“THE WORLD’S COOLEST!”
CRYSTAL PALACE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (CPIFF) 2025
Christened by filmmakers as ‘the world’s coolest film festival’, CPIFF is rated top 5 out of 14,000+ film festivals worldwide on Film Freeway! Take your time to watch the trailers - every night is meticulously put together to thrill and entertain. This remarkable selection of creativity has been curated over a whole year to showcase these independent films that, together, blow most major releases away. Catch as many nights as you can as this is a one time only experience. At the screenings you will meet and hear from filmmakers flying in from across the globe. The Q&As are fascinating. There’s short film, animation, horror/sci-fi, comedy, documentaries & features.
Screening at the Everyman Crystal Palace, West Norwood Picturehouse & Stanley Arts, SE25, uniquely many nights quickly sell out. Music legend Paul Weller said: “I’ve loved CPIFF, the whole independent movement is a wonderful thing. Mike Reiss, writer of The Simpsons since it began said: “You run the very best
film festival we’ve ever been to - and we’ve been to a lot!”
One of the UK’s best comedians, Kerry Godliman, (below) returns to present the CPIFF Awards & Comedy Night following Johnny Vegas, Andy Zaltzman, Shappi Khorsandi and Mark Steel (both above). Book now!
THURSDAY
6 March P1
Launch Night (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £16, includes popcorn.
Food and bar available.
FRIDAY
7 March P1/2
Long & Shorts Docs (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13.
Food and bar available.
SATURDAY
8 March P2/3/4
Animation (12a)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50.
Food and bar available.
TUESDAY
11 March P4/5
Short Docs (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
WEDNESDAY
12 March P5/6
Captivating & Compact (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
THURSDAY
13 March P6/7
Mid Length Film (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
SATURDAY
15 March P7/8
Horror/Sci-Fi (18)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
SUNDAY
16 March P9/10
Shorts & Feature (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13
Food and bar available.
TUESDAY
18 March P10/11
International Film (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13.
Food and bar available.
WEDNESDAY
19 March P11/12
Sensational & Short (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
THURSDAY
20 March P14
Light/Dark Light/Dark (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
FRIDAY
21 March P16
Feature & Shorts (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
CPIFF.CO.UK
Bromley Council has granted a blanket 18 certificate to nights held in the Everyman Cinema, this does not necessarily reflect content.
SATURDAY
22 March P16
Comedy Horror (18)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
SUNDAY
23 March P17/18
Mid Length Docs (18)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.
Food and bar available.
TUESDAY
25 March P18/19
Excellent & Eclectic (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13
Food and bar available.
WEDNESDAY
26 March P19/20/21
Brilliant & Brief (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace
SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
FRIDAY
28 March P22/23/24
Super Short Shorts (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
SATURDAY
29 March P26
Awards & Comedy(18)
7PM Stanley Arts SE25 6AB £35, includes glass of bubbles & fab food. With Kerry Godliman.
THURS 6 MARCH
Launch Night (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £16, includes FREE POPCORN. Food and bar available.
The Last Dance
Directed by Hayden Mclean
Linford’s world tailspins, as his iconic “LA bar” is compulsory purchased by the council, forcing him and his patrons out, leaving his life in disarray.
UK 17m World Premiere
Champions
Directed by The AG Brothers, (Asher and Aaron Goldenberg)
Two brothers from a struggling community defy immense odds in a high-stakes track tournament, but a moral choice threatens to divide them just as they stand on the brink of victory.
USA 23m UK Premiere
Ring Ring
Directed by Adrián León
A grieving son buys a mysterious phone from an antique shop in order to talk to his late mother.
UK 15m World Premiere
Two Places at Once
Directed by Freddie Bonfanti
“A man’s chance encounter with a mysterious woman leads him on an unexpected journey that forces him to confront the consequences of his choices and the profound impact they have on others.”
UK 18m
Where Are All the Gay Superheroes?
Directed by Tom Paul Martin
Professional superheroes
Sterling and Meridian have just finished saving the day (again) when suddenly, they find themselves in a rare moment alone.
UK 15m
11.01
Directed by Jimi Drosinos
A former dancer returns to her hometown, encountering an unexpected heartwarming connection with a girl who has Down syndrome.
UK 29m London Premiere
FRI 7 MARCH
Long & Short Docs (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available.
Letters
Directed by Aysel Küçüksu
A mother and daughter uncover the letters they wrote to each other a decade ago. Can they face the truths they once shared?
