A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Eighteen year old Joe is caught in a storm of identity and expectation. A gender crisis rips the heart out of a world that once seemed simple, now torn between the pressures imposed by a traditional family and the labels imposed by friendship groups. Joe embarks on a journey of discovery and introspection that threatens to destroy a family, a community and ultimately a life.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

“MANKIND WILL PREVAIL IF IT CAN SURVIVE THE YEAR 2019…”

BAR TRASH continues our 14th sensational season — TRASH PLANET 3: APOCALYPSE! — with one of the defining films of the Italian rush to replicate the success of MAD MAX (1979), Sergio Martino’s 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK aka '2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York' (1983).

Twenty years after the nuclear firestorm, warring factions battle for control of what is left of Planet Earth and a desperate search begins for the last fertile woman left alive in the smouldering ruins of New York… After an explosive opening deep in the radioactive wastelands — with all the modified cars and gladiatorial gore you could wish for! — Sergio Martino’s 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK continues with a plot lifted straight from John Carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981). More sci-fi than many of its mutant siblings, Martino’s epic adventure features cyborgs, spaceships, laser canons, centurions on horseback, cryogenics, and a toxic soup of genetic mutations.

There are many contenders to the ‘Maxsploitation’ crown — and more than a few duds that didn’t exactly set the world on fire — but 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK is a video era classic that’s packed-full of atmosphere, strong set-pieces, eye-popping design, and lurid special effects:

“This is the best movie from the Italian post-apocalyptic movie canon. It has the best production values, the most interesting story, and a hero who’s just shy of being as cool as Snake Plisskin.” (David J. Moore, ‘World Gone Wild: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies’).

Polite notice: We are presenting 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK with its original English language dub and subtitles from a recent 4K restoration of a French print, rated ’18’ for scenes of ‘strong bloody violence’. The film offers an exploitation era amplification of social injustice, including themes of ableism, race and gender inequality as a consequence of patriarchal power (at the push of a button).

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo or visit tokenhomo.com for all the gory details. ///

Films featured:

Echoes by Alex Lanipekun, 18 mins
First Rehearsal by Mark Artemichev, 15 mins
A Quiet rebirth by A M Lockley, 14 mins
Peter by Hannah Van Der Westhuysen, 11 mins
The Cull by Adam Cameron King, 8 mins
Stay On Top by Kyri Paris,16 mins

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

This dramatic film follows Urban Free Solo climber Adam Lockwood as he takes on the iconic Eiffel Tower climb. He is one of just a handful of people who climb tall buildings without any safety equipment, and at 24 years old he’s also the youngest. Behind his daring and athletic skill lies a story of immense personal struggle; but his fearlessness and focus help him find purpose in the face of adversity.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

On the first Thursday of the month, every month, the Genesis Poetry Slam is an electric night of spoken word performances. There will be laughter, there might be tears, there will definitely be rhymes and rhythms.

Whether you’re here to perform or simply to listen, you’ll be part of one of the friendliest, most supportive slam communities around. We don’t have that reputation for nothing.

The Genesis Poetry Slam has been running for over 15 years, and is London’s only three-round poetry slam. Up to 12 poets compete in a night of competitive poetry, to see who makes it to the final round and can claim the title of slam champion for the month.

Join us for another electric night of spoken word as poets battle it out for a place in our December Grand Final.

Genesis Cinema, Stepney Green
Doors 18:45 / Slam starts 19:30
Audience tickets: £1 (advance booking essential)

On the night, sink into a comfy sofa, grab a cocktail or a pie, and watch some of the finest poets bring their words to life.

AUDIENCE
Tickets are £1 and must be booked in advance. Whether you’re a poetry lover or brand new to spoken word, you’ll be warmly welcomed.

POETS

There are two ways to sign up for a slam slot:
Pre sign-up: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/112945284141
On the night

We’re always working to keep the process fair and accessible, and this is the best format we’ve found so far.

Pre sign-up:
Sign up via the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/112945284141. These slots are strictly first come, first served and fill fast. If you secure a pre sign-up slot, you do not need to buy a ticket – your name will be on the door.

On the night:
If pre sign-up slots are full, we may release a limited number of on-the-night slots, again first come, first served.

If you have a pre sign-up slot, please arrive by 7.00pm to keep it. Any unclaimed slots will be offered to poets on the reserve list. To keep things fair, if the slam has started and you haven’t checked in, you won’t be able to perform.

SLAM RULES

No props.
No costumes.
Reading from paper or phone is fine.
No hate.

And remember:
The points are not the point…
THE POINT IS THE POETRY.

