Starring Tom Hiddleston (TIFF ’24’s The Life of Chuck), Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe, and Genden Phuntsok (TIFF ’18’s Jinpa), this wondrous biopic recounts the story of Himalayan Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay who, alongside Edmund Hillary, became first to top Everest in 1953.

The latest from director Jennifer Peedom (TIFF ’15’s Sherpa) recounts the story of Himalayan Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay who, alongside Edmund Hillary, became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Luke Davis (TIFF ’16’s Lion), and starring Tom Hiddleston (TIFF ’24’s The Life of Chuck), Caitríona Balfe (TIFF ’21’s Belfast), Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (TIFF ’17’s The Florida Project), and Genden Phuntsok (TIFF ’18’s Jinpa), Tenzing is the inspiring exploration of an extraordinary life fuelled by ambition, tenacity, and a true sense of wonder.

Hard work and sheer charisma found Tenzing (Phuntsok) working on British expeditions to Everest in the 1930s. Nearly two decades would pass before he joined the team that would finally complete the ascent to the world’s tallest peak, led by John Hunt (Dafoe) and Edmund Hillary (Hiddleston), whose survival would ultimately depend on Tenzing’s skills, dedication, and profound courage.

Gorgeously photographed by Stefan Duscio (The Invisible Man), Tenzing is a transporting experience, ushering us along a seemingly impossible trek to the top of the world. The film’s stellar cast make expert guides on this journey, but its single greatest asset is Phuntsok, who embodies its larger-than-life hero with grace and vulnerability — and somehow captures Tenzing’s legendarily irresistible smile.

EAST X EAST: A Special Programme from Suffolk Shorts

Suffolk Shorts is proud to present EAST X EAST, a curated programme of short films that spans the darkly comic, the deeply personal and the strikingly strange. From a man confronted with his own obituary to a young woman who discovers the truth beyond her bunker, these films explore what it means to face reality - however uncomfortable, uncanny or unexpected that reality turns out to be.

The selection is diverse. There's satirical bite in Obituary and Sweltan, where self-interest meets consequence, and gentle comedy in Three Wise-ish Men, which finds humour in an ancient story. Grief and identity run through Rabbit Ears and Depersonalisation Station, both unflinching in their exploration of loss and disconnection. Science fiction, magical realism and psychological thriller elements surface in Iris Protocol and Mimic, while Potwash offers a coming-of-age story with real bite, set in the pressure-cooker world of a professional kitchen.

Grounding the programme is a strong sense of place. From the Dunes turns its lens on Hemsby's coastal erosion, one of the most severe in the world, while Crossing the Earth - shot in Halesworth and Yoxford with a cast and crew drawn entirely from East Anglia - is a tender exploration of family, loss and connection to a beloved Suffolk landmark.

Together, these ten films showcase the range and ambition of contemporary short filmmaking, from homegrown East Anglian talent to stories that reach far beyond the region's borders.

EAST X EAST screens as part of Suffolk Shorts