See what’s on at the Streatham Free Film Festival, running from the 14th to 28th September 2024

The Streatham Free Film Festival offers an exciting range of films and events for two weeks every September and 2024 marks their 9th year. The programme kicks off on Saturday 14th September and runs until Saturday 28th with all of the films being absolutely free and the festival completely volunteer powered.

This year, there are no fewer than twenty three films that families can enjoy, ranging from blockbusters such as Oscar winning Barbie (dress up encouraged – come as Barbie, Ken or even Alan and be ready for the post film party), a 30th anniversary screening of Luc Besson’s Leon starring Gary Oldman, Jean Reno and Natalie Portman, big hits Monsters Inc getting you in the feels and Trolls Band Together sure to have you all dancing in the aisles, to the beautifully quirky Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, a real treat for all the family.

If you love music, there are some superb films in unusual settings this year that will really get your toes tapping. From Sister Act with a gospel choir at the New Covenant Church, to Timothy Chalamet’s Wonka in fine voice, which is this year’s opener at The Rookery (bring a picnic and watch under the stars), and the festival’s closing extravaganza of Dirty Dancing in The Rabbit Hole with pre-film dance lessons and fun filled after party! BYO watermelon!

Some of the more unusual events this year include Christopher Guest’s fabulous mockumentary Best in Show, a dog friendly screening at the Woodfield Pavilion, starring Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Parker Posey. Diablo Cody’s Lisa Frankenstein (think Heathers meets Tim Burton meets Twilight) which you can catch at The Railway pub and gory Finnish revenge movie Sisu showing at The Bull – which sees one man take on lots of Nazi baddies and it’s quite the sight to behold! Wes Anderon’s latest Asteroid City completes the quirky line up with a delightful and visually stunning coming of age story delivered in deliciously whimsical style.

There are plenty of laughs to be had with hilarious comedy drama American Fiction which satirises racial stereotypes in literature. It’s a ‘cinematic stick of dynamite;’ prepare to be blown away. Not forgetting the super funny and action packed The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt which is being screened in a beer garden at The Manor Arms.

Documentaries cover everything from the little known story of the first Women’s World Cup in Copa 71 an outside screening at Hillside Gardens with a special Q&A with one of the writers and producers of the film, Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize finalist Gaza, a beautiful portrait of everyday life in Gaza as was in 2019 to Moonage Daydream, a rapturous, expressionistic journey through the life, work and interests of David Bowie in film, thrown in for good measure.

We look to world cinema to learn the lessons of the past with the harrowing The Zone of Interest set in Germany in 1943 and starring the magnificent Sandra Hueller screening at The Furzedown and we experience 1980’s Lebanon through Memory Box; a film which depicts the interconnected lives of 3

women through photographs, audiotapes and notebooks, directed by Joanne Hadjithomas. Tragi-comedy comes in the form of Pedro Almodovar’s absurd All About My Mother (Todo sabre mi madre) showing at Cafe Barcelona for all the Spanish language movie aficionados and the curious alike. Best Picture Oscar nominated Past Lives is a beautiful story of love and fate that will move you to tears, set in South Korea and the USA, in Korean and English.

British film is also represented with Kim Hopkin’s sweet documentary A Bunch of Amateurs which follows the Bradford Movie Makers on their journey for survival as one of the oldest amateur film clubs in the world. It’s been labelled a salve for the soul and it’s hard not to agree. For something a little more classic, there is a screening of the vintage Shall We Dance starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

If quizzes are your thing, the pre-festival buzz will start with the annual Film Quiz on Tuesday 3rd September at The Rebel Inn. Test your creative, music and general knowledge of film in teams of 6 with lots of prizes up for grabs – only £3pp.

The film festival kicks off on Saturday, September 14th with an outdoor screening of Wonka and concludes with a screening of Dirty Dancing with an after party (and dance lessons) on the 28th. Full programme listings can be found at: www.freefilmfestivals.org/Streatham