Bulgaria 12m World Premiere
Toros Bravos: Julián Cartas
Directed by Jack LaCalle
Set in central Mexico, “Toros Bravos: Julián Cartas” tells the story of a retired matador and showcases the culture and spirit of bullfighting in Mexico today.
USA 17m European Premiere
The Last Dance World Premiere
She Walks A Line
Directed by
Timothy Stuart Lovell
This gripping documentary reveals the harrowing journey of thousands of young Nepali women and girls who are coerced across the border into India each year. Once across the notoriously porous 1,000mile frontier, most are sold into the sex industry, forced into domestic servitude or subjected to organ and skin harvesting. This border has become one of the
world’s most prolific human trafficking routes. Amidst international indifference, one Nepali woman, Shanta Sapkota, has taken a courageous stand to combat this humanitarian crisis. Driven by heartbreak and a fierce determination, she leads a team of female anti-human trafficking operatives at the Mahendranagar crossing, a critical checkpoint where the fate of many young lives hangs in the balance.
UK 88m
SAT 8 MARCH
Animation (12a)
7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
Nemesis Battlefield Volume 16
Directed by Neeraj Bhattacharjee, David Cisneros, Ran Fang, Richard Musinguzi, Saurabh Vashistha
An author has been writing a series of science fiction fantasy books for his entire life. His first few books were good, but as he continues writing, he ends up repeating the story
USA 6m
Three Hares
Directed by Paloma Baeza
Three Hares weaves an enchanting creation myth and the mystical origin story of the ancient three hares symbol into an environmental tale about three sisters who must remind mankind to respect the earth in order to protect their future.
UK 5m
Moving Parts
Directed by Hugo Docking
In a surreal, industrial dystopia, a travelling salesman encounters a singing behemoth. This towering, two-headed monstrosity tempts him with a terrifying (but lucrative) proposition.
UK 3m
Three Hares
In Half
Directed by Jorge Morais Valle
Through a child’s imagination we follow the journey of a man who after falling prey to his fears, must cross a strange world, a universe full of magic, where he will be confronted with his own fears and conflicts from the past and where he must find solutions for the future to discover his self-identity.
Spain 24m
Root Note
Directed by Guy Larsen
Four starving plants scavenge to exist on the edge of an arid slate mine. Then they discover something that gives them purpose and allows them to thrive - jazz music. Root Note is a story of finding your passion in a conforming world.
UK 7m
Wracu
Directed by Chase McGill
A knight awakens in a carriage driven by Death, tormented by the memory of his execution by a menacing king.
US 7m World Premiere
Dragfox
Directed by Lisa Ott
Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighbourhood fox.
UK 8m
The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess
Directed by Anna-Ester
Volozh
A princess’s impossible demand sparks an endless war, until a mysterious suitor emerges, claiming to be the one to satisfy her pride. Based on a story by L.M.Montgomery.
UK 7m
Gardening
Directed by Sarah Beeby
In the aftermath of a sexual assault, a woman retreats into the garden of her mind. Searching for answers and struggling to do ‘the right thing’, she realises that she must regain her voice and find new paths to healing, before she and her garden are destroyed completely.
UK 14m
The Music Factory
Directed by Cina Espejord, Alf Martin Løvvold Herbert, has synesthesia; a cross-sensory condition that makes him see shapes and colours when he hears sound and music and we are presented with the story of how he found his way to the music factory.
Norway 9m
I Would Like to Live on the Moon
Directed by Emily Burke
A young non-binary person feels overwhelmed and wants to escape - literally, to the moon.
UK 2m
Float Away
Directed by Jacob Nicholson
When a balloon gets separated from its bunch, it must go on an adventure to get back to its friends, learning to accept its imperfections along the way.
UK 8m World Premiere
In Half
The Future
Can Be Yours
Directed by Simon Ball
What’s under your carpet?
UK 9m
Dandelion
Directed by Ling Zhao, Zhengwu Gu
In a dystopian world, a coal-burning robot working on a mine, one day finds something that he has never seen before - a dandelion.
USA 4m
TUES 11 MARCH
Short Docs (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13
Food and bar available
The Human Component
Directed by Daisy Squiers, Megan May Wilson
Leddy is captivated by space exploration. Leddy hopes to one day travel beyond our sky, and her ambition grows when Logitech and her teacher, Nelly Cheboi, arrange a classroom visit from Aisha Bowe, a former NASA Aerospace Engineer and future Blue Origin Astronaut. Switzerland 6m European Premiere
Old School
Directed by Ieuan Coombs
A former world champion bodybuilder reflects on his past and looks toward the future.