Films featured:

Poppy by Julia Schönstädt, 17 mins
I Wrote The Love Of My Life by Machis Baboulene & Holly Bray, 14 mins
Bleach by Tobias Bates, 16 mins
Two Creatures by Ainhoa Garbalena Aramendia, 11 mins
Matilda’s Arrived by Macadie Amoroso, 10 mins
The Cliff Montgomery Show by Dan Iacono, 6 mins
The Great Intervention by Jun Noh, 5 mins

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart Of The Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.

In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Sessions is a generation defining film, it’s a stark look at how cocaine culture destroyed the mental health of millions of men around the UK. How shame and guilt took those men from their families.

Richie’s (Daniel O'Reilly) life looks picture-perfect: a new wife, a baby on the way, and a loyal best friend who always knows how to turn up the volume. But beneath the surface, Richie is silently drowning. Terrified by the pressures of impending fatherhood and financial strain, he hides his crippling anxiety behind a mask of lad culture—fueling himself with cocaine, whiskey, and denial. When his charismatic best friend Steve (Jonas Armstrong) drags him into a high-stakes property deal with a corrupt developer (Leo Gregory), Richie sees one last shot at fixing his life and proving his worth as a man.

What starts as a quick score turns into a waking nightmare. As the deal unravels, Richie loses his job, his marriage, and his grip on reality. Hunted by a creditor (Rupert Graves) and haunted by his own mind, he spirals through a haze of drugs and paranoia, desperate to hold onto the one person he thinks he can trust. Sessions is a visceral psychological thriller that unmasks the silent epidemic of the male mental health crisis, exploring the devastating cost of toxic enabling, the trauma of unspoken grief, and the urgent, life-saving need for men to finally ask for help.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Films featured:

4 Minutes Before Forever by Yoann Zak, 14 mins
Afterburn by David Cordon, 15 mins
Codes by Eleanor Rhode, 11 mins
The Special by Stéph Kuypers, 12 mins
Winter by Kate Cheeseman, 13 mins
Belhem by Flint Archie Macdonald, 13 mins

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote’s chaotic catastrophes.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Not long after the power grids failed, life has become a search for safety. Still reeling from the loss and shock that followed, this small group of survivors find the darkest depths of humanity in the shadows. Not everyone wants to help; some even hoped for days like these.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Films featured:

Bite Me by Issy Johnston, 13 mins
For Whom The Bells Toll by Mack Velle, 12 mins
Don’t You Want Me Baby? by Gabriel Foster Prior, 13 mins
Cards Down by Maria Kraevska, 16 mins
Fish & Chips by Macadie Amoroso, 12mins
Closer Than They Appear by Rod Main, 5 mins
Milk by Emma Ballantine, 5 mins

About the festival:

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every October at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2025 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of approximately 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests".

With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Please follow the festival on Instagram @londoniff and on Facebook.

Films featured:

Zombie by Danny Millar, 13 mins
Steel & Glory by Mathew Currie, 16 mins
The Application by Kyle Titterton,16 mins
Brunch Palace by Immanuel Dube, 12 mins
The Chronicles of the Struggling Actor by Lyud Hristov, 12 mins
Single People at the End of the World by Jessica Riches & Casey J. Newell, 6 mins

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween - until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock's beloved pumpkin patch! When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control... With The Farmer missing and a wild beast roaming the woods of Mossingham, all the ingredients are in place for a monstrously fun family adventure.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote’s chaotic catastrophes.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Films featured:

Chekhov’s Bun by Beau Fowler, 7 mins
Foreign Body by Miguel Torres Umba, 7 mins
The Intimacy Coordinator by Louisa Connolly-Burnham, 21 mins
The One by Anna Bolotina, 9 mins
To Do or Die by Aditi Raina, 5 mins
Touch Grass by Layla Furlong, 11 mins
69 by Leo Butler, 15 mins

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

In “Christmas & Chaos,” two creatively lost musicians are marooned in rural Wales—a fading pop star and a rugged, uncompromising artist. As polar opposites, their clashing styles threaten to derail their chance to impress a revered theatre director. Yet, amidst the chaos of creative tension, they uncover unexpected harmony, confronting their own vulnerabilities and the transformative power of collaboration.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

This is a chance to support and celebrate independent film and we will be announcing the winners of this year’s festival. It is an event open to all as well as other filmmakers and film-lovers! We will have a red-carpet and a step & repeat board so please make sure you are prepared to have your photo taken (or tell the photographer not to).

You don’t need to register and the event is free. Just come along! However entry will only be allowed until the capacity is reached.

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Pitch Your Feature at the London Independent Film 2026

Got a feature film project ready to pitch? The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) Mini-Market with My SMASH Media is your chance to get in front of top sales agents, producers, and industry pros!

