Fakenham Film Festival 2026
Central Cinema Fakenham
Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October 2026
TICKETS
Fakenham Film Festival 2026 will take place at Central Cinema Fakenham 01328 258956 from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October
The main festival weekend will include a programme of films, screenings and special events celebrating local creativity, independent filmmaking and stories connected to Norfolk.
The competition films and results will be shown on the Sunday, bringing the festival weekend to a close with a celebration of the filmmakers taking part.
FAKENHAM FILM FESTIVAL 2026 — FFF26
Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026
Fakenham Film Festival brings together short films from local independent filmmakers with feature films that have a Norfolk connection, alongside special screenings and community partnerships.
Many screenings begin with a selection of independent shorts, followed by an intermission and the main feature.
Across the weekend, enjoy family-friendly films, local independent filmmaking, our Dark, Edgy & Horror Showcase, competition screenings, feature films and the Sunday Red Carpet & Awards Finale.
We hope you enjoy FFF26 — and discover some great films and filmmakers along the way.
Please note: all screening and event times are approximate and may be subject to minor changes.
Many feature screenings begin with short films submitted to FFF26, including local, festival and competition entries.
Book in advance or buy on the day.
Fakenham Film Festival 2026 • Central Cinema
Each performance will open with approximately 30 minutes of short films from local independent filmmakers, giving audiences the chance to discover and support Norfolk filmmaking talent on the big screen. Most performances will also include a 10-minute intermission.
FRIDAY 2nd OCTOBER
2.30pm
Peripheral
Director: Peter Naylor
Runtime: approx. 36 minutes
Peripheral follows Lucy as she navigates a pivotal stage in her life, balancing the gradual loss of her sight with her love of the outdoors.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (15) (2025)
Celebrating Our Friendship with Olivet
A charming French romantic comedy about books, love and the complicated gap between romantic dreams and real life.
Presented in partnership with Fakenham Arts Festival 2026.
French with English subtitles
6.45pm
James McNeill Whistler: Exhibition on Screen (12A) (2026)
In partnership with Fakenham Arts Festival 2026
Explore the life, work and legacy of James McNeill Whistler through his remarkable art and major exhibitions.
Release date: 15 September 2026
SATURDAY 3rd OCTOBER
10.30am
Families & Children film show of locally made films
A lively collection of short films for families and younger audiences, mixing fun, imagination and thoughtful stories.
· SpaceBop
· Dyslexia and Me
· Eddy the Bear
· Last Days at the End
· Take You With Me
Total film runtime: approx. 45 minutes
2.15pm
The Courage to Stand Up
Director: Will Glitch. Deep in the grassroots world of Britain’s booming stand-up comedy scene, real performers share their stories, aspirations and struggles — both on and off stage.
Moving Forward
Director: Josie Parrelli, Runtime: 1 minute 27 seconds. A short independent film selected for FFF26.
In Love with Alma Cogan (12A) (2011)
A warm British drama set around a fading seaside theatre, filmed in Cromer and featuring the town’s famous Pier and Pavilion Theatre.
Selected by Fakenham Film Society.
6.45pm
A selection of short films from local independent filmmakers.
· Dial
· Pearl and Pomegranate
· House Rules
· Active Fakenham
Bright Young Things (15)
A stylish and witty portrait of the rebellious Bright Young Things of 1920s London, directed by Norfolk-born Stephen Fry
.
10.00pm
Screen 3: Dark, Edgy & Horror Showcase
A late-night collection of darker and edgier short films exploring horror, suspense and more adult themes.
· Dead Air
· In Hot Water
· Sapling
· The Dying Knight
· Potwash
Total runtime: approx. 1 hr 17 mins. Approx. finish: 11.20pm
SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER
2.00pm
.
FFF26 Short Film Showcase
A varied programme of short films exploring local stories, people, places and ideas.
· Creative Differences
· The Cockle Story
· Memoir
· Time That Ticks
· Plant Community
· A Town Like Diss
Total runtime: approx. 2 hrs 17 mins
6.15pm
Red Carpet Event. FFF26 Awards & Competition Films
Join us for a relaxed and celebratory start to the festival finale, with live music, refreshments, red carpet photographs and an opportunity for filmmakers, audiences and guests to meet and mingle.
The cake will be cut by our special guest Tim Aldiss, in recognition of the long-standing support Aldiss has given to Active Fakenham and our community events.
Photography will be by Hannah Brodie Photography and Videography, with live music from Kerry Selwyn.
FFF26 Awards & Competition Films
Films start at 7.30. Our nine competition short films take centre stage, followed by the announcement of the Fakenham Film Festival 2026 competition winners.