UK 8m
No One is an Island
Directed by David Bunting
Through an animated conversation, scientists explore if everyone can live well without harming the environment and reveal how hope and creativity can inspire change.
UK 10m London Premiere
The Hold
Directed by JD Donnelly
A real-time journey through the past and present of champion free-diver Alice Hickson as she fights the need for oxygen during her record 7min30 breath hold.
The Moment of Truth
Directed by David Baksh
The race to safeguard our collective visual history against generative AI, will be won or lost in the next few months. “If we cannot trust what we’re seeing, then we can’t trust anything - and our sense of what is possible, unravels.” Flora Smith. The Topfoto Archive.
UK 13m
Breaks
Directed by Christina Yianni
A deeply personal documentary that follows Team England parasurfer and Paralympian, Hannah Dines, who lives with cerebral palsy and PSC, from the shores of Wales to California to compete in the World Championships.
UK 10m
Turn Up The Bass
Directed by Ted Evans
Troi Lee, aka DJ Chinaman, the unstoppable force behind the UK’s deaf music and rave scene.
UK 12m
London Premiere
Old School
Cry Like a Guy
Directed by Anthony Rubinstein
Over the course of 4 and a half hectic minutes - we take a look at tears from 3 different angles; biologically, sociologically and historically. We discuss how crying has swung in and out of fashion and what has informed our current consensus on this intriguing bodily function.
UK 5m
Twinkleberry
Directed by Daisy Ifama
The story of my super gay school year that had 30+ queer students in one year group during 2005 to 2012, in a small town on the border of the Midlands and the West Country in England.
UK 12m
Millwall Jew
Directed by Joe Bor
A short documentary about the veteran comedian and Millwall fan Ivor Dembina. Ivor discusses religion, comedy, football and how those worlds collide.
UK 11m
Breathing Space
Directed by Jane Thorburn, Jo Lewis
This film brings together the life long experience of breathing with Art, Science and the rhythms of the world.
UK 17m
Aquí Y Allá
Directed by Isabella Breton
Through a conversation with photographer Winston Vargas, we explore the evolution of the Dominican community that migrated from one island to another.
USA 10m
Bloom in the Mirror
Directed by Eri Sawatari
Kiko Mizuhara is a multi-talented actress, model, and designer working primarily in Japan. Here, Mizuhara expresses the joy of accepting and expressing the various “selves” contained within the self through fashion.
Japan 6m World Premiere
WEDS 12 MARCH
Captivating & Compact (18) 7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13 Food and bar available.
Reclamation
Directed by Kelly Moneymaker
Reclamation is a rock n’ roll call-to-action for Indigenous peoples (and their allies) to resonate in unity to protect their lands, waters, and peoples in the face of climate crisis and further industrial development.
USA 5m
Keep
Directed by Lewis Rose
Gordon, the former keeper of a lighthouse now turned into a museum, is desperate for someone to help him maintain the site. When Musa, an Afghan refugee, comes knocking on his door, Gordon finally finds the helper he has been waiting for.
UK 20m
World Premiere
Bloom in the Mirror
Playmates
Directed by Lukas Steinmaier
When an awkward geek is reunited with his school friend, he’s forced to confront the hidden truths of their relationship and who they have become after all these years. A macabre take on masculinity and growing up as a millennial.
UK 17m World Premiere
Yam and Egg
Directed by Emily Nkanga
On the anniversary of his sister’s death during a protest against a corrupt police unit in Nigeria, an immigrant now living in London, battles survivor’s guilt.
UK 14m European Premiere
Chivalry
Directed by Charlotte Yang
After a mediocre date goes awry, a young woman’s night spirals out of control as she confronts ever increasing absurd situations.
UK 14m UK Premiere
I See You
Directed by Briar Elizabeth March
In a world where having the perfect baby is becoming a choice, a young mother is struggling to love and accept her daughter for who she is.
New Zealand 17m
European Premiere
Your Ghost, Nikita Faie
Directed by James Buck
Your Ghost explores grief and loneliness in an EP about creatives with busy minds.
UK 4m
Smudge
Directed by Timo Willman, Maddie Rice
A woman goes to a life drawing class and runs head first into her own perfectionism. Aided by a fellow class mate she’s forced to face her demons and choose whether to make something imperfect or nothing at all.
UK 8m World Premiere
The Pearl Comb
Directed by Ali Cook
In 1893, an endearing Cornish fisherman’s wife captures the attention of the medical profession as the first person to ever cure someone of Tuberculosis. A doctor, hell bent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine, is sent to investigate her miraculous claim - only to discover the source of her unearthly power...