Submission Deadline: 27th September 2026
SMASH pitching prep session: 4th Oct 2026
Event Date: 11th October 2026 (invitation only)

What’s on offer

• Speed-pitching session with real decision-makers
• Invaluable industry feedback & networking
• Potential connections to help move your film forward
• Pitch Training from SMASH founders to prepare you for the event

What they are looking for

• Feature-length projects with a clear vision
• All Genres welcome

Who can apply

• Open to all with first and second-time filmmakers particularly encouraged to apply.

If you have projects that fit these criteria, we want to hear from you!

What you need to include in your SMASH Pitch

Your SMASH Snapshot must include at minimum:

• Logline
• Format; Genre; Setting; Runtime
• Brief Biog of key creatives
• Synopsis with all major plot points - set up; inciting incident; rising conflict; mid story twist; crisis; climax and resolution.
• Creative vision
• Visual references (poster/concept art optional)
• Budget range
• Cast ideas (That would work with your budget)
• Comparables (recent TV or Film at your budget level that capture a similar feeling or energy)

Any projects submitted without this information will not be accepted.

How to Apply

• Create your FREE SMASH Pitch at app.mysmash.media.
• Build your Snapshot with the required elements above.
• Hit ‘Share Project’ and select “London Independent Film Festival” from the Call Out page.
• Submit before 27th September 2026 at midday.

Protect your IP
At SMASH, protecting your creative work is at the heart of everything we do. Every project uploaded to the platform is automatically timestamped and securely stored, giving you a verifiable digital record of ownership. Your pitch is only shared when you choose, and with the people you choose - ensuring your ideas remain yours, always. We call it Pitch Protection, and it’s how we make sure creators can share their work with confidence, knowing their IP is safe and traceable.

Key Dates

• Submission Deadline: 27th September 2026 at midday
• Pitch Workshop: 4th Oct 2026 (mandatory for shortlisted participants)
• Live Pitch: 11th October 2026 at 14.00 -15.30 (By invitation only)

Important Notes
• Selected participants will be contacted directly and must attend the SMASH Pitch session on 4th October 2026 at the London Independent Film Festival (LIFF).
• Industry experts may not commission your project directly but will provide feedback, connections, and guidance.
• Questions? Contact: cupid@mysmash.media

About London Independent Film Festival

The London Independent Film Festival (LIFF) is devoted to the advancement of first- and second-time filmmakers telling amazing stories with limited budgets. Hosted every spring at the Genesis cinema – repeatedly voted the best cinema in the UK – the October 2026 London Independent Film Festival will screen the work of almost 100 filmmakers from around the world. Stretching over 10 days with numerous industry events, LIFF offers an unmissable opportunity for networking and building collaborations for future projects. It's little wonder that Time Out Magazine has called LIFF "a treasure trove of undiscovered cinematic gems, one of Europe's top indie film fests". With a reputable support system for emerging filmmakers, LIFF includes popular training programs run by industry professionals who understand the ins and outs of moving a filmmaker's career to the next level.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween - until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock's beloved pumpkin patch! When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control... With The Farmer missing and a wild beast roaming the woods of Mossingham, all the ingredients are in place for a monstrously fun family adventure.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

A woman reconstructs her life through the beds she has slept on. Hostel bunks, rented rooms, refuge shelters, a mattress on the floor. Each bed a short refuge or threat, until it was time to leave again.

Sundial is a new one-woman play by Sheeba Sehgal, drawn from her own experience of displacement. Directed by Eleanna Santorinaiou and performed by Megha Thyagarajan, this is the first time the play will be heard by an audience.

Join us for this first reading, followed by a short conversation with the team. Your response will help shape the play as it develops towards a full production in 2027.

Sundial is produced by Ji Joo.

Content note: contains strong language, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and references to domestic abuse, sexual violence and child abuse. The evening will be filmed and photographed for the play's development.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

With infamous production struggles and studio changes - AMERICAN HISTORY X hit theatre in 1998 to critical acclaim. Now, Nearly 30 years later, see it in new light as a double-bill as Director Tony Kaye release's his new Documentary on the film that started it all.

HUMPTY DUMPTY X — PART 1
HUMPTY DUMPTY X is a 73-minute album. A song. A celebration, an existential exorcism of my process while making, and still making American History X
It is a portal into a new body of work.
It is a road toward Marlon Brando — a love letter and standing ovation to the man I believe was the greatest screen actor who ever lived — and an attempt to understand what it means for a director to to try become completely, dangerously, and beautifully free.
Out of that search comes the seed of a new acting technique. A miniature self-help manual. A meditation on instinct, courage, failure, madness and surrender.
But above everything, HUMPTY DUMPTY X is a message to artists:
It is about the principle.
It is about the sacrifice.
It is about removing fear.
Creativity begins when you stop asking permission.
You open the door of the spacecraft.
You jump.
And you fall headfirst into the beautiful mess, danger, ecstasy and madness of making something that has never existed before.
That is HUMPTY DUMPTY X — PART 1.
The egg breaks.
And something new crawls out.

