<img src='' title='Event Category: Film' alt='' id='templ_icon_' width='' height='' /> Event Category: Film

It’s (the day before) Valentine’s Day, so we’ve got a special romantic comedy Classic Film treat for you!

Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.

There are unforgettable wedding speeches, funeral tears, mad dancing and romantic entanglements galore in Richard Curtis’ much-loved modern classic starring Hugh Grant, Andie McDowell and many more household names.

Tickets just £6.00 with a cake and a hot drink or £10.00 for two.

Step into a world of diverse storytelling at the Stafford Film Festival! Held at the historic Gatehouse Theatre on January 31, 2025, from 6:45 PM to 10:00 PM, this festival is an exceptional gathering for film enthusiasts and creatives alike, with an emphasis on global diversity and cultural appreciation.

What Visitors Can Expect

Explore powerful stories from across the globe with a unique mix of films, engaging Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities. Connect directly with filmmakers in relaxed, informal settings before and after screenings, fostering a welcoming community where filmmakers and audiences share their passion for film.

The festival is designed to bring filmmakers and viewers together in an event of global stories and diverse perspectives.

Program Highlights and Award Categories

The Stafford Film Festival presents a diverse range of genres, from captivating films and documentaries to innovative animations, experimental projects, and AI-driven works. Achievements are recognized in categories such as Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Animation, and Best First-Time Filmmaker, along with awards for music, including Best Original Song and Best Music/Performance Video, celebrating creativity and artistry beyond only film.

Join us for this immersive celebration of storytelling, culture, and creativity—right in the heart of Stafford at the Gatehouse Theatre. Discover new perspectives, connect with a vibrant creative community, and celebrate exceptional films with us!

James Mangold / USA 2025 / 141 min / Cert 15

In 1965 at Newport Festival a 19-year-old from Minnesota shakes up the world of folk music by going electric and becoming the voice of his generation.

A sure contender for an Academy Award, Timothee Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan in James Marigold’s A Complete Unknown, supported by Edward Norton and Elle Fanning.

The biopic comes with a seal of approval from the great man himself, who also granted music rights to Mangold for the movie.

“Chalamet delivers the performance of the year…. the film is a true tour de force” Scott Menzel, Variety Magazine

Payal Kapadia / India 2024 / 118 min / Cert 15 / Subtitles

Three women navigate life in the urban sprawl of modern-day Mumbai.

Stoic and dutiful Prabha is estranged from her husband, who moved to Germany shortly after their arranged marriage. Anu, her impulsive flatmate, is pursuing a secret relationship with a young Muslim man.

Meanwhile, the home of their older, widowed colleague Parvaty is under threat of demolition.

First ever Indian winner of the 2024 Grand Prix at Cannes, this is a portrait of Mumbai crafted with exquisite delicacy. “The best reviewed film of the year” The Criterion Collection

Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq / France 2023 / 84 min / Cert 12A / Subtitles

Six-year-old Cléo (Louise Mauroy-Panzani) loves her nanny Gloria more than anything.

When Gloria must suddenly return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, Cléo makes her promise that they will see each other very soon.

Gloria invites Cléo to her island and the two must make the most of their last summer together in this simple story of love and loss.

The charming performance by the child star in this gentle French drama is guaranteed to steal your heart. “It is a beautiful film, full of humanity and experience” Guardian

Edward Berger / UK 2024 / 120 min / Cert 12A

This thrilling and thought-provoking film is based on Robert Harris’ book. Ralph Fiennes is on sumptuous form as the deeply troubled Cardinal Lawrence at the centre of a murky Vatican plot.

When the Pope unexpectedly dies the Cardinal has the task of running one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, that of selecting the new Pope.

The Roman Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders are locked together in the Vatican halls and here Lawrence uncovers a trail of secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

Mike Leigh / UK 2025 / 97 min / Cert 12A

This expansive film from a master dramatist and legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to familiar ground with a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets and Lies) gives an exceptional performance as Pansy, a woman wracked by fear, tormented by afflictions, and prone to raging tirades against her husband, son, and anyone who looks her way.

The contrast between Pansy and her easy-going younger sister Chantal, who brims with communal warmth, provides a backdrop to the way that we still find ways to love those we call family.

Clint Eastwood / USA 2024 / 114 min / Cert 12A

An excitingly tense drama, in which recovering alcoholic and father-to-be Justin (Nicholas Hoult) is a reluctant murder trial juror.

It soon becomes clear he’s more involved in the case than expected.  Both he and the prosecuting attorney (Toni Collette) gradually realise they face moral dilemmas in balancing their own fates and interests – family or career – against the defendant’s.

The stellar supporting cast includes Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland and JK Simmons.

“If this is to be Eastwood’s swansong, it’s a fitting one: a thrillingly watchable legal thriller about truth, justice and (for better and for worse) the American way, as told by an all-American icon” Empire

Ellen Kuras / UK 2024 / 117 min / Cert 15

Kate Winslet gives a powerhouse performance as the iconic Lee Miller, in a film that will stay with you long afterwards. Lee takes a captivating look at Miller’s incredible life, the fashion model, artists’ muse and socialite, turned ground-breaking photographer and war correspondent.

The film captures the extraordinary, sometimes devastating events that she witnessed and the emotional toll they took on her.

The storytelling is gripping and moving, offering a deep look into resilience, art, and humanity in the face of turmoil and atrocities.

“Lee is beautiful, daring and elusive, as all great art should be”, Andy Howell, Film Threat.

Maryam Moghadam, Behtash Sanaeeha / Iran 2024 / 97 min / Cert 12A / Subtitles

This sweet and funny film looks at love, loss, loneliness and old age. Mahin is a widow whose daughter and grandchildren live abroad and her lonely life is shown in beautifully compressed tableaux.

One day she meets her friends for tea and meets someone who makes her feel alive again. Faramarz is a personable, single man and emotional connection manifests itself when she offers to bake him her favourite cake.

“Plans have a way of going awry in this lovely, intimate, tragicomic tale of late-blooming love in the shadow of Iran’s repressive regime. In its gentle way, this is a subversive piece of film-making” Observer