UK 21m London Premiere
THURS 13 MARCH
Mid Length Films (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13. Food and bar available.
Delivery
Directed by Ben Lankester
Newly-qualified midwife
Mary experiences the most physically and psychologically challenging night shift of her career as she oversees two life-and-death pregnancy cases.
UK 25m
Yam and Egg
European Premiere
European Premiere
The Pearl Comb
Lurk
Directed by Macy Trieu-Dingle
Two children discover a hole that they can throw their mistakes into, making them disappear forever. They live without consequence. Until one day, the hole disappears, right when they need it most.
UK 28m
What I Am
Directed by Jackie Oudney
A woman suffers amnesia after an accident at home, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that leads to the reclamation of her agency.
UK 26m London Premiere
Sister Wives
Directed by Louisa Connolly-Burnham
This multi-layered love story tells the tale of young women living in a strict, fundamentalist, polygamous society in 2003 Utah, USA.
UK 28m
Contact: Catherine Shaw
Tel: 07764 196284
Email: catherines@allboneandtrimit.co.uk
The Overspill, 4 Coopers Yard, Crystal Palace, London, SE19 1TN
www.allboneandtrimit.co.uk
SAT 15 MARCH
Horror/Sci-Fi (18) 7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50 Food and bar available.
Grandma, May I
Directed by Gage Zanghi
An ancient, cunning spirit posing as a kindly grandmother offers solace and dark wishes to lonely children on Mischief Night. When a heartbroken boy stumbles into her grasp, she sees the perfect opportunity to fulfill his deepest desires—but at a chilling cost that will bind him to her forever.
USA 14m European Premiere
Sister Wives
European Premiere
Grandma, May I
Night Whispers
Directed by Adrian León
A night of passion takes a terrifying turn for Tom when he suspects the woman beside him isn’t human.
UK 7m UK Premiere
Escape Attempt
Directed by Alex Topaller, Daniel Shapiro
A soldier escaping a WWII concentration camp finds himself on an unknown planet in a distant future only to discover a frozen gulag controlled by a brutal alien race. Based on the science fiction novella “Escape Attempt” by the iconic science fiction writers, the Strugatsky Brothers (1925-1991)
USA 29m
The Future Soon
Directed by Douglas DeVore
A young boy tries to win over his crush with a robot army with disastrous results.
USA 5m
Wake
Directed by Sean Carter
With a hurricane raging outside their hospital, two nurses have one last job before evacuating: stow the “dead-on-arrival” corpse of a young girl in the downstairs morgue before the building floods. But the corpse quickly reveals itself to be more than it seems.
USA 13m London Premiere
Jump Cut
Directed by James Martin Morrison
After a struggling actor accepts the lead role in a mysterious experimental film, parts of her life begin to disappear.
USA 17m European Premiere
Black Hole Barry
Directed by Alejandro Alberola
Right before Scott’s boyfriend moves in with him, he decides to go on a series of hookups to get the most out of his last week living alone, a decision he’s going to regret forever. With Joseph Potter.
UK 9m
Show and Tell
Directed by J.M. Kallet
Date night at a lovers’ lane takes a horrific turn for two 50s-era teenagers with dark secrets to hide.
USA 10m London Premiere
The Incredible Headless Woman
Directed by Chester Carr
Running late for his performance, Butch is cornered backstage by two gambling clowns who insist he pays his debt. .
UK 9m World Premiere
First Sight
Directed by Andrew McGee
Luna’s dating life takes a dark turn in this gripping story about love, loss, and augmented reality. The future is in sight...
UK 19m
SUN 16 MARCH
Shorts & Feature (15) 7:30PM Picturehouse £13. Food and bar available.
Do Not Resuscitate
Directed by Kumyl Saied
A withdrawn caregiver meets a boisterous artist and must make a decision, pursue romance, or remain anchored by his duty of care.
UK 12m
My Husband Is A Dog
Directed by Sara Jordan
Do you believe in reincarnation? My Husband Is A Dog is a black comedy following the reunion of a widow and her dead husband who has been reincarnated as an adorable dog. They could be happy together again…. if only the dog didn’t have an owner!
UK 13m
Greensleeves inc.
Directed by Guy Taylor
Eco-influencer Fleur heads to the studio for the launch of her new ‘green’ brand deal, but she’s quickly met with the harsh reality of the corporate machine.
