Rebels, mavericks and misfits: New international film festival to launch in Ipswich

Why it matters: The festival, themed "Misfits + Outsiders", will create what organisers describe as a new annual destination for film lovers in East Anglia, with a programme spanning contemporary international cinema, landmark restorations, cult classics, documentaries and live events.

The details: The festival will run from 31 October to 14 November 2026 in Ipswich. Highlights announced so far include:

• The UK premiere of Moi-Même, with director Mojo Lorwin attending for a post-screening discussion. The film began during the political upheaval of May 1968 in Paris, when theatre pioneer Lee Breuer and collaborators shot an unfinished satire about a young boy attempting to set up a film collective amid the protests. More than five decades later, Lorwin completed and reimagined the abandoned footage.
• A new 4K restoration of John Huston's The Misfits, marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe's birth. Written by Arthur Miller, the film features Monroe's final completed screen performance.
• Whispers in the Woods, wildlife photographer Vincent Munier's documentary following a journey through the forests of France's Vosges Mountains with his father and son.
• The Education of Jane Cumming, director Sophie Heldman's historical drama inspired by a nineteenth-century Scottish scandal that influenced The Children's Hour. It stars Flora Nicholson, Clare Dunne, Mia Tharia and Fiona Shaw as two schoolteachers accused of a romantic relationship by a pupil.

Special guests and live events also feature prominently:

• A rare 35mm screening of Shadow of the Vampire, introduced by producer Richard Johns, followed by a Q&A.
• Director Howard Berry attending a screening of his documentary Her Name Was Moviola.
• Filmmaker Sophie Fiennes discussing her work following a screening of Acting.
• A 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, followed by a conversation and book signing with author Jay Glennie.
• A celebration of Australian filmmaker Margot Nash, with screenings of We Aim to Please and Shadow Panic.
• A "Double D Feature" of Russ Meyer's Motorpsycho! and Vixen!.
• Screenings of Multiple Maniacs, Female Trouble and Polyester to mark John Waters' 90th birthday.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mat Kirkby and director Sophie Fiennes have been named as the festival's inaugural patrons, with producer Richard Johns joining as executive producer.

What they're saying: Festival artistic director Dan Champion said: "Ipswich International Film Festival has been created to celebrate cinema in all its forms – from major restorations, previews and premieres to cult classics, archive discoveries and conversations with the artists who make them.

"Our inaugural year celebrates the outsiders, the pioneers, the mavericks and the rebels – those filmmakers who have challenged convention, expanded the language of film and redefined the way we see the world. We are delighted to welcome audiences to the first edition of the festival this autumn."

What's next: The full festival programme will be announced on 8 September 2026, with organisers saying additional films, guests and events will be revealed over the coming months.

The bottom line: Ipswich is set to gain a new annual fixture on the cultural calendar, with its first festival bringing together everything from rediscovered 1960s cinema to cult classics and Hollywood royalty.

For more information, visit iiff.org.uk.

Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.

This article cost us ~£21 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.