Followed by Q&A with filmmaker Tony Kaye.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

A frustrated primary school teacher gets into a physical altercation with one of her troubled pupils, leading her to hold him hostage in her basement in this comedy thriller.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film Digger, starring Tom Cruise. The most powerful man in the world (Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

BAR TRASH continues our 14th sensational season — TRASH PLANET 3: APOCALYPSE! — with a special presentation of two queer-tinged, early-career apocalypse films from two very different Davids… David Cronenberg’s venereal controversy SHIVERS (1975) followed by David DeCoteau’s trashy ALIEN cosplay, CREEPOZOIDS (1987).

*** Please note the different day/time for this event ***

SHIVERS dir David Cronenberg (1975 / Canada / 88mins)
“BEING TERRIFIED IS JUST THE BEGINNING…”

A new breed of parasite infects the residents of a luxury apartment block, triggering a very queer sex riot… David Cronenberg’s SHIVERS was hugely controversial on its original release, both for its venereal horrors and for daring to blow Canadian tax dollars on such filth (it was part-financed by the Canadian Film Development Corporation). However, SHIVERS’ “combination of taboo-busting sex, medical terror, and squishy creature effects” (Paul Corupe, Arrow Films) plunges audiences into a queer (and we don’t just mean LGBTIA+) apocalypse that resonates with present-day fears of queer erasure as a result of gentrification, chemsex, and the many health crises that have ripped through our communities since the 1980’s AIDS crisis, which Cronenberg eerily foreshadows.

CREEPOZOIDS dir David DeCoteau (1987 / USA / 72mins)
“YOUR FLESH WILL CRAWL RIGHT OFF YOUR BONES.”

Welcome to the future where a group of army deserters are journeying across America to seek shelter from a devastating nuclear war…. David DeCoteau’s CREEPOZOIDS is an iconic ALIEN ripoff where not having much of a budget is no barrier to ambitious (if rubbery) special effects! DeCoteau may be the LGBTQIA+ auteur you’ve never heard of, with almost 200 features under his belt and a seemingly endless production line of cult franchises. Having started work with Roger Corman, DeCoteau found his way to Charles Band (where he directed CREEPOZOIDS and several entries in the beloved PUPPET MASTER cycle) before going rogue and setting up his own production company, Rapid Heart. With DeCoteau’s TV movies now a daytime staple (THE WRONG BABY DADY), CREEPOZOIDS is a delirious throwback to his early-career mayhem.

Polite notice: We are showing SHIVERS and CREEPOZOIDS with subtitles from the best available digital sources. There will be one intermission between the two films. SHIVERS and CREEPOZOIDS contain adult themes and content: our show is strictly for adults aged 18+ only!

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo or visit tokenhomo.com for all the gory details ///

Bela, an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy," becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.

Bryan, a medical courier, unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.

Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), 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.

Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this seductive, psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford and Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband Jeremy, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.

Kung Fu Cinema
Bringing new & classic martial arts films to the big screen supported by action shorts films, Enjoyed by lively, enthusiastic martial arts film fans.

Saturday 17th Oct
Presenting A Kung Fu Cinema Special Screening of
STREET FIGHTER

Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER! Helmed by director Kitao Sakurai, Street Fighter is set to bring the battle from the arcade to the big screen with Hadoukens, roundhouses, and all your favorite characters.

Starring:
Noah Centineo as “Ken Masters”, Andrew Koji as “Ryu”, Callina Liang as “Chun-Li”, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as “Akuma”, David Dastmalchian as “M. Bison”, Cody Rhodes as “Guile”, with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson as “Balrog” and Jason Momoa as “Blanka”.

Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present In Association with Capcom

+ Short Film: Jisu Han
(5 mins)

Times:
7pm – Bar, Music, Gaming
8.50pm: Films (Street Fighter + action short film)

Insta: @kungfucinema
FB: @latenightkungfu
E: kungfulatenite@gmail.com
T: 07961 977 749

CatVideoFest is a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses.CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theatres, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area.CatVideoFest is committed to bringing the joy of cat videos to the masses, while doing good for the worldwide community of people working to help cats in need.

