When a solitary writer adopts and bonds with a Great Dane that belonged to a late friend, she begins to come to terms with her past and her own creative inner life.

Writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 70-kilogram Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones, his looming presence constantly reminding her of her friend's problematic choices in both life and death. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life. Content expanded. Based on the award-winning 2018 novel, you will find a sweetness in the film that is rare in cinema today… and you may find yourself wanting to adopt a Great Dane.

USA 2024 Scott McGehee/David Siegel 120m

After garnering acclaim with ‘The Great Beauty’ and ‘The Hand of God’, Paolo Sorrentino, known for his stunning visuals and meditative storytelling, dives once more into themes of memory and regret, painting a story as visually stunning as it is emotionally raw.

The film’s title character, Parthenope (Celeste Dalla Porta), is a stunning young woman named after a mythological siren inextricably linked with the city of Naples, where she lounges through idle summers and on the nearby island of Capri. There, five years later, she encounters the writer John Cheever (Gary Oldman), an author she’d been reading and quoting for years. Sorentino’s last film, 2021’s ‘The Hand of God’, was a love letter to his hometown of Naples with lots of autobiographical elements, and this one removes the personal story but retains the sense that it’s a tribute to the place. ‘Parthenope’ is both a tribute to Naples and a lushly poetic reflection on the creative process, carried by unforgettable performances and a mesmerizing score. Sorrentino, as ever, delivers unforgettable, immersive and ravishing cinema. (Subtitles)

Italy/UK 2024 Paolo Sorrentino 121m

Iris et les Hommes

A fun comedy about a woman who has everything: a wonderful husband, two perfect daughters, a successful business - but no sex life.

Iris (Laure Calamy) has a busy life with a loving husband and two daughters living in a beautiful Parisian apartment. She is a successful, if somewhat eccentric, dentist. But, and it’s a big BUT, Iris has not had sex with her husband for a long time. The spark has gone. A mother at parent-teacher night overhears Iris complaining on the phone about the lack of sex and quietly suggests she take on a lover. So “pourqoi pas?”, Iris begins to delve into the world of dating apps for married people and after an awkward start, embraces this advice with gusto. This is cheeky, joyous and a feel-good summer delight of a film which includes an all-singing all-dancing French version of ‘It’s Raining Men’ where Calamy shines bright. (Subtitles)

France 2023 Caroline Vignal 98m

Royal Ballet & Opera

Sensuous contemporary ballet meets the energy of musical theatre in four distinctive short works.

Thu 22 May 19:15 (LIVE)

Sun 25 May 14:30

Julie Zwijgt

Julie is a star player at an elite tennis academy. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club's players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet.

Julie (Tessa van den Broeck) dedicates her life to tennis, her sport, her training and her career. When her coach is suspended, rumours start spreading and voices, other than Julie’s, are heard. Belgian director, Leonardo Van Dijl, follows her each step of the way, always keeping the right distance. “I wanted Julie to inspire. There's a uniquely emancipatory, rebellious energy in Julie's decision not to speak, as it compels the film to respect her pace and not bow to external pressures”, Van Dijl noted. Sometimes silence is louder than words. Cast includes Ruth Becquart, Koen De Bouw, Claire Bodson and Laurent Caron. ‘A tense, absorbing film of silences and absences, of difficult terrain skirted around, of subjects avoided’ - The Guardian. (Subtitles)

Sweden / Belgium 2024 Leonardo Van Dijl 97m

When a pacifist is called to a political act that could change the course of history, a man of honour responds. This is the true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who preached love while plotting the assassination of an evil tyrant.

As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Jonas Dassler) is swept into the epicentre of a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide. Will his shift from preaching peace to plotting murder alter the course of history or cost him everything?

Belgium/Ireland 2024 Todd Komarnicki 132m

In this critical and very funny look at who the entertainment industry excludes over time, a stranger crashes a party, sparking a comedy of errors and a reordering of life.

