God's Own Country the directorial debut by Francis Lee about a young sheep farmer in Yorkshire whose life is transformed by a Romanian migrant worker.

Johnny lives on the family farm with his father, Martin, and grandmother, Deirdre. Much of the day-to-day running of the farm falls to Johnny. He numbs his frustrations with binge-drinking and casual sex, until he meets Gheorghe, a Romanian migrant worker, who is hired as extra help for the lambing season. Johnny’s fling with Gheorghe, the Romanian worker, reawakens his love of the land…

This is a captivating and beautiful film, which tells much more than a story about passion in the Pennines…

SUNRISE is a silent monochrome melodrama by FW Murnau about the rekindling of true love. In a lakeside village, a farmer is seduced away from his wife by a beguiling woman from the city who convinces him to murder his wife so they can live together, but things turn out a little differently…

Directed by German genius F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) in his Hollywood debut, this silent art movie has a fairytale story with subtle performances, technical innovations and a remarkable evocation of moods and passions. 

One of the most imaginative films ever made and probably the greatest ever made about love.

For our second Candid Community Cinema Club screening we are having a nineties November film night! And what’s one of the best 90s films… of course it’s Reservoir Dogs.

We kind of think this isn’t up for debate, as Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut really was genre defining, and shocking in all the right places.

The film

When a simple diamond heist goes wrong they begin to suspect that one of them is an undercover police officer. None of the six criminals know each other's true identity.

The film incorporates many elements that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling. The film is regarded as a classic of independent film and a cult film.

Our Candid Community Cinema Club is made possible with support from Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery. Film Hub Midlands support people to watch, show, and make films in the Midlands.

We are kicking off our MONTHLY Candid Community Cinema Club with this stone cold British Folk Horror classic.

So, to celebrate the films 50th anniversary (I know right!?), we are screening The Wicker Man… and it’s also almost Halloween, so this is also a great excuse!

The film…

A Police Sergeant flies to a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a missing girl, only to find a strange, isolated community who insist that the girl never existed. Stranger still are the rites that the inhabitants now practise on the island. 

Our Candid Community Cinema Club nights are made possible with support from Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery. Film Hub Midlands support people to watch, show, and make films in the Midlands.

No Pocket Film Festival would be complete without a performance by the sublime Meg Morley. This year we are really excited to welcome back Meg again, to deliver a live accompaniment to "The Passion of Joan of Arc”, a film which is widely considered to be the best silent film of all time.

Director by Carl Theodor Dreyer the film tells the story of the doomed, but ultimately canonized 15th century teenage warrior. The screening will take place at Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall where Meg will bring the festival to a close with a sublime live piano accompaniment to this silent visual masterpiece.

We are also proud to be screening Ten Degrees of Strange - Lynn Tomlinson, (WINNER, Best Commissioned Animation, Ottawa International Animation Festival 2021), before Dreyer’s masterpiece.

‘Close’ is a beautiful film about friendship and responsibility, and follows the intense friendship between two thirteen-year old boys. This Cannes prizewinner and Oscar nominee for Best International Film is exquisitely acted and evokes the fragile beauty of boyhood.

This screening will be an outdoor quiet screening (weather permitting). For this screening our audience will listen to the film through wireless headphones, which will provide them with a unique immersive cinema experience!

Before our screening of Close will also be showing Love in the Midlands courtesy of our friends at The Media Archive for Central England (MACE).

Come and join us for this FREE drop-in activity where there will be all sorts of short films and creative activities available with the aim of encouraging children to explore, learn, create, and play.  

Step into the shoes of our little heroes in this family-friendly short film programme that gives a nod to Staffordshire's once thriving shoemaking industry.

Anna Vasof displays her fabulous inventions in Down to Earth. A tree jumps into a pair of boots and goes to explore the world in the lovely animation One, Two, Tree. Step by Step follows the epic journey of a little rain boot trying to find its way home... Put on your trainers or rollerblades, and follow us on these fun and sweet adventures!

The full programme of films we will be showing are:

• Down to Earth - Anna Vasof / Austria / 2014 / 4mins

• One Two Tree - Yulia Aronova / France, Switzerland / 2015 / 7mins

• You Sold My Roller Skates? - Margaux Cazal, Jeanne Hammel, Louis Holmes, Sandy Lachkar, Agathe. Leroux, Léa Rey-Mauzaize / France / 2020 / 6mins

• Approaching the Puddle - Sebastian Gimmel / Germany / 2015 / 7mins

• Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - Dean Fleischer Camp / United States / 2010 / 4mins

• The Pocket Man - Ana Chubinidze / France, Switzerland, Georgia / 2017 / 8mins

• Louis' Shoes - Marion Philippe, Ka Yu Leung, Jean-Géraud Blanc, Théo Jamin / France / 2021 / 5mins

• Kicking Rocks - Yutaro Kubo / Japan / 2013 / 5mins

• Step By Step - Théodore Janvier, Fanny Paoli, Emma Gach, Anabelle David, Julie Valentin, Claire Robert / France / 2021 / 8mins

There will be arts and crafts activities galore, young explorers can make and create before sitting down to watch a fun filled selection of colourful shorts to tickle the whole family!

