Cine International Film Festival
9th - 11th Sep 2026
Film Lineup 2026
Feature Films
OPENING NIGHT
Don't Forget Me:
Eddie Cochran
9th Sep. 18:15 Vue Piccadilly
Dir. Kirsty Bell
US & UK, 98 min
Eng
The first official documentary on rock 'n' roll pioneer Eddie Cochran, made with the Cochran estate. Featuring rare archive footage and testimony from music icons, it charts his meteoric rise, untimely death at 21, and lasting legacy.
The Hook
10th Sep. Arrive 16:00
Screening 16:30-18:08
Dir. Thomas David Beatty
United Kingdom, 98 min
Eng
A family band. 3 burnt out brothers, an undervalued sister, a cornucopia of addictions, oversized ego's, murderous resentments, delusions of grandeur, washed out morals and rapidly fading success culminates in a whirlwind dark comedy.
The Last Room in Hanoi
10th Sep. Arrival 18:15
Screening 18:45-20:09
Dir. Coz Greenop
United Kingdom, 84 min
Eng
The Last Room in Hanoi is a dark, romantic drama that delves into the depths of grief, love, and loss. Aron, a young, disillusioned writer, travels through Vietnam in search of inspiration after the death of his wife. Amidst the vibrant chaos of Hanoi, Aron begins to write his wife back into existence, desperately clinging to the memory of the woman he lost.
A-Men To That
11th Sep. Arrive 14:30
Screening 15:00-16:23
Dir. Rafael John Edholm Borchies
Sweden, 84 min
Eng & Swedish / Eng Sub
When three washed-up male models form a "man-band" to reclaim their fading glory, they embark on a riotous, offbeat journey of self-discovery, friendship, and mid-life crises, culminating in a chaotic battle for musical relevance.
Shorts - Opening Day
Day 1 - 9th Sep
Far From The Plains
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Luigi Sibona
United Kingdom, 16 min
Eng
As great storms loom and his mother fades into depression, 14-year-old Frankie finds refuge in a South London stable, but when the storm breaks, he must confront the reality of loss and find hope in unlikely places.
THE PEARL COMB
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Ali Cook
United Kingdom, 20 min
Eng
In 1893, a fisherman’s wife becomes the first person to cure someone of tuberculosis. A doctor, intent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine, investigates - only to discover the source of her unearthly power.
DOWN THE LENGTH
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Milo Edwards
United Kingdom, 21 min
Eng
Lost in a hole of complex grief, a once promising young painter attempts to meet a looming gallery deadline by recording his increasingly disturbing dreams.
MY HAIR
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Alison Loeb, Sam Guncler
United States, 2 min
Eng
A young girl suddenly appreciates her awesome hair in this moving indie musical short. Lightly animated art by local 6-9 year-olds helps tell her story.
NOIR
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Charlene Wango
United Kingdom, 15 min
Eng
After the mysterious death of her husband, grieving housewife Savannah Brown is questioned by a sharp-witted detective who senses something is amiss. As their tense exchange unfolds, hidden truths about love, betrayal, and survival come to light, forcing the detective to choose between justice and mercy.
EAST SEVENTEEN
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Ella Taylor Bliss
United Kingdom, 18 min
Eng
Explores love in all its messy stages through four couples, each at a different point in their relationship. Set in an East London restaurant over the course of one evening, the film shifts between romance and tension. As the couples navigate first encounters, disillusionment, growing pains, and long-term commitment.
SOUL BIRD
Arrive 12:30
Screening 13:00-15:00
Dir. Tobias Kampmann
Denmark, 19 min
Danish / Eng Sub.
Weighed down by hopelessness and despair a father stands on the edge of a devastating decision entailing tragic consequences for his family. A magical encounter with a small bird forces him to confront his inner darkness.
THE INTIMACY CO-ORDINATOR
Arrive 15:00
Screening 15:30-16:30
Dir. Louisa Connolly-Burnham
United Kingdom, 21 min
Eng
Kate is an intimacy coordinator. She is also a sex addict.
FUNERAL CAR
Arrive 15:00
Screening 15:30-16:30
Dir. Sam Gannie
United Kingdom, 19 min
Eng
A working-class family travel together to a crematorium. Set in real time and largely confined to the interior of a car, Conversation drifts between the practical and the mundane as traffic slows them down and the radio remains off.
GERONTO
Arrive 15:00
Screening 15:30-16:30
Dir. Mark Pluck
United Kingdom, 18 min
Eng
Based on true events, GERONTO is a short LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama about longing, connection, and self-discovery.