One night in the Hollywood Hills, Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) and Sammy (Walton Goggins) are in the thick of those agonizing final minutes before her garden party starts, the last thing Rose wants to see is a confused elderly woman, Helen (Lois Smith), pulling into her driveway insisting that the Hollywood mansion is actually her house. Rose feels an obligation to get Helen home safely, but Sammy is distracted by the onslaught of Hollywood stars rolling up to the house. Things become even more complicated when her old flame Lucien (Pedro Pascal) shows up, and as drinks flow and secrets spill, ambition and identity clash in a sharp, unhinged look at a world obsessed with youth and fame. Enough good things cannot be said of this spectacular cast who bring their characters to life with precision and intriguing fascination.

USA 2024 Nadia Conners 97m

Ainda Estou Aqui

A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence during the tightening grip of a military dictatorship in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro, 1970. The Paiva family lives in a rented house near the beach which is always full of friends. They are comfortable rather than rich, but they enjoy a different kind of wealth: an intellectual freedom and curiosity that feels increasingly precious as the Brazilian military dictatorship flexes its muscle on the streets outside. One day, men with guns come to take the father, Rubens (Selton Mello), in for questioning. In his absence, his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) must find a way to protect her five children and reinvent herself. Walter Salles’ (‘The Motorcycle Diaries’) superb factually-based film – he was a real-life friend of the Paiva family as a teenager – is an engrossing, affecting tribute to a formidable woman and her family. Nominated for best foreign film at the Baftas and Oscars. (Subtitles)

Brazil/France 2024 Walter Salles 136m

Exhibition on Screen

The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this Renaissance giant?

Michelangelo’s genius is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today. Spanning his 88 years, we take a cinematic journey through the print and drawing rooms of Europe through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to seek out a deeper understanding of this legendary figure’s tempestuous life, his relationship with his contemporaries and his incredible legacy. Through expert commentary, stunning visuals and Michelangelo’s own words, this film takes a fresh look at a master artist whose life and genius are celebrated in every mark he made. Returning to cinemas in 2025 to celebrate the 550th anniversary of this iconic artist’s birth.

UK 2016 David Bickerstaff 90m

Tickets £15

One of the most eye-opening, chilling, fascinating and frightening documentaries of the year, exploring Leni Riefenstahl's artistic legacy and her complex ties to the Nazi regime.

It was at the (Mussolini-era) Venice Film Festival in 1938 that Riefenstahl scooped the top prize for ‘Olympia’, her sublime, suspect paean to the Berlin Olympics. Her career peaked, after which it plunged dramatically. Veiel’s film shows how it happened, and how she tried and failed to salvage her reputation, juxtaposing her self-portrayal with evidence suggesting awareness of the regime's atrocities. This is a captivating insight into the private estate of the filmmaker, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film ‘Triumph of the Will’. (Some subtitles)

USA 2024 Andres Veiel 115m

Based on a remarkable true story, discover how the poor son of a miner became one of the greatest actors the world has ever known – Richard Burton, with the help of an unlikely mentor.

In the Welsh town of Port Talbot, 1942, Richard Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) lives as a wayward schoolboy, caught between the pressures of his struggling family, a devastating war, and his own ambitions. However, a new opportunity arises when Richard’s natural talent for drama catches the attention of his teacher, Philip Burton (Toby Jones). Taking Richard under his wing, the young man thrives under Philip’s strict tutelage and the guidance of kindly landlady, Ma Smith (Lesley Manville). However, as the acting world comes within Richard’s reach, the burden of his past risks holding him back forever.

UK 2025 Marc Evans 123m

A documentary by Sadie Frost looking at the life of the greatest it-girl of all time - UK model and cultural icon Twiggy, real name Lesley Lawson.

An intimate, star-studded dive into the birth of an icon, and everything that followed. Featuring contributions from Dustin Hoffman, Paul McCartney, Charlotte Tilbury, Joanna Lumley and many more, this is an exploration of the model's upbringing, career, relationships and everything else that has made her the woman she is today, and the first time the icon has told her story first-hand. Frost, this film’s director, is carving out a niche for docs about fashion icons. ‘Twiggy’ is her second, after the playful and very successful ‘Quant’ (2021).

UK 2025 Sadie Frost 97m

Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter.

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn't just help you craft, it's essential to one's survival! Four misfits - Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) - find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative... the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world. You may remember Jared Hess as director of the much-loved ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and ‘Nacho Libre’. A recipe for a lot of fun.

USA 2025 Jared Hess 101m