Banjo virtuoso Dan Walsh will be delivering a 1 hour pre-film performance where he will perform some of the songs from this classic soundtrack, plus a few more classic film favourites.

Following Dan’s performance we will the screening the brilliantly funny Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Set in the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure whilst they are pursued by relentless a lawman. The film is also packed full of some era appropriate bluegrass, country, gospel, blues and southern folk music!

This screening will be an outdoor quiet screening (weather permitting). For this screening our audience will listen to the film through wireless headphones, which will provide them with a unique immersive cinema experience!

Come and watch the first remake of this classic sci-fi/horror film starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy. Mysterious pods begin to grow and invade San Francisco, replicating the city’s residents one body at a time.

Join us for this classic 1970’s remake at Redrum.

Half-price tickets for anyone who comes dressed as Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), best dressed Matthew wins a prize!

Before our screening of Invasion of the Body Snatchers will also be showing UFO Encounters courtesy of our friends at The Media Archive for Central England (MACE).

We will be delivering a programme of short films, covering all kinds of genres and styles, but all influenced by the theme of poetry or spoken word. We will also be joined by Dawn Jutton, Stafford based Visual Artist, Writer and current Staffordshire Poet Laureate 2022-24. Dawn will be celebrating poetry’s ability to express ideas, frustrations and joy. 

Poetry meets film for a night of powerful shorts that make words and images dialogue. Featuring Birmingham artists Jasmine Gardosi (Say It Anyway) and Xhosa Cole (Stationary Peaceful Protest), a tribute to a talented and tortured father (My Dad's Name Was Huw, He Was an Alcoholic Poet), words by Wendell Berry and Charles Bukowski, as well as the moving portrait of a man who fights his inner demons through spoken word (The Gentle Giant).

The full programme of films for the night will be:

• Say It Anyway - Jasmine Gardosi, Adrian B. Earle / UK / 2020 / 5mins

• The Gentle Giant - Marcin Podocec / Poland / 2016 / 11mins

• I Smile Politely - Ness Lyons / UK / 2016 / 4mins

• My Dad's Name Was Huw, He Was an Alcoholic Poet - Freddie Griffiths / UK / 2019 / 8mins

• Stationary Peaceful Protest - Xhosa Cole, Shiyi Li / UK / 2021 / 11mins

• A Mother's Body - Jonelle Twum / Sweden / 2021 / 9mins

• I Worry - Freja, Holly Summerson / UK / 2020 / 5mins

• The Peace of Wild Things - Adam Laity / UK / 2014 / 1min

• Love, He Said - Inès Sedan / France / 2018 / 5mins

This is a FREE event and a perfect opportunity for you to explore, share and celebrate a pocket sized mix of short films and poetry.

Based on Judy Blume’s much-loved novel of the same name, this delightful film is a timeless coming of age story.

Stafford Film Theatre will be offering another season of films, showing many of the best films in British and World cinema. To find out more about their full programme please visit their website www.filmsinstafford.com

Tickets available on the door. To buy tickets in advance please contact Gatehouse Theatre Box Office in person, by phone or online at: www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

We are excited to be back for a Christmas special screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol, at Rising Brook Library!

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of the miserable, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). The film features lots of our favourite Muppet characters, including; Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle. Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future and they show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a festive holiday classic, with something to offer audiences of all ages. Simply perfect... even for the those Scrooges amongst us!

Between 12:00- 2pm we will have a some free festive family fun activities… Drop in and have a go at screenprinting your own Muppets Christmas poster!

Working with print maker Iain Perry from Print Garage you will have the opportunity to print festive characters from The Muppets… a perfect Christmas gift or your own work of art to proudly hang on your wall!

No need to book, all materials provided!

Suitable for Children aged 4 upwards…

No Pocket Film Festival would be complete without a performance by the sublime Meg Morley. This year we are really excited to welcome back Meg again, but this time as a duo, to deliver a live accompaniment to "So This is Paris", a film created by the renowned director Ernst Lubitsch. 

"So This is Paris" is an entertaining silent comedy where four members of two married couples get entangled in a web of lies and deceit. The film offers up a world of confection and bliss, in which the Charleston isn't just a dance but a way to explode the world into a kaleidoscope of possibility. It is quite simply a silent classic, and one of Ernst Lubtisch's most delightful comedies.

