Cheltenham International Film Festival is back this September 2025, bringing a diverse and thought-provoking programme of cinema to the town, showcasing established and emerging filmmakers side-by-side.
This year, the festival goes 'unplugged', hosting a range of screenings – along with some special guest appearances from the filmmakers – at community spaces from cinemas and theatres, to pubs, schools and church halls across Cheltenham and beyond.
For this year's blockbuster event, legendary filmmaker Terry Gilliam is coming to town for a special screening of the classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary.
The audience will be transported behind of scenes of the cult comedy with outrageous stories and rare insights from one of its directors, in conversation on stage at The Bacon Theatre, before settling in for a newly restored version of 'the most gloriously silly film ever made'.
Some of the other big hitters include screenings of Hitchcock's North By Northwest at Sherborne Cinema in Gloucester; an ode to Edgar Wright, with Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and then Gloucestershire favourite Hot Fuzz the following week, at The Bottle of Sauce; and Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz in The Batman at Cheltenham Playhouse – where one of the world’s top stunt performers, Rick English, will share his 'thrilling' insights into the craft, danger and artistry of stunt work.
Cinephiles can also catch British comedy drama The Scrapper, starring Harris Dickinson, at Sacred Hearts Parish Hall; the film dubbed 'the Mexican Dead Poets Society', Radical at St Phillip and St James Church in Leckhampton; and Pamela Anderson in The Showgirl at Cirencester's Barn Theatre.
Other events featuring special guests include a conversation with stage and screen actor Steven Berkoff about his reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell Tale Heart; and a screening of Rupert Julian’s 1925 gothic masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera with piano accompaniment by silent film musician and BBC broadcaster Neil Brand, to mark the film's centenary – both at Cheltenham Playhouse.
This year's human interest-themed short film collection will be screened at the University of Gloucestershire; while there are also a few films for families in the programme, including Latvian-made animation Flow at Sherborne Cinema.
Cheltenham International Film Festival takes place from Monday 15 September to Sunday 5 October 2025 across multiple venues, with the full programme and tickets available through the festival's website.