UK 11m World Premiere
Grave Error
Directed by Andrew Jonathan Smith
Emma embarks on a bureaucratic odyssey to get her life back after an administrative error leaves her legally dead.
UK 12m
The Strange Dark
Directed by Chris Messineo
Edgar believes he can see the future, but his wife thinks he’s mad, his daughter thinks he’s strange, and the agents from double star accounting will stop at nothing to get their data back.
USA 84m European Premiere
TUES 18 MARCH
International Film (18) 7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13 Food and bar available.
Here I Am Aquí Estoy
Directed by Bruno Lopez Aaragón
A spoken word short that invites curiosity and amplifies unity across Black lives. Blending societal ignorance with communal hope, it explores and celebrates Pan-Africanism and shared humanity as catalysts for everyday change. Spanish subtitles are displayed to reflect the expat experience.
Spain 5m
Camping in Paradise
Directed by Eirik Tveiten
A philosopher and his girlfriend involuntarily must spend a night at a nudist campsite, which is far beyond their comfort zone. At the campsite they meet a friendly couple, and this reveals underlying conflicts and creates tension in their relationship.
Norway 23m
The Letter
Directed by James Skinner
In 1945, a young Gambian woman treks across her country to translate a letter written in English, one that tells the fate of her fiancé fighting for the British thousands of miles away.
Gambia 17m
Nightfaces
Directed by Martin Winter, Stefan Langthaler Mahan a frustrated taxi driver in Vienna longs for his family and a normal life. One rainy night, a homeless woman gets into his taxi wanting to see her son on his birthday. Mahan tries to get rid of her and accidentally breaks her present. To make up for the damage, he takes her on one last trip through the dark city.
Austria 23m UK Premiere
Infinitesimal
Directed by Luis Costa
In the middle of nowhere, a working-man is hitchhiking. A Ford Taunus is stoping. The worker is given a lift. He settles in almost without saying a word. The tension is palpable. Will the driver regret his act of kindness?
France 8m
Demons
Directed by Emmanuel Imani
A London cop returns to Lagos, risking everything to avenge his lover’s death, battling corruption and confronting his own demons in a heart-wrenching quest for justice.
UK 20m London Premiere
Glimmer of HopeLichtblick
Directed by Sophia Tamaro
A cashier’s monotonous day is transformed when the women in the queue form an impromptu choir to soothe an unhappy baby.
Germany 5m
Calf
Directed by Jamie O’Rourke
A sinister farm accident leaves Cáit with a terrible decision to make
Ireland 15m
WED 19 MARCH
Sensational & Short (18) 7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13. Food and bar available.
Lord Godfrey - Shogun
Directed by Nathaniel Akin Music video for the track ‘Shogun’ by Lord Godfreyan 80s fever dream.
USA 3m
Under the Blue
Directed by Linda Ludwig, James Curle Bruised, hungry and only halfway through her late shift, a lonely and disillusioned police officer forms an unlikely connection with an appreciative and thankful criminal.
UK 15m
Creative Construction for TV and Film
London Premiere
Dream Weaver
Directed by Davide
Gentile
The true story of Jenny Jun Zhu, CEO of Lush Decor. As a child raised in a rural China, Jenny watches planes fly overhead and imagines where she will go. She learns from her grandmother that, although the journey will be hard, through passion, proactivity, and perseverance... her dreams can become a reality.
Another Alice
Directed by Matteo La Capria
Alice leaves a party with her best friend who tries to kiss her. She pushes him away, he becomes violent... Alice then flees into a dreamlike universe, revisiting a wonderland that looks like a nightmare.
France 15m
London Premiere
Play Your Hand
Directed by
Robert John Mercer
A gang fight in Glasgow city centre has left two brothers and their friend in a dangerously intense situation. In a desperate attempt to escape, they seek refuge from a middle aged woman in a nearby housing scheme.
UK 9m World Premiere
Just A Weekend
Directed by Aella Jordan-Edge
A mother comes to stay for the weekend, bringing with her the toxic sway of emotions and pitching a couple against each other with consequences.
UK 14m
Driving with Tim
Directed by Erica Belton
An inexperienced young production assistant is tasked with driving a temperamental seasoned actor to set. As their chaotic journey unfolds the two realise they have more in common than meets the age gap.
UK 12m World Premiere
Piece Of Cake
Directed by Jack Hartley
An elderly baker cooks up a sinister plan. But what should have been a piece of cake, becomes a very sticky affair...