Meg has regularly performed at various international film festivals and received numerous solo piano commissions. We are proud to say that Meg has performed at EVERY Pocket Film Festival either performing as a solo artist, as a duo or as part of her jazz trio. This year she will provide live piano accompaniment to the film, and will be joined as a duo by drummer Chris Castellitto.

This film bursts with sheer exuberance, and features some brilliantly funny moments, a visually kaleidoscopic dance scene, and we can’t wait to be taken on a rhythmic journey by the Meg Morley duo, who we know will provide the perfect musical accompaniment to this film.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... and you all know the rest…

Thanks to special screening permissions we are able to bring you the original and (one of) the best Star Wars films. No Jedi mind tricks here, but it is the 45th anniversary of this classic genre defining film! Turn up early for this special one off screening as we will have special activities for the family before the screening starts at 2pm, including things to make, experience and get you in the mood for the main event.

We are sure we don’t need to tell you the plot, but just in case here is a quick summary… Luke Skywalker is set on an intergalactic journey to save Princess Leia, and is helped by a cocky pilot who ‘made the Kessel Run in slightly over 12 parsecs’, a ‘walking carpet’, two droids, and a mysterious ‘old man’. Things kind of go from bad to worse, and Skywalker and co are set on a course to save the Galaxy from Darth Vader, the evil Empire and the world-destroying battle station.

Bring your family, friends, toys and memories to relive your youth, or to watch this classic film for the very first time on a big screen. ‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope’…

Create your own Star Wars poster with Iain Perry…

Between 1-2pm we will have a some free family fun activities… Drop in and have a go at screenprinting your own Star Wars movie poster!

Working with print maker Iain Perry from Print Garage you will have the opportunity to print characters from Star Wars.

No need to book, all materials provided!

Suitable for Children aged 4 upwards…

This is THE ultimate reggae classic film and soundtrack! The Harder They Come celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and we are beyond excited to have the opportunity to share with you this explosive action thriller with a knockout top draw classic Jimmy Cliff soundtrack!

This film has to be credited with introducing reggae and the roots movement to the world in a big way. Perry Henzell’s film is a head-spinning portrait of Jamaica’s music industry. Jimmy Cliff plays Ivan, a renegade songwriter who comes to the big city looking for dreams, but finding reality.

Five decades on, the film is still as fresh and the soundtrack still as heavyweight as the day it was made.

Following on from this special screening we are stoked to welcome Count Skylarkin to Stafford for what we promise will be the ultimate guaranteed reggae good times DJ set. Count Skylarkin’s sets are legendary, so there’s no excuse to miss a performance that is 110% top drawer assured to get you dancing…

TICKETS FOR THE FILM ARE LIMITED… SO BOOK QUICK!!

Entry to Count Skylarkin is free!! All welcome from 10pm onwards….

When someone suggested we should screen this film we soon realised it was a perfect fit… This Bradford set love story features Ali (Adeel Akhtar) a music enthusiast and landlord, who is struggling with the breakdown of his marriage. Ava (Claire Rushbrook), is a pragmatic middle-aged teaching assistant and part of a large and close-knit family, who is trying to emerge from the shadow left by her recently deceased husband. They are both lonely for different reasons.

A chance encounter unites Ali & Ava and they begin a tentative friendship that quickly blossoms into an unexpected romance. However, events and history begin to overshadow their newfound romance.

Ali & Ava was shortlisted for BAFTA Awards in two categories: Outstanding British Film and best Actor. If you have not yet seen the film, we hope you take this opportunity to watch this contemporary British love story enveloped in music, humour and emotion.

How about a programme of (mostly) silent short films to take you places where you can explore a range of visual treats which touch on the theme of ‘life & soul’?

We have a collection of beautiful dialogue free short films to share with you which all explore the theme of ‘life & soul’. The programme includes beautiful animated stories, rhythmic journeys, poetic narratives and warm documented tales. We presented this collection to MC and Poet Rawz, who will perform live to a number of these short films and provide us with his interpretation to what these films mean to him.

Expect to laugh, cry and be moved by beautiful spoken word poetry and filmic wonders all about exploring the rhythm, the heartbeat and the feeling of life and soul.  

Film is a great way to start a conversation, spark ideas or tell new stories. That’s why Flatpack Projects, in partnership with Pocket Film Festival, is offering a 2 hour free training session for anyone who wants to build their own community cinema or film club.

From choosing films and clearing rights to marketing and logistics, we’ll take you from A to Z and help you deliver your first community cinema event in your area. Whether you want to go digital or if you’re planning for a physical screening in the future, we’ll guide you through all your steps until that first big film event.

This activity is delivered by Flatpack Projects on behalf of Film Hub Midlands using funds from the National Lottery.

Emma Thompson is Nancy, middle aged and recently widowed, who decides to make up for lost time and experience the sex life she never had, by hiring a sex worker, the eponymous Leo Grande. Directed by Sophie Hyde and based on a script by Katy Brand.

