Cheltenham International Film Festival

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The Cheltenham International Film Festival IV will take place 23 May - 2 June 2022

Cheltenham International Film Festival IV welcomes Dame Judi Dench to the festival to celebrate her career as one of Britain’s finest actresses. The highlight is “An Afternoon with Dame Judi” before a live audience, in conversation with Jonathan Dean of Sunday Times Culture Magazine. This year the Festival is a “screen & stream” hybrid, screening and streaming new independent films. The Country Focus is Ukraine; opening night film is The Good Boss starring Javier Bardem following opening night films: Lost Transmissions in 2020 starring Simon Pegg and The Father in 2021 starring Oscar winners, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.

CIFF SCREEN – Live in venue

The Festival supports emerging filmmakers from around the world, screening their films and organising interviews with directors and cast. Ukrainian films include Reflection, Olga and Rhino whose director, Oleg Sentsov is now in battle. Oleg may wish to talk to the world; interviews with these films’ producers depend on circumstances.. Among others we shall screen the well-received Iranian drama “Hit The Road” followed by a conversation between director, Panah Panahi, and Iranian director/women’s rights activist, Mahnaz Mohammadi, plus one of Cloris Leachman’s last films Jump, Darling and Nitram with Judy Davis. French films are a firm festival favourite and we have lined up, Waiting for Bojangles, starring popular French actor, Romain Duris and Fire, starring Juliette Binoche.

CIFF Online – Stream

Further to the success of CIFF online 2020 and 2021 during the lockdown, streamed films will be an integral part of the hybrid festival reaching out to audiences around the country unable to attend in person.

Young People/Education - Cheltenham CineYouth

Cheltenham International Film Trust will launch CCY during the film festival on dates (tbc). The programme will focus on school pupils, students of films, young people throughout the community. The aim is to introduce the culture of independent cinema as an art form, and to engage with young filmmakers in the art of film production. CCY will comprise of workshops, masterclasses and panels, partnering with local schools, higher education, charities, charitable initiatives to attract young audiences and with BFI, IntoFilm and film industry professionals on delivery.

Annual Film Festival Lecture

In October 2021, the Film Festival Lecture was hosted at Cheltenham Ladies College, Parabola Arts Centre.  The first guest speaker, Baroness Lola Young, delivered a well-received lecture on “Diversity in the British Film Industry”.  The 2022 guest lecturer will be announced shortly.

What is the Cheltenham International Film Festival?

Cheltenham International Film Festival launched in 2019 with a bang; screening 40 films from around the word, and hosting guest filmmakers such as legendary director, Mike Leigh;  Josie Rourke, director of Mary Queen of Scots; Oscar-nominated Polish director, Jan Komasa; and the highly-regarded actor,director,producer, Steven Berkoff.  The Festival organised a series of masterclasses and workshops for students of film and the general public. 

In 2020, CIFF became the first international film festival in the UK to stream its entire festival online, opening up with Lost Transmissions starring the Festival’s Honorary Patron, Simon Pegg. The Festival went online again in 2021, due to the ongoing pandemic, and opened the festival with a special preview of the Oscar-winner, The Father, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.  Stephen Frears, acclaimed director of many films including The Queen starring Dame Helen Mirren was our special guest.  

Further to the success it has enjoyed streaming its film festivals online, Cheltenham International Film Festival will look to move forward in 2022 and beyond as a “screen & stream” hybrid event, screening and streaming the best of independent films from around the world and welcoming the world’s filmmakers to Cheltenham live and online.

For more information visit - cheltfilm.com