This year’s edition includes some truly pawsome new content:

CatVideoFest is a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses.CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theatres, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area.CatVideoFest is committed to bringing the joy of cat videos to the masses, while doing good for the worldwide community of people working to help cats in need.

This year’s edition includes some truly pawsome new content:

"THE MONSTERS ARE IN REVOLT... AND THE WORLD IS ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION!"

Near the end of the 20th century, Godzilla and all of Earth's monsters held on Monsterland are unleashed by an alien race seeking dominion.

BAR TRASH continues our 14th sensational season — TRASH PLANET 3: APOCALYPSE! — with a celebration of our 250th screening and one of the biggest monster mashups in movie history.

Originally intended to bring the increasingly erratic Godzilla franchise to a titanic halt, DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968) — “the battle-cry that could save the world!” — is the last film in the series created by the original ‘dream team’ of director Ishiro Honda, special effects master Eiji Tsuburaya (supervising his protégé Sadamasa Arikawa), composer Akira Ifukube, and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka. It became one of the most popular in the entire series and Godzilla would spawn again.

Set in the far future — actually 1999 — all the marauding kaiju have been successfully contained on Monsterland and the world looks to be at peace again. However, alien race the Kilaaks wants Earth’s resources and takes command of the monsters, unleashing them as instruments of conquest. In total, 11 behemoths are sent to stomp humanity into submission with some making their debuts in a Godzilla film, including Baragon from FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (1965). With the majority of monster suits reused or recycled from pervious appearances — only Godzilla and Anguiras were made anew — DESTROY ALL MONSTERS is the perfect TRASH PLANET mashup to help us celebrate 250 screenings of London’s wildest and most prolific film club.

Expect cake, and maybe a few tears, as we celebrate BAR TRASH in all its monstrous mayhem!

Polite notice: We are presenting DESTROY ALL MONSTERS in its original Japanese with English subtitles.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo or visit tokenhomo.com for all the gory details. ///

Born in Kinshasa and living in Paris, filmmaker Alain Kassanda embodies the classic immigrant dual identity: in the Democratic Republic of Congo he is seen as French, while in France he is seen as Congolese. Determined to understand the colonial legacy from which he comes, Kassanda convinces his grandparents—Colette and Justin—to sit for a series of interviews. Together, they watch old news footage, remember a visit from the Belgian king, and recall what life was like as part of the nascent Black bourgeoisie who served the colonial administration.

A Q&A will follow the screening

A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.

Followed by a group discussion in the bar area with Nick Walker of the Cult Classic Collective

Sixteen-year-old tomboy Choo Xin Yu (Ranice Tay) seems like a misfit when she joins a highly competitive, elite all-girls school in Singapore. But she quickly befriends three others who share her rebellious nature. While the girls struggle to fit in, they pledge loyalty to each other and vow to start a gang as a form of resistance. When their rebellious acts — recorded by the girls on a camcorder — are discovered by their teacher, their lives are upended. What keeps haunting Choo may be more than just the ghost she suspects is in her room.

This is a screening presented by Bun Bites Screening. It will be followed by an online Q&A with the director Siyou Tan, moderated by Dr Shzr Ee Tan, a Reader in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Programme supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery.

Bun Bites Screening is a London-based emerging film club dedicated to spotlighting the voices of the younger generation in Asia, while fostering an inclusive community for film lovers. We curate and screen films made by young people, about young people, and in support of young visions.

This autumn, documentary filmmaker Joe Cornick will take his powerful debut feature Steel: The Blood of Us 2026 on a UK screening roadshow, alongside Hignett’s intimate 1976 documentary The Face of Change. Made exactly 50 years apart, the two films offer contrasting perspectives on Britain’s steel industry and the communities shaped by it. Cornick’s film, shot on 16mm celluloid and completed this year, documents the final years of traditional steelmaking in Port Talbot, Wales.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A.

London has fallen. Food is gone. Hope is fading. The undead roam the streets.
Two survivors, having run out of food, set out on a dangerous supply run.
After encountering the infected they’re separated, both forced to survive alone long enough to find their way back to each other in one piece.

Film noir? Comedy? Or Crime thriller?

Ten women. One purpose.
MURDER THEIR DEAREST MAN.

We are showing Kon Ichikawa's (Tokyo Olympiad) masterpiece Ten women in Black (61) for our 4th screening!

Presented by YELLOW MAGIC CINEMA + introduction

Pre drinks: 19:30
Door opens 20:40
Film starts: 20:45

A dark comedy depicting women taking control in a modernizing Japan through dynamic, modernist visuals.
A masterpiece combining Kon Ichikawa's stylish direction with the nuanced feminine perspective of his screenwriter wife, Natto Wada.