· Eddy the Bear
· Pearl and Pomegranate
· Last Days at the End
· Dyslexia and Me
· Superesse
· Behind Closed Doors
· A Good Landlord
· Bubbles
· In Hot Water
Total film runtime: approx. 1 hr 10 mins
The evening celebrates filmmakers from Norfolk and beyond and brings FFF26 to a fitting close.
A celebration of film, filmmaking and local creativity.
Online: www.fakenhamcinema.co.uk/buy-tickets-online
- In person: Central Cinema, Fakenham
-
📞 For queries only: 01328 258956
For more information about the competitions or to enter go to Filmfreeway and search Fakenham
ENTER the competition HERE
Pop-up event: Space Bop in July
As part of our partnership with our sister festival, Fakenham Arts Festival 2026, Fakenham Film Festival will present a special pop-up film event in July.
The event will feature SpaceBop, a fun and creative film experience at Central Cinema Fakenham, helping to build excitement ahead of both the Arts Festival in August and the main Film Festival weekend in October.
Find out more
here:
Pop-up event: Art films in August
As part of our partnership with our sister festival, Fakenham Arts Festival 2026, Fakenham Film Festival will present a special series of three art films at Central Cinema Fakenham during August.
These biographical films will celebrate the lives, work and influence of major artists, adding a film element to the Fakenham Arts Festival programme.
Find out more about Fakenham Arts Festival 2026
HERE
These are some of the people and organisations involved in the Fakenham Film Festival.
Active Fakenham
Active Fakenham is a small voluntary group and works with local clubs, organisations and businesses to initiate, organise and promote activities that enrich the health and wellbeing of Fakenham’s residents and visitors. It has no ongoing funding and no paid staff.
As well as organising events and activities Active Fakenham works to support local businesses and local talent. Over the years it has worked with and commissioned local people, especially younger people, to document our events. Some of these are featured in the 2026 Fakenham Film Festival.
Active Fakenham was set up by Richard Crook in 2012 and Richard continues to be the driving force behind the organisation.
Ash Williams
Hello! My name’s Ash Williams, and I’m proud to be one of the organisers of the Fakenham Film Festival and Competition.
I’ve been passionate about films for as long as I can remember. From creating Lego stop-motion shorts as a child to crafting social documentaries in the Guatemalan highlands, my journey with filmmaking has been as rich as it has been varied. My experiences span professional, personal, and educational realms, giving me a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling through film.
I began my career in corporate and educational video production, but it was my work with students and school groups—helping young people bring their ideas to life on screen—that truly ignited my passion for teaching. Today, I’m the Senior Teacher at Burnham Market Primary School, where filmmaking and animation have become cornerstones of the school’s creative ethos.
Over the years, my dedication to both film and education has been recognized with several awards, including winning Best Picture at multiple film festivals. In 2022, I was honored to be nominated as Teacher of the Year at the Into Film Awards—a moment that underscored my belief in the transformative power of storytelling for young minds.
Since moving to North Norfolk in 2023, I’ve continued to create films while seeking opportunities to celebrate the region’s filmmaking talent. Becoming involved with the Fakenham Film Festival has been an incredible way to do just that. I’m excited to help shine a spotlight on the creativity and skill of local filmmakers and to foster a thriving community of storytellers here in this beautiful part of the world.
Hannah Brodie
Hannah Brodie is a full time photographer and videographer based in Norwich covering weddings, commercial and family shoots. Hannah describes her work as candid, colourful and authentic. “I love getting to know people and the variety that my job brings” says Hannah.
“My roots are from Fakenham, I attended high school, Brownies, Guides etc here. I have previously enjoyed filming content for Active Fakenham’s events over the years. In fact one of my career highlights was having one of my short films shown before the trailers at Fakenham cinema I’m very much looking forward to coming back to photograph this years Red Carpet Event”.
https://www.hannahbrodie.co.uk/
Creative Arts East
Creative Arts East is a community arts charity working across rural Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, aiming to make creativity accessible and available to more people in more places, strengthening their personal & social outcomes as a result.
Partnering with diverse communities and artists to co-design excellent and inclusive programmes that attract people to get involved, we develop creative practice and distribution models which really work for rural and disadvantaged audiences.
Find out more at www.creativeartseast.co.uk
Fakenham Film Society
The Society was set up in the summer of 2011. We are a local non-profit society created for the enjoyment and appreciation of film, showing classic, foreign and contemporary films at the historic Central Cinema in Fakenham, Norfolk UK
Membership for the season is £10 and each film night costs £5.00 for members and £7.00 for non-members. 10 films are shown in each season which runs from January to December, with a break of two months in July and August. Please note for 2024 a film will be shown in July and a further break will occur in December. Films are screened at 7.30pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month (unless this clashes with a live stream event).
You can join the Society at any of the Society’s film nights at the Central Cinema, Fakenham.
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