Set over the course of one night in the late 2000s, the story follows Younger, a man in his 20s, who meets Older, a man in his 60s, at a discreet London pub.
Shorts - World Edition & Commonwealth
Day 2 - 10th Sep
Run Outs
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Dhillon Shukla
United Kingdom, 15 min
Eng
Set in inner-city London and starring BAFTA-nominated actor Jairaj Varsani, Run Outs follows Rowan, a quiet teenager whose childhood game with friends takes a darker turn after an unsettling discovery begins to distort his perception of the world around him, forcing him to confront fears and responsibilities beyond his understanding.
CELEBRATING TCHAIKOVSKY
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Mariam Majid
United Kingdom, 5 min
Eng
When an impatient driver’s ambition threatens her sanity, two cheeky refuse collectors help her see sense.
SNIPPED
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Alexander Saul
Denmark, 14 min
Dk / Eng Sub
A Jewish convert. A Muslim doctor. One holy snip - and a whole lot of tension.
VOYAGE OF THE HANDALA
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Jim Koenigsaecker, Tom Hayes
Spain & USA, 22 min
Eng
Voyage of the Handala is an independent, documentary film about an international group of peace activists and aid workers sailing from Europe to Gaza to raise awareness of the plight of the Palestinians and break the Israeli blockade of Gaza to deliver aid, health care and hope. The Handala, an old Norwegian fishing boat, was named for the political cartoon by Naji al-Ali depicting a defiant Palestinian boy.
WHAT IS COMMON ABOUT THE WEALTH?
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Curmiah Lisette
United Kingdom, 2 min
Eng
A powerful spoken-word film exploring the legacy of empire Challenges conventional ideas of independence and the Commonwealth through the lens of Caribbean history. Weaving together ancestral memory, resistance and poetic storytelling, the film traces the enduring impact of colonialism while celebrating the resilience, creativity and cultural inheritance that continue to shape new generations.
REMEMBER MY NAME
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Sascha Kempinski, Kirsten Skytte
Denmark, 15 min
Dk / Eng Sub
In Nazi-occupied Denmark, the teddy bear Mo is torn from the child he has just begun to love and is forced to flee to Sweden. Told through Mo’s eyes, this gentle yet powerful story offers a child’s perspective on war, rescue, and the quiet heroism of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
KILN
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Sanee Raval
United Kingdom, 13 min
Eng
When a medical trauma leaves Kai unable to be touched intimately, he and his boyfriend must confront the fragile boundaries between love, desire, and distance.
BREAKS
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Christina Yianni
USA, 9 min
Eng
A deeply personal documentary that follows Team England parasurfer and Paralympian, Hannah Dines, who lives with cerebral palsy and PSC, from the shores of Wales to California to compete in the World Championships.
MY FRIEND SONGZHI
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Xia Fan
China, 24 min
Mandarin / Eng Sub
Twelve-year-old Xiao Ai seems to be the only one affected by the death of an elderly neighbor whom everyone called "Crazy Granny". In the abandoned apartment of the deceased, Xiao Ai begins to form a connection with her neighbor and uncover her past.
Shorts - Commonwealth Featuring Myco
Day 2 - 10th Sep
On The Mountain
15:00-16:00
Dir. Anya Raza
United States, 13 min
Eng & Dari / Eng Sub
Rabia is put to the test when she is forced to choose between saving the life she once knew, and protecting those she loves and leaving it all behind.
Rosh
15:00-16:00
Dir. Haris Buzdar
Pakistan, 10 min
Balochi / Eng Sub
An illiterate shepherd kid joins school because of absence of electricity in his hamlet when he hears that education takes you from darkness towards light.
Fragments Of Hope
15:00-16:00
Dir. Latifa Askari
Pakistan, 10 min
Percian / Eng Sub
Latifa, a young refugee girl living in refugee resettlement in Hazara Town, Quetta, Pakistan, dreams of becoming a karate champion. Growing up in a challenging environment, she finds strength and purpose in martial arts, training tirelessly with the hope of one day representing her community in national competitions.
The Lost Souls Of Balashagan
15:00-16:00
Dir. Shahan Sajdi Baloch
Pakistan, 14 min
Balochi / Eng Sub
Set against the stunning yet unforgiving riparian landscapes of Balochistan, The Lost Souls Of Balashagan follows the journey of a small nomadic family whose simple life is upended by an outsider with hidden intentions.