Set in the early days of television industry. Despite being married, TV producer Kaze is involved with nine mistresses. Together, his wife and mistresses—ten women in total—conspire to murder him.

Against the backdrop of the 2024 UK riots, a seemingly civil dispute between two neighbouring couples over a tree spirals into a volatile psychological battle over race, class and identity in modern Britain.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer and director, Freddie Hutton-Mills. 

Cult film night BAR TRASH continues our 14th sensational season — TRASH PLANET 3: APOCALYPSE! — with a special MYSTERY APOCALYPSE FILM?! Title only revealed when we press play.*

MYSTERY FILM nights are always hugely popular at BAR TRASH and have given us space to screen some very unheralded cinema (one time we accidentally gave long-lost South Korean kaiju film SPACE MONSTER WANGMAGWI (1967) its very overdue UK premiere…). But what celluloid atrocity will Token Homo unveil this time? All we can say is that it will be an apocalypse movie linked to our season theme… But that doesn’t help much does it?

Polite notice: We are projecting our MYSTERY APOCALYPSE FILM?! with subtitles from the best available digital source. *No refunds if you’ve seen it (or just don’t fancy it…). Strictly adults 18+ only.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo or visit tokenhomo.com for all the gory details ///

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.

Josh O’Connor ( The Crown; Challengers) leads the cast in this searing revival of Clifford Odets’ knockout American classic. 1930s New York, at the height of the Depression. Joe Bonaparte is a gifted young violinist with a future in music, until a chance at fame and fortune lures him into the brutal world of professional boxing. He must confront what he’s willing to sacrifice, who he’s willing to become and how to find his place in a world that demands he choose a side. Filmed live from the Almeida Theatre and featuring a live string quartet, Olivier Award-winner Sam Yates ( Vanya) directs this propulsive drama exploring ambition, identity, and the high price of success.

January 2020. A film crew reunites near Wuhan to resume the shooting of a film halted ten years earlier, only to share the unexpected challenges as cities are placed under lockdown.

On the first Thursday of the month, every month, the Genesis Poetry Slam is an electric night of spoken word performances. There will be laughter, there might be tears, there will definitely be rhymes and rhythms.

Whether you’re here to perform or simply to listen, you’ll be part of one of the friendliest, most supportive slam communities around. We don’t have that reputation for nothing.

The Genesis Poetry Slam has been running for over 15 years, and is London’s only three-round poetry slam. Up to 12 poets compete in a night of competitive poetry, to see who makes it to the final round and can claim the title of slam champion for the month.

Join us for another electric night of spoken word as poets battle it out for a place in our December Grand Final.

Genesis Cinema, Stepney Green
Doors 18:45 / Slam starts 19:30
Audience tickets: £1 (advance booking essential)

On the night, sink into a comfy sofa, grab a cocktail or a pie, and watch some of the finest poets bring their words to life.

AUDIENCE
Tickets are £1 and must be booked in advance. Whether you’re a poetry lover or brand new to spoken word, you’ll be warmly welcomed.

POETS

There are two ways to sign up for a slam slot:
Pre sign-up: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/112945284141
On the night

We’re always working to keep the process fair and accessible, and this is the best format we’ve found so far.

Pre sign-up:
Sign up via the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/112945284141. These slots are strictly first come, first served and fill fast. If you secure a pre sign-up slot, you do not need to buy a ticket – your name will be on the door.

On the night:
If pre sign-up slots are full, we may release a limited number of on-the-night slots, again first come, first served.

If you have a pre sign-up slot, please arrive by 7.00pm to keep it. Any unclaimed slots will be offered to poets on the reserve list. To keep things fair, if the slam has started and you haven’t checked in, you won’t be able to perform.

SLAM RULES

No props.
No costumes.
Reading from paper or phone is fine.
No hate.

And remember:
The points are not the point…
THE POINT IS THE POETRY.

Nearly one in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives. David Nicholas Wilkinson is one of them, twice over.

In 2020, a colonoscopy found his bowel to be extremely healthy for a man his age. In 2023, a FIT test came back clear and, like almost everyone who takes one, he assumed that meant the all-clear. In 2024, a second colonoscopy found bowel cancer. Stage 4. He was told his tumour was 5-6 years old. What went wrong?

A FIT test looks for blood. Wilkinson’s tumour never bled. Nor do a great many others.

1 IN 2 follows Wilkinson through his own treatment, where he discovers a steep rise in bowel cancer among people far too young to be screened for it, and far too young, it seems, to be believed. Among those who tell him their stories is a bowel surgeon whose own symptoms were dismissed by her oncologist colleagues and in part by herself because she was only 44.

