Film adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir. A young woman finds herself washed up back home on the Scottish archipelago of Orkney. She has no idea how or if she can rebuild her life after a decade of addiction. Flashing back and forth between Orkney and London, we get a glimpse into her former urban existence and its intoxicating temptations that pushed her to the point of destruction. She must find a way to navigate the alluring wildlife and wildness of both environments. Smith's urgent retelling speaks to the impact of isolation and loneliness and – ultimately – the resilience of people.

A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents, following one man's emotional journey to find his first love again. Spanning several decades and continents, we follow 70-year-old widower Kristófer who embarks on a remarkable journey to London. 50 years earlier, as an economics student in London, young Kristófer meets his first love, Miko in a Japanese restaurant. Their love blossoms, but one day Miko suddenly disappears without a trace. Decades later, with time ticking away, Kristófer is on a quest to track down Miko to find out what happened to her. From London, his journey takes him halfway across the globe and all the way to Japan.

From National Geographic Documentary Films and directed by Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin and Natalie Hewit, ENDURANCE tells the inspiring stories of two landmark expeditions, bound by their shared grit and determination.

Surviving the ice ⚓️

In a legendary feat of leadership and perseverance, Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton kept alive his crew of 27 men for over a year despite the loss of their ship in frigid pack ice. Now, history broadcaster Dan Snow and award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin and Natalie Hewit join a team of modern-day explorers on a quest to find his sunken ship.

Nationwide previews on 14 October in association with BFI London Film Festival.

Tickets on Sale 17th September

Finding Vivian Maier is the critically acclaimed documentary about a mysterious nanny, who over the course of five decades, secretly took over 100,000 photographs that were hidden in storage lockers. Vivian would further indulge in her passionate devotion to documenting the world around her through homemade films, recordings and collections, assembling one of the most fascinating windows into American life in the second half of the twentieth century.

Maier was an inveterate wanderer and self-taught photographer with an artful and comic eye and an uncanny ability to get close to people from all walks of life. Would Maier have even wanted to be discovered in this way? Answering that question depends on how you interpret different bits of evidence in this film. However, seeing the world through Vivian Maier’s eyes is a real wonder.

Screening as part of our "There Are Great Women Artists" Season

The much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning “Joker,” which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the second highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

“Joker: Folie À Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him. The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Catherine Keener (“Get Out,” “Capote”), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from “Joker.

PADDINGTON DAY !!!

A one-day celebration that will allow audiences to see a sneak peek from the next instalment, PADDINGTON IN PERU (at The Riverside in November), ahead of watching either of our screenings of PADDINGTON 1 and 2.

An accident-prone bear from deepest Peru arrives in London searching for a home, but finds himself lost and lonely at Paddington station. However he quickly meets the Brown family, who take him in, having read the label around his neck – “Please look after this bear”. This heartwarming film is packed with an all-star British cast, with Nicole Kidman on hand to lend pantomime villainy as a wicked taxidermist. Showcasing the modern city at its diverse, multicultural best, there are thoughtful messages around being kind to strangers and helping everybody to fit in sprinkled in amongst the fun. A charming family film to watch while munching on marmalade sandwiches.

There’ll be prizes for the best dressed person who comes as Paddington. We’ll have other giveaways too and we might even be able to persuade our restaurant to provide marmalade sandwiches in between the two film screenings!

So come along and watch both of the Paddington films before the release of Paddington in Peru next month, or feel free to just come and watch one of them.

All tickets just £5.00 for everyone - on sale from 16th September

PADDINGTON DAY !!!

A one-day celebration that will allow audiences to see a sneak peek from the next instalment, PADDINGTON IN PERU (at The Riverside in November), ahead of watching either of our screenings of PADDINGTON 1 and 2.