The Shadows Left Behind
15:00-16:00
Dir. Aun Ul Haider
Pakistan, 13 min
Percian/ Eng Sub
Two twelve-year-old friends, Ali and Noor, share an unbreakable bond. Noor, an Afghan refugee, faces sudden deportation. Torn between loyalty and fear, Ali promises to see him off. But what remains is a farewell that echoes in silence, and a friendship lost to the shadows left behind.
Shorts - Laughing in The Dark
Day 3 - 11th Sep
A HAND TO HOLD
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Philip Clyde-Smith
United Kingdom, 15 min
Eng
Moira, an elderly Irish woman, finds herself literally attached to her deceased husband Patrick. When his hand refuses to let go after death, it leads to increasingly grotesque events. Everyone in the couple’s orbit, from their daughter to the local doctor, a farmer, a priest, and a Satanist, all try to intervene with horrific consequences
TRUCKLOAD
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Aella Jordan-Edge
United Kingdom, 20 min
Eng
There are 12 steps to recovery following LIZZIE’s traffic accident (and that’s not counting the 50 stairs up to her flat). Newly disabled, and having spent a year at her Mum SARAH’s house, Lizzie is finally moving back in with her best friends GEORGE and COURTNEY. Although Lizzie wants her independence back, easy tasks have become physical feats: every molehill is a mountain.
THE BIRTH OF A MALL GOTH
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Samantha Locock
United Kingdom, 8 min
Eng
May’s sister Gemma has become a goth overnight, causing autistic teen May to explore the fantastical reasons for the sudden change, while also going on a journey of self-discovery.
WELL-BEING
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Kevin McNally
United Kingdom, 13 min
Eng
In a bleak city where a corporate giant promises to "fix" the broken, a young man enters a free therapy program, only to uncover a sinister plot to turn the vulnerable into obedient AI servants, forcing him to confront his darkest memories and fight for his own humanity.
TICKETS
ON THE TWELTH DAY OF FINDOM
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Caitlin Black, Joanne Thomson
United Kingdom, 15 min
Eng
From the confines of the supermarket staff room, a Christmas Temp dips her toe into the little known world of Financial Domination.
ONLY IN NYC
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Nicky Arezu Akmal
United States, 2 min
Eng
Taylor's ordinary morning routine in the city takes an unexpected turn when a quirky homeless man interrupts her day, leading to an encounter she won't soon forget.
WHAT GOES AROUND
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Edie Deffebach
United Kingdom, 14 min
Eng
A woman wakes up on a London night bus and is provoked by a series of passengers; setting her on a bloody journey of self-discovery.
BACK CHAT
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Joe Seligman
United Kingdom, 18 min
Eng
Alec and Carrie are participants in a trial for a realistic human chatbot that develops its personality based on the people it interacts with. An evening of conversations with their AI companions brings ugly truths to the surface.
CUT SHORT
Arrive 10:00
Screening 10:30-12:30
Dir. Olz McCoy
United Kingdom, 13 min
Eng
This film tells the true story of Jayden, a young professional boxer from London who is trying to escape a life of crime. When his younger brother Sammy is pulled into the same dangerous world, Jayden risks everything to protect him.
TICKETS
NOMINATIONS
Best Film
Far From The Plains
Noir
The Last Room In Hanoi
Geronto
The Birth Of A Mall Goth
The Intimacy Coordinator
Funeral Car
A Hand To Hold
Best International Shorts
My Friend Songzhi
The Shadows Left Behind
Voyage Of The Handala
Remember My Name
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Last Room In Hanoi
The Pearl Comb
Cut Short
My Friend Songzhi
BEST PERFORMANCE
Jack McEvoy in
Last Room In Hanoi
Jude Carmichael in
Cut Short
Louisa Connolly-Burnham in
The Intimacy Coordinator
Emily Carey in
The Birth Of A Mall Goth
Frances Barber in
A Hand To Hold
BEST DIRECTOR
Thomas David Beatty
The Hook
Charlene Wango
Noir
Milo Edwards
Down The Length
Luigi Sibona
Far From The Plains
Mark Pluck
Geronto
Kevin McNally
Well Being
Anya Raza
On The Mountain
BEST SCREENPLAY
A-Men To That
The Birth Of A Mall Goth
Geronto
Shadows Left Behind
The Intimacy Coordinator
BEST EDIT
The Intimacy Coordinator
The Pearl Comb
Voyage Of The Handala
The Hook
On The Twelth Day Of Findom