Bowel cancer is very insidious; it often strikes with few or no symptoms. One of the participants, an NHS nurse specialising in colonoscopies, had only one symptom: anxiety. 1 IN 2 attempts to flag up early signs, because the one thing no one wants is to end up like director David Nicholas Wilkinson, with stage 4 bowel cancer.

Released in the cinema as part of Maggie’s Cancer Centre 30th Anniversary celebrations. A significant percentage of the box office income will go directly to Maggie’s St Barts.

The screening is a tribute to Lisa Andrews-Dhapra, a bowel surgeon who trained at St Barts, where she was filmed for 1 IN 2, and died of bowel cancer in May, aged just 50.

DON’T PRESS PLAY

FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER - LIVE WRESTLING • 80s AFTER PARTY • CABARET Something has gone very, very wrong in the world of Emporium.

The screens are glitching. Phones keep ringing. Nobody knows who to trust.

And whatever you do… DON’T PRESS PLAY.

This Friday the 13th, Emporium Pro Wrestling returns to Genesis Cinema — but somehow, the world of Emporium has become trapped inside a twisted 80s slasher nightmare.

Expect brutal battles, outrageous characters and cinematic surprises. And because this is Emporium, expect things to get weird.

You just need to turn up ready for one of London's most chaotic nights out.

BE PART OF THE NIGHT

Come dressed for the occasion.

80s realness. Final girls. Slashers. Campers. Prom queens. Or just come as yourself.

Bring signs. Make noise. Pick your survivors.

EMPORIUM: THE AFTERS

THE FREE 80s AFTER PARTY INCLUDED WITH EVERY TICKET

Expect wrestler DJs, 80s anthems, cult classics, guilty pleasures and late-night chaos until 1:30AM.

No additional ticket. No disappearing home after the main event.

Your SLASHERAMA ticket gets you the live show AND the afterparty.

FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER — GENESIS CINEMA

LOWER TIER — BETTER VIEW IN THE CINEMA — £21
UPPER TIER — £16

Genesis Cinema
93–95 Mile End Road
Bethnal Green, London E1 4UJ

Doors: 6:30PM
Show Starts: 7:00PM
Approx. Finish (including interval): 10:00PM

EMPORIUM: THE AFTERS

Starts: After the live show
Finish: 1:30AM

STRICTLY 18+

Accessibility enquiries: info@genesis-cinema.co.uk | 0207 780 2000
General enquiries: emporiumprowrestling@gmail.com

DON’T PRESS PLAY

LIVE WRESTLING • 80s AFTER PARTY • CABARET

Something has gone very, very wrong in the world of Emporium.

The screens are glitching. Phones keep ringing. Nobody knows who to trust.

And whatever you do… DON’T PRESS PLAY.

This Friday the 13th, Emporium Pro Wrestling returns to Genesis Cinema — but somehow, the world of Emporium has become trapped inside a twisted 80s slasher nightmare.

Expect brutal battles, outrageous characters and cinematic surprises. And because this is Emporium, expect things to get weird.

You just need to turn up ready for one of London's most chaotic nights out.

BE PART OF THE NIGHT

Come dressed for the occasion.

80s realness. Final girls. Slashers. Campers. Prom queens. Or just come as yourself.

Bring signs. Make noise. Pick your survivors.

EMPORIUM: THE AFTERS

THE FREE 80s AFTER PARTY INCLUDED WITH EVERY TICKET

You survived the show. Now party with the wrestlers. Genesis Cinema's private bar transforms into an 80s late-night party, as wrestlers, performers and the Emporium crowd leave the ring behind to continue the night.

Expect wrestler DJs, 80s anthems, cult classics, guilty pleasures and late-night chaos until 1:30AM.

No additional ticket. No disappearing home after the main event.

Your SLASHERAMA ticket gets you the live show AND the afterparty.

FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER — GENESIS CINEMA

LOWER TIER — BETTER VIEW IN THE CINEMA — £21
UPPER TIER — £16

Genesis Cinema
93–95 Mile End Road
Bethnal Green, London E1 4UJ

Doors: 6:30PM
Show Starts: 7:00PM
Approx. Finish (including interval): 10:00PM

EMPORIUM: THE AFTERS

Starts: After the live show
Finish: 1:30AM

STRICTLY 18+

Accessibility enquiries: info@genesis-cinema.co.uk | 0207 780 2000
General enquiries: emporiumprowrestling@gmail.com

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s film explores grief, resistance, and the fight to preserve ancestral land in Lesotho.

Mantoa, an 80-year-old widow is preparing for her own funeral while grappling with the deaths of her husband and children. Her village faces forced resettlement due to the construction of a dam, threatening to erase her homeland and ancestral burial grounds. Confronted with this existential threat, Mantoa finds renewed purpose and becomes a symbol of resistance, mobilising her community to fight for their land and heritage.