Following the mayhem and excitement of arriving in London from Peru, Paddington is now happily settled in with the Brown family. Looking to save up some money to buy his Aunt Lucy a birthday present, he gets various jobs in and around the local area. Opting to buy her a pop-up book of London, Paddington doesn’t know that a secret treasure map is hidden inside. When the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and his family to try and track down the thief, but little does he know, Paddington is being framed for the crime himself! Finding everyone’s favourite marmalade-loving bear stuck in jail, the community rally round to campaign for his release.

There’ll be prizes for the best dressed person who comes as Paddington. We’ll have other giveaways too and we might even be able to persuade our restaurant to provide marmalade sandwiches in between the two film screenings!

So come along and watch both of the Paddington films before the release of Paddington in Peru next month, or feel free to just come and watch one of them.

All tickets just £5.00 for everyone - on sale from 16th September

In a working-class area of Sweden, sisters Laura (16), Mira (12), and Steffi (7), get by on their own, left to their own devices by an absent mother. With summer on the way and no parents around, life is wild and carefree, vivacious and anarchic. But when social services call a meeting, Laura has to find someone to impersonate their mom, or the girls will be taken into foster care and separated. Laura keeps the threat a secret, so as not to worry her younger sisters. But as the moment of truth draws closer, new tensions arise, forcing the three sisters to negotiate the fine line between the euphoria of total freedom and the harsh realities of growing up.

After suffering a catastrophic and almost fatal spinal cord injury, professional rugby player Ed Jackson's world changed forever. The Mountain Within Me follows Ed's journey on his recovery as he achieves the mental and physical heights of Snowdonia, the Alps and Himalayas to the life-altering challenges closer to home. From multi-award-winning director, Polly Steele and BAFTA and EMMY nominated producer, George Chignell, THE MOUNTAIN WITHIN ME is an inspiring, thought-provoking documentary about unexpected change, hope and finding renewed purpose in life.

From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot. The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. A powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.

Director Ridley Scott brought the glorious battles of ancient Roman arenas back to the big screen for the first time in decades with Gladiator, a sweeping story of courage and revenge. The great Roman General Maximus (Crowe) has once again led his legions to victory on the battlefield. The war won, Maximus dreams of home, wanting only to return to his wife and son; however, the dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) has one more duty for the general - to assume the mantle of his power. Jealous of Maximus’ favour with the emperor, the heir to the throne, Commodus (Phoenix), orders Maximus’ execution - and that of his family. Barely escaping death, Maximus is forced into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the arena where his fame grows. Now he has come to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor - Commodus. The film was a huge hit with audiences and critics alike garnering 12 Academy Award nominations and winning 5 including Best Picture and Actor (Crowe).

Gladiator II will be with us in November

The classic, distinctly beautiful British animated feature film Watership Down, which follows a group of rabbits on a perilous journey to find their own utopia, is back on the big screen again this autumn, the first time in nearly 50 years. A building project threatens the tranquil lives of the wildlife residing in a British woodland area, not least the rabbits who reside in one of the local warrens. Littlest rabbit Fiver, who has a sixth sense, has distressing visions of destruction lying ahead and persuades a small group to join him on what is to be a challenging journey to safety in the halcyon location of Watership Down. Some of Britain’s best-known actors including John Hurt, Richard Briers, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott, Roy Kinnear and Hannah Gordon, brought the rabbits to life and made them eternally memorable.

This thrilling tale of adventure, courage and resilience, one of the greatest of British animations, will continue to enthral new and old audiences alike, and is unmissable on the big screen this autumn in this wonderful new 4K restoration.

With the full festival taking a break this year we still wanted to champion our local talent and introduce new filmmakers to new audiences at The Riverside.

So we’ll be offering an evening of short films from local Suffolk filmmakers or films that have been produced, written by, starring or shot in and around Suffolk, and calling our special event - The Suffolk Connection.

We believe that short films are the future, so come along for an evening of specially selected Suffolk Shorts!

