What's On

Lamia, a young girl from Iraq’s Mesopotamian Marshes, is chosen to bake a cake celebrating Saddam Hussein’s birthday, which she must do or face the consequences. A moving portrait of love, friendship and the resilience of a people caught between authoritarian rule and injudicious US imperialism.

From acclaimed director Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT is a gripping, mischievous political thriller that entertains as much as it provokes. Wagner Moura stars in a Best Actor–winning performance as Marcelo, a father on the run from a mysterious past amid the vibrant cultural landscape of 1970s Brazil. Arriving in Recife during Carnival, he is swept into a dizzying world of colour, commotion, and secrets. A global awards contender – THE SECRET AGENT heralds a bold new chapter in Brazilian cinema.

EPiC features long-lost footage from Presley’s legendary Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour and treasured 8mm film from the Graceland archive, along with rediscovered recordings of Elvis telling his story in his own words.

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The Hebden Bridge Film Festival takes place from the 20th – 22nd March this year, and is all about showcasing stories that challenge, inspire, and amplify voices you don’t always hear – think international and UK independent features and shorts, plus documentaries and animation. It’s proudly F‑Rated and it gives a platform to people and communities outside the mainstream. The theme for 2026’s is “Bearing Witness”.

Eight-year-old maid Toha goes against all odds to make sure her best friend Nelly, the daughter of her wealthy employer, has the perfect birthday party. While out shopping with Nelly’s mother, the social boundaries blur, forcing Toha to confront the harsh realities of class in modern-day Cairo. This is a tender yet unflinching examination of privilege through a child’s eyes, with Doha Ramadan delivering a spellbinding performance as Toha. The film offers a window into contemporary Egyptian society while exploring the universal human desire for connection and celebration across socioeconomic divides.

Argentinian Indigenous activist Javier Chocobar of the Chuchagasta community was murdered while protecting his ancestral lands. Lucrecia Martel skilfully weaves footage from the incident caught on camera, the ensuing court case, interviews with his heartbroken family and the persistent denials of the accused, creating a compelling tale of colonialism and arrogant entitlement. Her first foray into non-fiction is a masterclass in filmmaking as she builds her case with a combination of inescapable facts and stunning cinematography. The film bears powerful and beautiful witness to the heartache and grief of a community and the determination that is Chocobar’s legacy.

We’re thrilled to reveal that this year’s opening night film for HBFF will be a special preview of Rebuilding, starring Josh O’Connor (Challengers, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery) and Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus).

With her beloved friend and companion Nishio-san by her side, little Amélie sees the world as a place of endless wonder and every day brings new adventure. But on her third birthday, an unexpected moment changes her life forever. Based on Amélie Nothomb’s bestselling autobiographical novel The Character of Rain, Little Amélie is a visually enchanting tale about curiosity, courage and the healing power of human connection. This stunning animation deals with deep themes yet is straightforwardly simple. Nominated for an Oscar, with multiple jury and audience awards worldwide, it appeals equally to both young children and their parents.

Banjima Elder Maitland Parker calls his Yurlu (homelands) ‘Poison Country’ – a haunting, toxic truth etched into his body. Set against the breathtaking landscapes of Western Australia, the film lays bare the devastating impact of the Wittenoom blue asbestos mine, where millions of tonnes of asbestos waste have been left exposed to poison both land and people. As Maitland battles mesothelioma, his resolve to fight for his homeland and future generations only strengthens. Through striking cinematography and deeply personal storytelling, this film stands as a testament to the resilience of Banjima and their unbreakable bond with Country.

Keith Jarrett’s iconic 1975 Köln Concert nearly didn’t happen. This film is based on the true story of Vera Brandes, who at just 18 conceived, organised and put on the event against all odds. From conceiving the original idea, securing the Köln Opera House and selling the tickets, to persuading Jarrett to go on when the promised Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano didn’t materialise, Vera’s dynamism and energy bounces off the screen. The film reveals the compelling and little-known story behind Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which went on to become the bestselling solo jazz album in history.

1960s pop icon Marianne Faithfull had a 50-year career with more than 20 solo albums, despite the music industry’s determination to view her as a bimbo or as just Mick Jagger’s girlfriend. Tilda Swinton leads the fictional ‘Ministry of Not Forgetting’ to re-examine the habit of erasing women from history. Faithfull’s groundbreaking album Broken English became the soundtrack of a generation. Drawing from rare archive footage, candid interviews with Marianne and powerful musical moments, including a moving last performance with Nick Cave, the film celebrates the true story of an artist whose enduring talent shines through.

Maria Angeles, a 79-year-old Spanish widow, lives alone in Tangier, Morocco, and enjoys her daily routines. Her life is turned upside down when her daughter unexpectedly arrives from Madrid and without consultation sells the apartment where she has always lived. Determined to stay, she does everything she can to get her precious home and belongings back. Along the way she rediscovers love and sensuality. Carmen Mura, Pedro Almodóvar’s muse, makes a welcome return to the big screen in this joyful and heartwarming film. Directed by HBFF favourite Maryam Touzani (The Blue Caftan), this film will bring a smile to your face.

