Saoirse Ronan astounds as a young woman searching for grace in the face of addiction.

After living life on the edge in London, Rona (Ronan) attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands (where she grew up but left more than a decade ago) hoping to heal. As she reconnects with the dramatic landscape where she grew up, memories of her childhood merge with the more recent challenging events that have set her on the path to recovery. This is that rare, effective addiction film with a potent, if simple, message: if you persevere with curiosity and awe of the world, you will open the door to loving yourself as a part of it all. Adapted from Amy Liptrot's bestselling memoir.

UK 2023 Nora Fingscheidt 118m

Mavka: Lisova Pisnya

A beautiful Ukrainian animation based on a well-known story from Slavic mythology that celebrates the power of love, and the harmony between humankind and the natural world. Screened originally at the 2023 Chichester Film Festival, and brought back this season in support of the local Ukrainian community.

After a long-forgotten war between humans and the spirits of the forest that sees the mountains declared forbidden to humans, Lucas is tasked by the evil Kylina to find the tree of healing that caused the war. Young and naive forest nymph Mavka takes a shine to village artist Lucas, to the strong disapproval of the rest of the forest spirits and humans alike. There are strong ecological themes here, as well as some good old-fashioned fairytale morals about vanity and selfishness. This visually stunning film includes some beautiful Ukrainian folk music with striking close harmonies. (Subtitles)

Ukraine 2023 Oleh Malamuzh & Oleksandra Ruban 99m

An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster. This was the most polarizing film at this years’ Cannes Film Festival.

Francis Ford Coppola turns the fall of ancient Rome into a fable about the perils of American capitalistic greed. Caesar (Adam Driver) is a celebrity architect with aspirations to build a utopia in the ruins of New York City, here called New Rome. This is the battleground between Cesar, Mayor Frankyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) and Hamilton Crassus (Jon Voight), head of the national bank. The supporting cast also includes Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman. Premiered at Cannes 2024 to a mixed reception, and as is most often the case, the most interesting films are those that once seen, leave you not knowing if you have seen a stinker, or the best film ever made.

USA 2024 Francis Ford Coppola 138m

Failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while in Arkham State Hospital. Upon release, the pair embark on a doomed romantic misadventure.

USA 2024 Todd Phillips 138m

A brilliant young man puts his bright future at risk to help his father.

This new drama, written and directed by, and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (‘Twelve Years A Slave’), follows the true story of a brilliant young black man from New Jersey (a magnificent performance from Jay Will) raised by his devoted yet struggling mother (Mary J. Blige) following his father’s murder conviction. Having won a scholarship to Yale against all the odds, he puts everything at risk to free his imprisoned father (Ejiofor). Also starring Camila Cabello and based on the New York Times bestseller ‘The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace’ by Jeff Hobb. This is the second directing role for Ejiofor following his debut ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ in 2019.

UK 2024 Chiwetel Ejiofor 119m

After undergoing a facial reconstructive surgery, a man becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life.

Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost. This is as much a tale of outward appearance as it is inner anxieties, a balance director Schimberg strikes in careful ways as he crafts a stunning comedy-drama about seeing oneself. Think Aki Kaurismäki collaborating with David Cronenberg and that may get you close to having an idea to the originality of this film.

USA 2024 Aaron Schimberg 112m

Between Dream and Wakefulness

An Introduction to the Cinema of the Surreal

Following the screenings of the film ‘Lee’ (see above), with Kate Winslet as the photographer Lee Miller, this talk will take a look at Surrealist cinema, including Miller’s only film as an actor, Jean Cocteau’s ’The Blood of a Poet’.

Sat 26 Oct 10:30

ROH

Do not miss the return of this enchantingly staged family folk opera, following the triumphant, Olivier Award-winning run in 2021.

Sat 26 Oct 14:15

An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.

Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) learns that he has inherited his infamous grandfather's estate in Transylvania. Arriving at the castle, Dr. Frankenstein soon begins to recreate his grandfather's experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr) and the fearsome Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman). After he creates his own monster (Peter Boyle), new complications ensue with the arrival of the doctor's fiancée, Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn).

USA 1974 Mel Brooks 106m

Shipwrecked on a remote island, a young boy must adapt to life alone. But is he alone? A gripping animated adaptation of Michael Morpugo’s beloved novel with an A-list voice cast.

When Michael (Aaron MacGregor) is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parents' (Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins) yacht, he struggles to survive on his own. He can't find food or water, and as Michael and his dog curl up to sleep, he knows they cannot last long. But he soon realizes there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. Following a close-run battle between life and death, the mysterious stranger – Kensuke (Ken Watanabe) - allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other until the day of separation becomes inevitable. This is a traditional hand-drawn animation which adds to the film’s charm, and the message that we should all work together despite our cultural differences is more relevant today than ever.

UK 2023 Neil Boyle & Kirk Hendry 85m

English National Ballet

Spectacular! This is the first time the stage production of ‘Swan Lake’ in-the-round will be shown in cinemas. It brought magic and glorious dancing to a packed Royal Albert Hall.

Wed 30 Oct 19:45

Sat 2 Nov time TBC