What’s On at Stroud Film Festival This Week

As Stroud Film Festival reaches its triumphant finale next week and drops the curtain on exciting programming across the Five Valleys, don’t miss your last chance to check out upcoming screenings. From animated family classics to compelling geopolitical documentaries and screenings of work by local amateur filmmakers, we reckon there’s something for everybody. Here’s Amplify’s top pick of what’s on this weekend and next week.

90 Second Stroud

Saturday 15 March, 12pm, Lansdown Hall

Following the success of last year’s film challenge where 30 films by Stroud based film makers were premiered on the big screen, 90 Second Stroud is back! This is your chance to see the films made by the people of Stroud in response to the 90 Second Film Challenge. Compered by professional filmmakers, come and be part of the audience, see world premieres, applaud the film makers. Expect to see everything from drama to sci fi, crime through to comedy, documentary, experimental films and music videos.

Finding Nemo

Saturday 15 March, 2:30pm, Lansdown Hall

A relaxed screening of this classic family film in collaboration with family charity Allsorts, designed for those who appreciate a less formal cinema environment. The light and sound levels may be adjusted to make the experience less intense. Allsorts is a Stroud-based charity supporting children with additional needs and their families.

No Other Land 

Saturday 15 March, 5pm, Vue Cinema Stroud

A raw, intimate portrait of Palestinian resistance and survival in the West Bank, following activists Ali Ayman and Basel Adra as they document their community’s struggle against displacement and occupation. Through personal moments and unfiltered activism, the film captures the resilient spirit of Palestinians fighting to preserve their land and dignity amid ongoing conflict. This Oscar-winning documentary reveals the human stories behind the headlines, exploring the emotional landscape of a people determined to maintain their connection to home.

Witches

Sunday 16 March, 7:30pm, Lansdown Hall

An unflinching yet necessary documentary exploring post-partum depression and the stigma around women’s mental health, innovatively illustrated by the portrayal of witches in cinema.

American Fiction

Tuesday 18 March, 8pm, Sub Rooms

A US comedy about a frustrated Black novelist who is fed up with the establishment’s exploitative racial attitudes. He decides to write a satire in response to this, with hilarious and unexpected results. The director Cord Jefferson won a BAFTA and an Oscar for best screenplay.

Rocco and his Brothers

Wednesday 19 March, 7:30pm, Electric Picture House, Wotton-under-Edge

This 1960 dramatic masterpiece explores relocation, loss and sacrifice. The film charts the fortunes of a family who move from the rural south to find work in Milan during the industrial and economic boom. Of the five brothers accompanying their mother, Alain Delon’s Rocco is tasked with trying to manage the hedonistic appetites of Renato Salvatori’s Simone. They fall into the world of boxing, but when they also fall in love with the same woman, their loyalties are tested, and the family threatens to break apart.

All This Can Happen

Thursday 20 March, 7pm, The Goods Shed

Dame Siobhan Davies and filmmaker David Hinton (Made in England) based this internationally acclaimed experimental film on Robert Walser’s novella ‘The Walk’ (1917), constructing it entirely from early photos and footage. We follow the 'walker' through a series of small adventures, experiencing hilarity and despair while pondering on the ceaseless variety of life. Siobhan will be present for a Q&A after the screening.

Rabbitman Presents: Overbites

Friday 21 March, 7pm, Stroud Valleys Artspace

A celebration of short films by local young artists and filmmakers, hosted by young programmers at the SVA.

Brian and Charles

Saturday 22 March, 7:30pm, Vue Cinema Stroud

Festival Patrons Jane Millichip and Marc Jobst have selected this off-beat comedy and will present a personal introduction at Vue Stroud, sharing their enthusiasm for this BAFTA, BIFA, and Sundance Festival nominated movie. Eccentric loner Brian lives a quiet life in a remote Welsh village, inventing useless junk.

After a harsh winter, he does what any sane person would do and builds a robot friend named Charles Petrescu. The two strike up an immediate bond. But when local meanies in the village kidnap Charles, Brian and his kindly neighbour Hazel fight for his freedom. Empire magazine describes the film as “an odd-couple comedy about two lonely blokes, one of whom has a washing machine for a tummy”.

Freedom to Run

Sunday 23 March, 2:30pm, Trinity Rooms 

On the last day of the festival is Freedom to Run. This acclaimed documentary follows the Palestinian running group Right to Movement and a similar group from Glasgow as they train for and run both the Palestine and Edinburgh marathons. Whilst in Palestine, the Scottish runners learn about the impact of restrictions on everyday life - for many Palestinians, something as universal as running is far from easy. Hosted at Trinity Rooms, the event includes a panel with participants from the film (there’s a chance to do some running!)

You can find more information about all the screenings and events on the Stroud Film Festival website.