960s British comic strip Modesty Blaise is a camp, star-studded pop-art romp that brilliantly satirises the Bond-mania of the time.

Come and find out how a film archive works in this new exhibition on display in W1 throughout the festival. All welcome including younger guests in this free drop-in space hosted by the BFI National Archive team.

A hilarious cautionary tale about the perils of independent filmmaking starring Steve Buscemi as a penniless New York screenwriter with big cinematic ambitions.

Based on an iconic Italian comic, Mario Bava’s stylish cult classic has been an inspiration to many from the Beastie Boys to acclaimed British filmmaker Edgar Wright, who will present a pre-recorded introduction to the film.

Enjoy this specially curated BFI Replay showreel bringing together the BFI Replay trailer and Bristol archive highlights of the Harbourside selected by South West Silents for you to enjoy.

An anonymous tip starts a traditional whodunnit which quickly segues into a surrealistic farce and moves from film noir to science fiction in the mysterious and enigmatic Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.

Until Thu 30 Jul

With a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the most anticipated film on Letterboxd for 2026.

Deeply personal, beautifully realised, and symbolically obscure, Andrei Tarkovsky’s first film directed outside of his home country stands as a testament to his own conflicting thoughts regarding Russia as he considered a self-proclaimed exile.

It’s time to prove your film knowledge at this year's 10th Anniversary Cinema Rediscovered Film Quiz — a night where deep-cut movie knowledge meets friendly competition.

Claude Chabrol’s masterful thriller hinges on the unlikely bond between a schoolmistress and a butcher and the unsettling possibility that all might not be what it seems as a wave of murders grip their small idyllic French village.

Mon 27 July - Tue 1 Sept

A double bill of the first outings of Bristol's favourite animated duo Wallace & Gromit.

Until Thu 30 Jul

Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbours for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?

Mon 27 - Thu 30 July

Sumitra Peries’ groundbreaking Sri Lankan film offers a tender and transporting journey through young dreams and first loves.

Mon 27 - Thu 30 July

Taika Waititi's iconic film is back in 4K to celebrate its 10 year anniversary!

Mon 27 - Thu 30 July

Deeply personal, beautifully realised, and symbolically obscure, Andrei Tarkovsky’s first film directed outside of his home country stands as a testament to his own conflicting thoughts regarding Russia as he considered a self-proclaimed exile.

Tue 28 July - Mon 24 Aug

Fall back in love with those crafty hens (and one smooth-talking rooster) with Aardman's classic Chicken Run!

Join us for a special Bristol culture sector screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing – an eye-opening film bringing together nine leading UK scientists covering weather, food, health and the cost of living.

In the late 1990s, a family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island, as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child, Sasha. Their fresh start is interrupted by the increasingly dangerous behavior of Jeremy, the family’s oldest child.

Wed 29 July - Sun 16 Aug

A pampered pet "society mouse" Roddy St. James thinks he's got it made... until he's literally flushed away to a bustling underground world of ninja frogs, hench-rats and singing slugs.

Thu 30 July - Fri 28 Aug

When one of 600 million children to receive a gift from Santa on Christmas Eve is missed, it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to all but one—Arthur Claus.

Fri 31 July - Thu 6 Aug

Set and filmed in Luton, Ish follows 12-year-old best friends Ish and Maram, who wrestle to hold onto their friendship in the wake of a police stop and search. Written and directed by acclaimed artist Imran Perretta, Ish also stars singer/songwriter Joy Crookes.

Fri 31 July - Wed 2 Sept

A double bill of the third and fourth short outings of Bristol's favourite animated duo Wallace & Gromit.

In this Lunchtime Talk, Studio Resident Prince will explore the realities of co-leadership in a purpose-led business in 2026.

Fri 31 July - Thu 6 Aug

Set in the final hours before a nuclear war threatens to wipe out humanity, Andrei Tarkovsky’s visionary final film is a visually breathtaking meditation on existential terror and a melancholic swan song from one of cinema’s true auteurs.

Fri 31 July - Thu 6 Aug

A group of international doctors breach the blockade of Gaza. What they find is the calculated dismantling of life itself...