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

Sixteen years after The Social Network told Facebook’s start-up story, Mark Zuckerberg probably thought he was safe to set foot back in the cinema. No such luck, The Social Reckoning pokes the digital bear all over again, this time drilling into 2021’s internal document leak that laid bare the firm’s secrets, with a typically rat-a-tat script from The West Wing’s Aaron Sorkin.

Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets

Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival, Everybody Digs Bill Evans is a biographical drama film about the famous jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans.

1961. Bill Evans is playing with what he considers the perfect musical trio until tragedy strikes in the premature death of his bass player, Scott LaFaro - his musical soulmate. Traumatised by grief, Evans stops playing for the first time since his childhood. A tug-of-war between personal torment and the seemingly safer haven of familial love will see Evans oscillate between New York and suburbia, his genius always bubbling beneath the surface.

Directed by Grant Gee (Patience After Sebald) and written by Mark O’Halloran, based on Owen Martell’s novel Intermission

It?s almost Halloween and things start to go wrong when the farmer accidentally destroys the prized pumpkin patch. With a mysterious beast on the loose in the local woods and the farmer missing, Shaun and his friends have little time to try and save the day. Shaun?s third big screen adventure also marks the 50th Anniversary of Aardman Animation.

In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by the empathetic Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn. 

In the seedy underbelly of 18th-century Paris, money is king. Nothing is sacred – even love itself can be bought for the right price. A native of this hedonistic underworld, Manon is caught between twin desires when she falls in love with the student Des Grieux. Steadfast and devoted, he offers the possibility of an honourable life. Yet, the riches promised by the world of Parisian society remain tempting...

Manon’s inner turmoil and struggle for survival lie at the devastating heart of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1974 adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel. In this signature work of The Royal Ballet, MacMillan’s nuanced understanding of human psychology makes for an unflinching look into the moral degradation of Manon’s Paris, while all its decadence and decay are brought to life through Jules Massenet’s score and Nicholas Georgiadis’s designs.