The Cambridge Film Festival is back for its 45th edition, and this year it opens on Thursday 22 October with a screening at 20:20 at the Arts Picturehouse on St Andrews Street. The festival runs until Sunday 1 November, so there's a good stretch of time to fit in a few films. The opening film is Clio Barnard's I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, a 109-minute drama written by Enda Walsh from Keiran Goddard's novel. Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack and Lola Petticrew lead the cast. If Thursday doesn't suit, the same film is shown again on Friday 23 October at 18:00.
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The film was shot in Birmingham in April and May 2025, and it had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2026, where it won the Audience Award. Barnard is also receiving the festival's Outstanding Contribution Award this year. Her earlier features, The Arbor (2010), The Selfish Giant (2013), Dark River (2017) and Ali & Ava (2021), are worth knowing about if you've not seen them. Two of them are on the schedule: The Selfish Giant plays on Friday 23 October at 15:35, and Ali & Ava on Saturday 31 October at 13:45.
Beyond the opening night, the programme combines international cinema with local premieres. Early risers can catch Bend It Like Beckham on Friday 23 October at 11:10, while a special CFF 45th screening of Portrait of a Lady on Fire takes place on Sunday 25 October at 15:20. Those who prefer shorter films will find several shorts strands on Monday 26 October, starting at 10:30 with 'Shorts: Power Play', and there's a session called 'Cambridge Connections' on Sunday 25 October at 13:05. The full timetable is spread across the whole festival, so it's worth checking which screenings suit your days before you arrive.
Tickets are sold through the Arts Picturehouse, which opens 30 minutes before the first film each day. Prices vary depending on the film and the time. Online and phone bookings may carry a £1 booking fee per ticket, although this doesn't apply to Picturehouse Members tickets. Children aged 14 or under can get a £4.99 ticket for selected U, PG and 12A screenings, and cinema parties are available from £15 per person. The festival is presented by the Cambridge Film Trust, a registered charity.
Published Date
20 October 2026