All tickets £5.00

The beauty of cinemas as a cultural hub and gathering place for the community is explored in this touching story set within the aisles of a cinema named Splendor and focusing on three main characters: Jordan, Luigi, and Chantal. Jordan, portrayed by the great Marcello Mastroianni, is an old projectionist who has dedicated his life to the cinema. Luigi, played by Massimo Troisi, is a man who inherits the old theatre and tries to keep it running despite facing financial difficulties and Chantal, portrayed by Marina Vlady, is the woman who both Jordan and Luigi love.

Echoes of Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso flow through the narrative as it presents themes of love, nostalgia, and the passage of time. It reflects on the magic and significance of cinema as a place where dreams and reality intertwine.

Receiving critical acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling and the remarkable performances of its cast, particularly Marcello Mastroianni and Massimo Troisi, Splendor remains a cherished gem among cinephiles and is indeed an ode to the golden age of cinema.

Screening as part of our year-long season - CINEMA ON SCREEN

Deftly fusing the sublime with the ridiculous, this ketamine-fuelled adrenaline ride through the back streets of Belfast sees the most unlikely of figureheads propelled to the front of a movement to preserve their native tongue. In a post-Troubles Belfast, childhood best friends Liam Óg and Naoise find themselves disenfranchised and uninterested in much beyond having a good time. When a chance encounter with a mild-mannered music teacher sparks the creation of the first group to rap in Irish, everything changes. The trio’s anarchic energy and lyrics reflect a resentment felt throughout their runaway train of a following, transforming their anger into a hedonistic rallying cry. Holding the same antipathy for the conventions of the music biopic as it does for colonial legacies, Peppiat’s film overflows with the fearless humour and livewire creativity that fuelled the band’s real-life ascent.

Our Manager Neil’s favourite film of the year so far, and following the screening there will be a pre-recorded interview between Neil and the film’s director, Rich Peppiatt.

HARDER THAN THE ROCK – the fascinating story of Cimarons, the first UK band to embrace the thrilling new sound coming out of Jamaica.

Reggae exploded in the 1970s, with Cimarons at its heart. Thousands of miles from Jamaica, they brought excitement, experimentation and sheer anticipation booming from speaker boxes, putting the new generation of Black British youth in touch with their roots – in contact with who they really were. Industry legends, Cimarons worked with reggae-royalty Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and even Paul McCartney, but have been hugely under-recognised when it comes to their own music, impact and legacy. Having lost drummer Maurice Ellis to cancer, the band persists, despite decades of exploitation. Harder Than The Rock tells the story of their amazing history and follows the band’s final chapter as they dream of performing in front of live audiences again, one last time.

Screening as part of Black History Month

It's time for another one of our popular Film Quizzes and this time its on Halloween Night!

The last four quizzes sold out very quickly so don't delay in booking a team space!

James King from BBC Radio, ITV and Sky will be quiz master along with our manager, Neil, live on stage asking the questions to test your knowledge of film, and they'll be giving prizes away to the top 3 winning teams.

Teams can include up to a maximum of 6 people or minimum of 2, but team entry price regardless is £10 - a maximum of 17 teams allowed.

Why not stay afterwards and watch the 20th Anniversary edition of SHAUN OF THE DEAD for just £7.00

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Shaun of the Dead first graced movie screens in 2004, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and solidifying its place in the annals of horror-comedy history. The film, directed by friend of The Riverside, Edgar Wright, and co-written by Wright and Simon Pegg, who also stars alongside Nick Frost, has since amassed a dedicated following who have eagerly awaited its return to the big screen.

Edgar Wright said, "20 years ago, the worldwide release of Shaun of the Dead changed my life forever. Its reception since then has continued to be incredible, largely due to the passionate fans who have championed it with cricket bats aloft. Now, as we celebrate its bloody 20th anniversary with a brand-new Dolby Atmos and Vision remastered version, I’m beyond excited for everyone to experience it once again on the big screen—the way it was always meant to be seen: large, loud, and with quite a lot of red on it."