This film will be introduced by Misa Mlambo - a South African creative producer and filmmaker based in London, working across film campaigns and their own practice as a writer and director.

This screening is curated by Meliza George as part of ‘Whose Land? Whose Lens?’ a season of works from the global south discussing the protection of land and therefore peoples through the lens of slow cinema. The season is presented with the National Film and Television’s Film Studies, Curation and Programming MA.

Celebrate Doctor Who Day with an exclusive big-screen event marking 20 years of the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler.

For the first time ever in cinemas, the acclaimed two-part adventure The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit have been specially re-edited into a single movie-length presentation, created exclusively for theatrical audiences. Join the Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) as they travel to Sanctuary Base 6, a remote outpost perched on a planet orbiting a black hole. When an ancient force awakens beneath the surface, the crew find themselves trapped in a battle against an evil older than time itself.

This special Doctor Who Day screening also includes exclusive bonus material, featuring previously unseen content and a brand-new interview with a special guest, reflecting on the making of one of the most celebrated stories of the modern era - from encounters with the Ood to facing the terrifying Beast, alongside behind-the-scenes memories from the set.

Tellurian Drama is a short film by Riar Rizaldi, exploring colonial history, indigenous ancestral power, and geoengineering through the story of Radio Malabar in West Java, Indonesia.

Amussu is a documentary film set in Imider, a small Amazigh community in southeastern Morocco, directed and written by Nadir Bouhmouch. In 2011, the community shut down a major water pipeline to halt the impact of Africa’s largest silver mine. The film chronicles the villagers’ eight-year peaceful resistance as they transform their protest camp into a small solar-powered village, continuing to resist through songs, poetry, theatre, weekly assemblies, and a local film festival.

This screening is curated and introduced by Meliza George as part of ‘Whose Land? Whose Lens?’ a season of works from the global south discussing the protection of land and therefore peoples through the lens of slow cinema. The season is presented with the National Film and Television’s Film Studies, Curation and Programming MA.

A talented writer, Edgar Allen, arrives in Hollywood with big dreams but is quickly pulled into a world of madness and depravity. A detective investigating a series of murders discovers that they are similar to the murders that occur in the new script by Edgar. Who will survive and what parts will be left for them?

Followed by an in person Q&A with writer/director, Rufus Butler Seder

Replikka is a Brazilian short film directed by Heloísa Passos and Piratá Waurá, exploring the intersection of Indigenous wisdom and technology through a spiritual and meditative lens, focusing on the resilience of the Wauja people of the Upper Xingu.

My Foreign Land is a collaborative documentary film directed by Coletivo Lakapoy, Louise Botkay, and João Moreira Salles. It follows the Suruí, an indigenous people in western Brazil, during the tense final month leading up to the pivotal 2022 Brazilian presidential elections. It tracks tribal leader Almir Suruí campaigning locally in Rondônia while his daughter, young activist Txai Suruí, travels abroad to advocate for rainforest protection against logging and mining.

This screening is curated by Meliza George as part of ‘Whose Land? Whose Lens?’ a season of works from the global south discussing the protection of land and therefore peoples through the lens of slow cinema. The season is presented with the National Film and Television’s Film Studies, Curation and Programming MA.

Life on the Horn is a short film directed by Mo Harawe and set on the Somali coast, where illegal toxic waste dumping over decades has caused widespread environmental contamination and health crises. A young man remains in his village to care for his dying father, while the surrounding community gradually abandons the area.

Faya Dayi is an Ethiopian documentary by Jessica Beshir that offers a spiritual and socio-economic portrait of the Harar region, focusing on the cultivation, trade, and cultural rituals of khat - a stimulant leaf central to local life. It follows Sufi Muslims seeking enlightenment while navigating government restrictions, the allure of better futures, and the dangers of dependency on khat.

The feature film will be introduced by Nadia Denton - a Film Curator, Social Impact Producer and Author. She specialises in African cinema, art and culture, and particularly in widening access to and understanding of African and diaspora film.

This screening is curated by Meliza George as part of ‘Whose Land? Whose Lens?’ a season of works from the global south discussing the protection of land and therefore peoples through the lens of slow cinema. The season is presented with the National Film and Television’s Film Studies, Curation and Programming MA.

Emperor Paul Atreides faces the fallout from his ascent to power as political plots and a galaxy-wide holy war endanger the future only he can see.

Beloved heroes from three distinct universes are set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they've ever encountered.

Beloved heroes from three distinct universes are set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they've ever encountered.