Creepily atmospheric, this is a stylishly crafted, chilling British ghost tale with Deborah Kerr at her finest. Remastered in stunning 4K.

Based on the Henry James story ‘The Turn of the Screw,’ this a psychological thriller about Miss Giddens (the glorious Kerr) who takes a governess job in a Victorian home for two rich orphans, ten-year-old Miles (Martin Stephens) and his younger sister Flora (Pamela Franklin). She begins to see what she believes are ghosts and suspects the children's bizarre behaviour is the result of supernatural powers. The children’s previous nanny and her manservant lover both met with mysterious deaths. This is a film that creeps slowly up on the viewer: a drip-feed of fear fed by creaks, eerie children and shadowy demonic figures on the periphery of this world and the next. Psychological horrors have imitated its ambiguous ending ever since. Few have pulled it off half as creepily, and Martin Scorsese put this in his top ten list of nerve-jangling films.

USA 1961 Jack Clayton 100m

We will also be presenting an illustrated talk on Henry James – writer of ‘The Innocents’ – see above.

Four Ways to Say Farewell

Director tony Palmer joins us at New Park to present his film and host a Q&A directly afterwards. Join Maestro Leonard Bernstein for his 1971 rehearsal film  of Mahler's Ninth Symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic.

In a way only he can, Bernstein takes us through the entire symphony sharing insight, listening guides, and a peek into the rehearsal process for such a monumental piece. Filmed in 1971, just five years before his landmark performance with the London Symphony Orchestra in Ely Cathedral, this concert documentary is a rare glimpse of Bernstein in his prime.

UK/Austria 1971 Humphrey Burton & Tony Palmer 54m

We are delighted to welcome director Tony Palmer to Chichester to host a Q&A following the screening.

We also present a screening of ‘Maestro’ directly after the Q&A and Bernstein’s ‘On the Town’

This love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A symphonic love story with sparkling, awards-worthy performances.

Bradley Cooper takes on the triple role of lead actor, director and writer. He wisely eschews the conventional biopic logic of ticking off Bernstein’s career highlights. Instead, ‘Maestro’ zeroes in on his vivid, life-long love affair with Chilean émigré Felicia Montealegre, beautifully played by Carey Mulligan who is the beating heart of the film. ‘Maestro’ digs deep into Bernstein’s music to unleash some of the greatest hits (‘West Side Story,’ ‘On the Waterfront’) and a few lesser-known pieces. A recreation of his legendary performance of Mahler in 1968 just about blows the roof off New York’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. This is a film for cinephiles as well as musos and romantics, with its discrete ‘movements’ mirroring the movie making style of its time frame. Early scenes are filmed in 35mm black-and-white, while Lenny and Felicia’s stormy late 1960s patch is captured in Technicolor. This elegant, ambitious biopic is a love letter to life and art, and at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love. "An absolute marvel." Rolling Stone

USA 2023 Bradley Cooper 129m

Special Price for Bernstein Doc with Tony Palmer Q&A plus ‘Maestro’: £19

This Cannes 2023 opener follows the life of Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry, who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress.

When Jeanne’s (Maïwenn) lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis XV (Johnny Depp) he orchestrates a meeting through the influential Duke of Richelieu (a brilliant Pierre Richard). The encounter goes far beyond his expectations, for it was love at first sight for the King and Jeanne. Through this ravishing courtesan, the king rediscovers his appetite for life, and makes Jeanne his last official mistress. Scandal erupts of course, as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world. The attention afforded to costume and production design is superb, creating a visual feast that will have you swooning over the lavish gowns, gravity-defying hairstyles and ornate décor. Director (also lead actress and co-writer) Maïwenn caused quite a stir by casting Johnny Depp as Louis XV. (Subtitles)

France 2023 Maïwenn 117m

Met Opera

Giacomo Puccini: The return of Anthony Minghella’s acclaimed production to the Met in the last production of this season, which makes for an interesting comparison with the ROH production.

In her Met debut, Asmik Grigorian tackles the demanding role of Cio-Cio-San, the trusting geisha at the heart of Puccini’s tragedy. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman is the callous American naval officer Pinkerton whose betrayal destroys her. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong is the steadfast maid Suzuki, and baritone Lucas Meachem is the American consul Sharpless. Acclaimed maestro Xian Zhang makes her Met debut conducting Anthony Minghella’s vivid production. Sung in Italian with English subtitles.

195m inc interval

Sun 12 May 14:15

Tickets £21

Baavgai Bolohson

In the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, an impoverished teenage boy finds himself torn between his loyalty to his family and dreams of a better future for himself. A perfect example of New Park Cinema “bringing the world to Chichester”.

Poor but prideful teenager Ulzii (Battsooj Uurtsaikh), lives in the yurt area of Ulaanbaatar with his family. He is a physics genius and is determined to win a science competition to earn a scholarship. When his mother ((Ganchimeg Sandagdordorj)) finds a job in the countryside, she leaves him and his younger siblings to face a harsh winter by themselves. Ulzii will have to take a risky job to look after them all and keep his home heated. This assured feature debut from Mongolian filmmaker Zoljargal Puevdash sees these personal experiences become a microcosm of the tensions felt throughout this developing country, where traditions are being abandoned in the march for progress - leaving many stranded well beneath the poverty line.

Mongolia 2023 Zoljargal Purevdash 96m

A down-on-his-luck man embarks on a misguided attempt to capitalize on the rise of celebrity and the influence of the Messiah for his own personal gain.