After a Palestinian teen gets swept up in a West Bank protest in the first Intifada, his mother recounts the family story of hope, courage and relentless struggle. An epic story spanning three generations of a Palestinian family; from the surge of violence during the 1948 Nakba, the new status quo in the West Bank and the outbreak of the First Intifada in 1987, to the near present of 2022. Cherien Dabis weaves complex character studies, shrouding a series of catastrophic conflicts within the bounds of family. Love and hope emerge as the best defence against inhumanity and dehumanisation.

Sixteen short films followed by a Q&A with the film makers and the awards ceremony for Hebden Bridge Film Festival.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve, the powerhouse creative team behind The Worst Person In The World, reunite for this stunning familial reconciliation drama, as actress Nora navigates her tumultuous relationship with her estranged director father (Stellan Skarsgård) on the advent of his latest feature.

Impoverished Latin tutor William Shakespeare meets free-spirited Agnes, and the pair, captivated by one another, strike up a torrid affair that leads to marriage and three children. Yet as Will pursues a budding theatre career in far-away London, Agnes anchors the domestic sphere alone. When tragedy strikes, the couple’s once-unshakable bond is tested, but their shared experience sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

Washed-up revolutionary Bob (DiCaprio) exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Infiniti). When his evil nemesis (Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.

From director Zach Cregger, the wholly original mind behind Barbarian, comes a new mystery thriller. When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

A lonely “Frank” (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates with Friends Collection is an hour-long cinema experience featuring eight episodes from across the show’s three series, all celebrating play, imagination, friendship and family.

10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. As Arco develops a friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and, along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home.

A comedy drama about a failing pub, a divided community and a grieving family whose lives are changed by brewing real ale and entering the Great British Beer Awards. After losing their matriarch, the Harley family come together to save their pub – and their community.

Count Dracula, a 15th-century prince, is condemned to live off the blood of the living for eternity. Young lawyer Jonathan Harker is sent to Dracula’s castle to finalise a land deal, but when the Count sees a photo of Harker’s fiancée, Mina, the spitting image of his dead wife, he imprisons him and sets off for London to track her down.

Autism friendly. No ads or trailers – film starts at 1pm. Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates with Friends Collection is an hour-long cinema experience featuring eight episodes from across the show’s three series, all celebrating play, imagination, friendship and family.

Four adolescent girls – Alma, Erika, Angelika and Lenka – each spend their youth in the same farmhouse over the last century. Though separated by decades, resonances between their lives emerge: their desires and distress, secrets and truths, encounters with another’s gaze and defiant gaze in return.

Moments of transcendent beauty and heroic triumph sparkle in the third chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle, brought to life under Barrie Kosky’s inspired eye following his spectacular Das Rheingold (2023) and Die Walküre (2025). Andreas Schager, in his much-anticipated debut with The Royal Opera, stars as Siegfried’s titular hero, alongside Christopher Maltman’s towering Wanderer, Peter Hoare’s treacherous Mime and Elisabet Strid’s radiant Brünnhilde. Antonio Pappano conducts, drawing out the unspoken tensions and ethereal mysticism of Wagner’s dynamic score.

Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.

In a world where humanity has lost the ability to dream, one creature remains entrancedby the fading illusions of the dreamworld. This monster, adrift in reverie, clings to visionsno one else can see – until a woman appears. Gifted with the rare power to perceivethese illusions for what they truly are, she chooses to enter the monster’s dreams,determined to uncover the truth that lies hidden within.

Back by popular demand. GenErika and Valentina Letale bring you their second live sing along of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! Join us at the beautiful Hebden Bridge Picture House on April 4th, 2026, at 7pm, for a fun-filled evening of music, movie magic, and community spirit.

Hlynur Pálmason’s follow-up to Godland is a poignant contemporary study of the bittersweet nature of faded love and shared memories amidst the changing seasons.

An adaption of the novel by BAFTA nominee Bernard MacLaverty, Midwinter Break follows Stella and Gerry, a longtime married couple who reach a crossroads in their relationship when they take a trip to Amsterdam. The film is a stirring meditation on faith, commitment, and the enduring power of love.

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Commoners Choir are a rousing rabble of West Yorkshire’s finest, performing a full concert in the cinema along with live street entertainment, a specially written song for the occasion, and, if that weren’t enough, a free screening of Chaplin’s masterpiece “Modern Times”. Parallels will be drawn between 1936 and 2026, and (metaphorical) pies will be thrown in the faces of today’s great dictators. Expect an hilarious, heartfelt uproar of an evening!

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) feature in a five-star, triumphantly acclaimed new production of Arthur Miller’s classic play, from visionary director Ivo Van Hove (A View from the Bridge).

Mozart’s fantastical opera glitters in David McVicar’s enchanting production. A star cast including Julia Bullock as Pamina, Amitai Pati as Tamino, Huw Montague Rendall as Papageno, Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, and Soloman Howard as Sarastro, led by French conductor Marie Jacquot in her Covent Garden debut.

Paul Merton presents hilarious extracts and films by his silent comedy heroes, brought to life with a live accompaniment from Kirsty Newton.

Following her acclaimed 2024 company debut in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, soprano Asmik Grigorian returns to the Met as Tatiana, the lovestruck young heroine in this ardent operatic adaptation of Pushkin. Baritone Igor Golovatenko reprises his portrayal of the urbane Onegin, who realises his affection for her all too late.