Thompson gives a warm and intimate portrayal of a woman slowly losing her personal and sexual inhibitions. “A thoroughly impressive dual performance from Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack enlivens an electric script” Hanna Flint, Empire “Screen writer Katy Brand doesn’t settle for easy sentiment in this refreshing two hander”- Clarisse Loughrey -The Independent

Director: Bruce Brown, 1966, USA, 92 mins

They call the flick 'the ultimate surfing adventure' and the band 'a minty surf instrumental power house'. Both join elemental forces in search of the perfect wave. Sit down and be whisked away by this cracking sound/flicker combo. A complete holistic Autumn rejuvenation package.

From the uncharted waters of West Africa, to the shark-filled seas of Australia and beyond, this thrilling film captures two California surfers living the dream. Along the way, August and Hynson learn a lot about people around the world, and grow up a wee bit while they search for the elusive perfect wave. Director Bruce Brown created a fine looking, timeless much admired masterpiece. A film so powerful that it continues to capture the imagination of every new generation.

"Part surfing film, part travelogue, occasionally even anthropological study and wildlife film, ultimately it visually taps into the wanderlust that sends us to far-flung beaches in search of an escape from life that we can't find at home."

 The all star band blend Joe Meek effects with the emotive twang of Hank Marvin and give a decidedly British spin on this quintessential American music form. Ripping and quirky re-workings of traditional surf guitar classics from Dick Dale and Link Wray cruise into themes made famous by Henry Mancini, Roy Budd, Barry Gray… Severn Delta Surf!

Led by lead guitarist Andy Taylor (Crippled Black Phoenix/Adrian Utley’s Guitar Orchestra/Minima) the band also features the well known bassist and music technologist Gaz Williams (Charlotte Church’s Pop Dungeon/Karl Hyde/Underworld/ Sonic State).  Keyboard and trumpet duties are handled by Bristol legend Helen “Banga” Stanley (URSA, Emily Breeze, Crippled Black Phoenix) with fellow URSA member James “Chippy” Minton ably handling the rhythm section.

“Taking their cues from Tarantino’s surf selections, Joe Meek’s New World, Budd and Bizet, The Rumble-O’s project their intergalactic instro’s into trhe heart of ’62 and return aboard Dick Dales’s reverb tank. They blend high energy, authentic sixties sounds with a contemporary edge…” (Green Man Festival).

Running Time: 1 hr 32 mins

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Don’t miss this chance to see Hitchcock's silent chiller with a live score from the Meg Morley Trio.

The Lodger, subtitled 'A Story of the London Fog', Hitchcock's Ripper-inspired thriller is a wonderful evocation of the capital at its murkiest. This very special presentation of The Lodger is accompanied by a suitably tense, atmospheric score by festival favourites the Meg Morley Trio. 

The trio - with Richard Sadler (double bass) and Emiliano Caroselli (drums) - formed in early 2017 and released their debut album only a few months later. The album, comprised of Morley's original compositions, displays the players' mixed musical backgrounds and their affinity through interplay. This affinity shines through in their scores and performances with silent films: producing a variegated cinematic sound world full of energy, empathy and fun. 

This film will also be presented with a short introductory talk by Julian Upton. Julian Upton is the author of Fallen Stars (2004) and Shocking and Sensational: The Stories Behind True Crime and Scandal Books (2018). He is also the editor of Offbeat (2012), which delves into British cinema’s “curiosities, obscurities and forgotten gems” from the 1950s to the 1980s. (A second edition of Offbeat is due out this year.) He has an MA in Film History from Birkbeck, University of London.

Running Time: 1 hr 28 mins

Director: George Miller

Join us at Oddfellows Hall for this FREE SCREENING of the original Mad Max film…

We are showing Mad Max the 1979 Australian action-thriller starring Mel Gibson stars as "Mad" Max Rockatansky, a police officer-turned-vigilante in a near-future Australia in the midst of societal collapse. The original and best film became the first in the Mad Max series, giving rise to three sequels: Mad Max 2 (1981), Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Fury Road (2015). In 2020 a fifth film, to be titled Furiosa, was announced.

View amazing scenes of Stafford life in the 1950-1960s curated by the Media Archive for Central England. 

The films will play on a loop throughout the day.

Running Time: 1 hr 19 mins

Director: Fred Niblo

We welcome back Darius Battiwalla who will provide a live improvised score on the historic organ at St. Mary’s Church, Stafford to original The Mark of Zorro. We are screening the original 1920 silent version of this genre-defining swashbuckler adventure romance film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery Sr. 

The film will be accompanied with a live score on the organ by Darius Battiwalla, who over the past 10 years has improvised scores to more than fifty silent films on both organ and piano, not only in cinemas but in churches and cathedrals throughout the country, as well as a regular series for the National Media Museum.