This film is a throwback to the era of Hollywood Biblical epics, which stops along the way to tap into the funk-powered spirituality of Isaac Hayes and a touch of Python irreverence. The ‘Book of Clarence’ is a New Testament-adjacent tale, set in Jerusalem, 29 A.D, of an opportunist unbeliever named Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) who fraudulently sets himself up as a new Messiah. This is entertaining stuff, with a subversive swagger and a cheekiness that is not generally associated with films of faith. It is an ambitious project that manages to be both casually sacrilegious and utterly earnest about its ultimate message of faith.

USA 2023 Jeymes Samuel 136m

NT Live

Joseph Fiennes (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’) plays Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s (‘Best of Enemies’) gripping examination of nation and game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game?

Thu 25 Jan 19:45

Sun 18 Feb 14:45

Fifteen years after being burnt when the pub where she slept as a child caught fire, a woman seeks revenge before ultimately seeking peace, in this superbly acted and engaging drama.

23-year-old Franky (Vicky Knight) is a nurse who lives with her large family in an East London borough. Obsessed with a thirst for revenge and a need to assign guilt for a traumatic event that happened 15 years before, she is unable to build any meaningful relationship until she falls in love with one of her patients – Florence (Esme Creed-Miles). They escape to the coast where Florence lives with her more open-minded patchwork family, and there, Franky finds the emotional shelter to deal with the grudges of the past. Based on lead actress Vicky Knight’s life, ‘Silver Haze’ is a meandering drama that starts as a revenge story, morphs into a love story and then morphs again into something more complicated, more tragic and ultimately more hopeful.

UK 2023 Sacha Polak 102m

Theatre Royal, London  

The legendary Broadway musical theatre classic, is a ‘glorious’ (★★★★★ Express) and ‘utterly moreish extravaganza of glitz’ (★★★★★ Times). Featuring iconic songs ‘42nd Street’, ‘We’re In The Money’,  and ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, this is pure musical magic on the big screen – entertainment doesn’t get bigger than this!

Thu 16 May 18:00

Sun 19 May 15:00

A fascinating and hilarious record of irrepressible Scottish comedian Billy Connolly on his 1975 Irish tour, a time when he was on the cusp of stardom at home and internationally.

Featuring iconic stand-up material and songs, there are also behind-the-scenes glimpses of ‘the Big Yin’ on the road with his crew, relaxing backstage and meeting the press. Inspired by the fly-on-the-wall style of D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 Bob Dylan documentary ‘Don't Look Back’, we see Connolly at his beguiling best, as he charms the audience in Dublin and in Belfast during the Troubles. The genius that has endeared Connolly to millions for many generations and made him one of Scotland’s most famous people in history is front and centre here. This is a must-see for fans as well as a new generation not yet acquainted with the great Scottish comic.

UK 1976 Murray Grigor 77m

From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (‘Call me By Your Name,’ ‘A Bigger Splash’) comes this love triangle formed around the world of professional tennis.

Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to Art Donaldson (Mike Faist – ‘West Side Story’) a champion on a losing streak, Tashi's strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor – ‘The Crown’) - his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.

USA 2024 Luca Guadagnino 131m

In this this indie road-trip drama, a father takes his estranged daughter on the road in an effort to get her out of trouble.

After a drastic incident in her life, a young woman (Clara McGregor) embarks on an impromptu road trip with her estranged father (Ewan McGregor). En route to their destination of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the two are forced to confront the issues of their past that have led to their frail relationship, while encountering an eccentric array of characters along the way, in order to bring them closer together again. This is a film that is about the journey itself, its final moments taking a breath of completed exploration and discovery. A film that leaves viewers with a sense of hope and release. Real-life father and daughter (Ewan and Clara McGregor) are electrifying in this indie road-trip drama, their close relationship off-screen seeping into their hugely convincing performances.

USA 2023 Emma Westenberg 96m

Based on internationally acclaimed Irish author John McGahern's award-winning novel of the same name, this is a vivid evocation of nature, humanity and life itself, set in a 1980's rural community in Ireland.

Joe (Barry Ward) and Kate Ruttledge (Anna Bederke) leave London to live and work in a small lakeside community in Ireland, near to where Joe grew up. He writes, she is a photographer and artist. Creative days mingle with tending to the bee hives, growing food in their raised beds and keeping open house for any neighbour who feels inclined to drop by for a gossip, a mug of tea or a word of advice. Joe and Kate look upon their neighbours with a kind of benevolent indulgence; in turn, some of the locals regard them with fond bemusement. The prickly Patrick (Lalor Roddy) belittles their love of the quiet rural life and seems to resent the pleasure they take in the simple things. Sharing some of the sensitive qualities of Colm Bairead’s ‘The Quiet Girl’ (2022), this is a lyrical, loving celebration of the everyday. The sense of tranquillity is palpable, and the film almost seems designed to lower your blood pressure.

Ireland/UK 2023 Pat Collins 111m

An effortlessly charming (and funny) heist film with a Hitchcockian plot, plenty of twists and a wondrously open-hearted finale.

Buenos Aires bank employee Morán (Daniel Elías) dreams up a scheme to liberate himself from corporate monotony: he will steal enough money to support a modest retirement, then confess and serve prison time while his co-worker holds on to the cash. Soon under pressure by a company investigator, accomplice Román (Esteban Bigliardi) heads to a remote rural idyll to hide the funds. There, he encounters a mysterious woman (Margarita Molfino) who will transform his life forever. This is an astute existential heist movie that will reward patient viewers with a humorous fable about freedom. (Subtitles)

Argentina 2023 Rodrigo Moreno 189m