There comes a day in every man's life when he has to get off the couch…and kill some zombies. When flesh-eating zombies are on the hunt for a bite to eat, it's up to slacker Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his best pal (Nick Frost) to save their friends and family from becoming the next entrée.

All tickets £7.00

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom Of The Opera is a worldwide entertainment phenomenon. It has been staged in 145 cities across 27 countries and its box office sales eclipse Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars.

To celebrate its 25th Anniversary year, Cameron Mackintosh presented The Phantom Of The Opera in a fully-staged, lavish production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of the Royal Albert Hall.

Phantom Of The Opera At The Albert Hall stars Ramin Karimloo as ‘The Phantom’ and Sierra Boggess as ‘Christine’. They are joined by a supporting cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.

Delve deeper into the labyrinthine psyche of surrealist nightmare-weaver David Lynch with these unsettling, hallucinatory shorts that reflect the origins and evolution of his singular style. Spanning the early experimental and painterly works that laid the foundation for his cult sensation ERASERHEAD through his darkly absurdist web animation series DUMBLAND, these films are replete with the sinister, uncanny imagery that could have emerged only from an artist so deeply in tune with his subconscious.

Six Men Getting Sick (1967): 1 minutes film projected on sculptured screen. The Alphabet (1968): 16mm 4 minutes The Grandmother (1970): 16mm 34 minutes The Amputee (1973): Video - 2 versions 5 minutes / 4 minutes The Cowboy And The Frenchmam (1988): 35mm 26 minutes Lumiere (1995): 35mm 55 seconds using original Lumiere Brothere's camera, Weather Report (2020) - 1min

Screening as part of our year-long retrospective - Dreaming of Darkness: The Films of David Lynch

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Eliza Hittman inhabits a mode of low-key but relentlessly accumulating naturalism here that is familiar from the Dardenne brothers or contemporary Romanian cinema. Autumn is a teenager who needs to travel from Pennsylvania to New York in order to get an abortion without her parents' knowledge; her friend Skylar accompanies her. There are no explanatory flashbacks, just a few hints of backstory. Through the drag of several days and nights, through endless rides on bus and train, dealing with troublesome handicaps (like a lack of money), the girls push on, not saying much. Hélène Louvart's cinematography is crisp and understated. There is no overt melodrama, only a touch of suspense – Hittman avoids any sensationalism. There are passing characters in official positions (doctors, nurses, train station guards), but they are never demonized; they too are just ordinary people trying to do their jobs in conditions of daily difficulty. The film's dramatic center is deliberately displaced, hidden: it is the toxic masculine culture that expresses itself in offhand actions, words, exchanges, and pressures. At the heart of the film, a tell-tale, wordless gesture between the girls expresses everything left unspoken

A creative biography of the Scottish artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. One of the most important women in British modern art, the painter Wilhelmina Barns-Graham was a highly inspirational figure, whose work was deeply impacted by a pivotal event in her life.

In May 1949, this leading representative of the modernist St. Ives group of artists climbed to the top of the Grindelwald glacier in Switzerland, an experience which was to transform the way she saw the world. She spent the rest of her life capturing its shapes and colours, indeed its very essence.

In his essayistic portrait Mark Cousins delves into complex themes of gender, climate change and creativity, while laying bare the artist’s character and vast imagination so pervasively that he creates the impression we are seeing the world through her eyes.

Gallery East in Church Street are holding an exhibition of art by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham from 19th September to 2nd November

Folllowing our screening there will be an exclusive pre-recorded interview between our manager, Neil, and the director of the film, Mark Cousins

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery is hosting the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.

This film is a chance to reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style.

Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters.

Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a- century show.

Made in close collaboration with the National Gallery.

We are delighted that founder of Exhibition on Screen, Phil Grabsky, will be joining us and the composer of the score for the film for a Q&A after the film.