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Gala Opening Night: Shadow of the Vampire + Q&A (15)
Saturday 31 Oct
Screening on 35mm, followed by a Q&A with the film's producer (and IIFF Executive Producer), Richard Johns. E. Elias Merhige’s Shadow of the Vampire inhabits the liminal space between cinematic…
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (U)
Saturday 31 Oct
A timeless celebration of wonder, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory remains one of cinema’s most enchanting fantasies. When the elusive confectioner Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) announces that…
The Adventures of Prince Achmed and Lotte Reiniger Fairy Tale Films (U)
Saturday 31 Oct
This year marks the centenary of Lotte Reiniger’s landmark masterpiece The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926). Inspired by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, Reiniger’s pioneering feature is…
IIFF 2026
IIFF Patrons
Sophie Fiennes
Read BioSophie Fiennes
“I’m honoured to become a Patron of the inaugural Ipswich International Film Festival. Film festivals are essential. They are opportunities for discovery, development, conversation and shared experience. We will be immersing ourselves in cinema’s rich heritage and celebrating new generations of filmmakers. The Ipswich International Film Festival is an opportunity to create something distinctive for Ipswich. As I was born in Ipswich, I’m thrilled to be part of this film festival’s origin story.”
– Sophie Fiennes
Mat Kirkby
Read BioMat Kirkby
“A proper film festival is a beacon, drawing people in, rewarding them with the sort of films they’d never normally encounter between the nacho cheese pump and Screen 23 of the local multiplex. Festivals Matter. They fuel curiosity, build community, and give a town a cultural heartbeat. They’re an opportunity for us to welcome international filmmakers, tell them our stories, and maybe even show them our portal (we’ve actually got one. It’s by the fountains). If Ipswich is about to become a cultural moth‑trap, then I’m honoured to help switch on the light. Together we can all gather in the glow of its cinematic splendour.”
– Mat Kirkby, Oscar-winning writer-director
IIFF Watch
The Ipswich International Film Festival arrives in 2026, bringing together bold new voices, celebrated filmmakers and remarkable cinema from across the world. Set against the backdrop of one of Britain’s oldest towns, IIFF creates a meeting point between local creativity and international filmmaking, championing discovery, conversation and the shared experience of cinema. Join us this November as Ipswich welcomes the world to its first international film festival.
