Ipswich International Film Festival Launches This Autumn
22 July 2026
A major new event for cinema audiences in Ipswich will debut this autumn as the Ipswich International Film Festival launches its inaugural edition in October 2026. Bringing together UK premieres, restored classics, guest speakers, filmmaker conversations and rare archive screenings, the festival's first edition is united under the theme Misfits + Outsiders, celebrating cinema's enduring fascination with those who challenge convention and exist beyond the mainstream.
Exploring stories of rebels, visionaries, iconoclasts and outsiders from around the world, the festival will present a diverse programme spanning contemporary international cinema, landmark restorations, cult classics, documentaries and live events, creating a new annual destination for film lovers in East Anglia.
Leading the programme is the UK Premiere of Moi-Même, with director Mojo Lorwin attending for a post-screening discussion. A remarkable act of cinematic resurrection, Moi-Même began during the upheaval of May 1968 in Paris, when experimental theatre pioneer Lee Breuer and collaborators shot an unfinished satire following a young boy attempting to establish a film collective amid political protest. More than five decades later, Lorwin completed and reimagined the abandoned material, creating an extraordinary dialogue between generations and a compelling meditation on artistic inheritance, political idealism and the enduring spirit of creative outsiders.
The festival will also mark the centenary of Marilyn Monroe's birth with a special presentation of John Huston's The Misfits in a new 4K restoration. Written by Arthur Miller and featuring Monroe in her final completed screen performance, the film remains one of American cinema's defining portraits of drifters, dreamers and social outsiders.
Among the festival's headline previews is Whispers in the Woods, acclaimed wildlife photographer Vincent Munier's visually breathtaking documentary exploring the forests of France's Vosges Mountains through an intimate journey shared with his father and son. Also screening is The Education of Jane Cumming, director Sophie Heldman's acclaimed historical drama inspired by the nineteenth-century Scottish scandal that influenced The Children's Hour. Starring Flora Nicholson, Clare Dunne, Mia Tharia and Fiona Shaw, the film examines prejudice, reputation and forbidden desire through the story of two schoolteachers accused of a romantic relationship by one of their pupils.
Special guests and live events form a cornerstone of the inaugural programme. The festival will present a rare 35mm screening of Shadow of the Vampire, introduced by producer Richard Johns, who will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Director Howard Berry will attend a screening of his documentary Her Name Was Moviola, while filmmaker Sophie Fiennes will discuss her work following a presentation of Acting. Quentin Tarantino's modern classic Inglourious Basterds will receive a special 35mm screening, followed by a conversation and book signing with film writer Jay Glennie, author of The Making of Inglourious Basterds.
The festival will also celebrate pioneering Australian filmmaker Margot Nash through screenings of We Aim to Please and Shadow Panic, highlighting her distinctive contribution to personal and political filmmaking.
Cult cinema will be showcased with a Double D Feature celebrating exploitation auteur Russ Meyer, pairing Motorpsycho! with the landmark cult favourite Vixen!. The festival will also honour the 90th birthday of legendary filmmaker John Waters with special screenings of Multiple Maniacs, Female Trouble and Polyester, celebrating one of cinema's most influential and uncompromising voices.
The festival is honoured to welcome Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mat Kirkby and acclaimed director Sophie Fiennes as the inaugural Festival Patrons, alongside acclaimed producer Richard Johns, who joins the festival as Executive Producer.
Festival Artistic Director Dan Champion said:
"Ipswich International Film Festival has been created to celebrate cinema in all its forms—from major restorations, previews and premieres to cult classics, archive discoveries and conversations with the artists who make them. Our inaugural theme, Misfits + Outsiders, reflects the voices, characters and filmmakers who challenge convention and expand our understanding of what cinema can be. We are delighted to welcome audiences to the first edition of the festival this autumn."
Founding Memberships will go on sale on 12 August 2026 and will be available in strictly limited numbers.
The complete festival programme will be announced on 1 September 2026, followed by a 24-hour priority booking period for Festival and King Street Cinema Members before tickets go on general sale on 2 September 2026.
Additional films, guests and special events will be announced over the coming months.