UK 11m
Consider The Lilies
Directed by cristina spina
A woman enters an expensive Brooklyn Open-House for potential buyers. Amy, the only child, wakes up and with surprise and fear approaches the woman, thinking she is a fairy, a witch, a dream, Amy tells her parents the story of her night, but they don’t believe her. after several nights of visits they decide to stay awake and wait for the woman to appear...
USA 23m
World Premiere
Dream Weaver
THURS 20 MARCH
Light/Dark Light/Dark (18)
7PM Everyman Crystal Palace SE19 2TE £13. Food and bar available.
Yellow Belt
Directed by Allyn Quigley
As his parents separate, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence develops an unrealistic crush on an older teenage girl in his Taekwondo class but soon finds out that no matter what age you are love can sometimes hurt.
Ireland 18m
Jujuman
Directed by Tony Ogunyinka
Jujuman follows the story of Mani, a south east London gang leader who is forced to rethink his attitudes towards morality when he is confronted by a mysterious vigilante African witchdoctor who appears to have placed a Juju curse on him contrived to put his mothers life in danger. Mani must make a choice, leave the gang world behind or face the consequences of the curse!
UK 29m
National Treasures
Directed by Will Wright
When a European art collector is given a private viewing of the British Museum’s ‘special collections’, suspicions are raised when he takes a special interest in one particular object. But after hearing a re-telling of the infamous object’s discovery the collector forces the curator into internal conflict when he tries to acquire it for himself.
UK 10m London Premiere
The
Void
Directed by Sashwat Mohta
A once brilliant teenager battling drug addiction seeks family support to heal his emotional wounds, but his conservative father’s harsh discipline and mistrust risk tearing their family apart.
USA 17m
Dear Departed
Directed by Lauren Sims
A girl who recently lost her Grandfather discovers a hidden post office where you can send and receive letters to a loved one who has passed on, but, she receives the wrong letter.
UK 15m
The Bull
Directed by Victor Nauwynck
Cyriel and Marie, a childless married couple, live on an isolated farm. Their laborious, monotonous lives are turned upside down when a highly virile bull is brought onto their farm. While Cyriel is determined to impregnate their cows, Marie develops an unlikely attraction to the bull.
Belgium 20m
Satisfaction
Directed by Tom Bailey
Georgian England. A society lady raises her pistol to duel with her aristocratic mentor over a grave insult.
UK 8m
Safe
Directed by Debbie Howard
Anne an office cleaner, finishes work late one evening to be pursued and harassed by a man at the bus stop.
UK 10m
FRI 21 MARCH
Shorts & Feature (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West
Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50
Food and bar available.
Regal Jason - I Am
Directed by Oliver Crawford
A tale of six characters being re-awakened to discover that the power they were searching for was inside them all along.
UK 5m World Premiere
Out Like a Lamb
Directed by Fern Jessop
A moving family drama. After his father’s death, a grieving Yorkshire farmer is left with the choice between moving on to a new life with his fiancé or dutifully keeping the family’s lambing farm and risk losing his chance at true happiness.
UK 19m
U So Hot
Directed by Nadav Sivan, Sagir Avramov, Yair Mazar
Music video by Nadav Sivan - for U So Hot
Israel 3m
The Man Who Saved the Internet with a Sunflower
Directed by Ori Yardeni
The dramatic and unknown story of Rob Ryan, the ultimate entrepreneur, who saved the Internet from collapsing in the 90s of the last century, revolutionized the lives of all of us, in every field, and now these days is trying to save the Internet from itself.
Israel 98m
SAT 22 MARCH
Comedy Horror (18)
7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50 Food and bar available.
Find You Here
Directed by Jo Smyth
Find You Here is a gnarly piece of folkloric horror about what happens when a toxic couple find themselves at an abandoned scare event built on evil land. Will they survive the night?
UK 15m
Have a Good Day
Directed by Lisa Soper
In the bustling home of horror writer Jodi Sloan (Lucy Davis) she battles creative block by exploring gripping ideas, only to discard them in absurd ways.
Canada 28m
Members Club
Directed by Marc Coleman
Wet Dreams, a middle-aged male stripper group have hit rock bottom. After a string of disastrous gigs, the gang considers disbanding. Alan, the group’s happy-go-lucky front man, takes over the business and books the boys a lucrative and mysterious gig in rural Essex. But when the group arrive at the desolate club, their night quickly takes a dark turn when they find themselves tangled up in a plot to raise a murderous 16th century witch from the dead.
UK 90m
SUN 23 MARCH
Mid Length Docs (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13. Food and bar available.
Our Dinosaurs
Directed by Ali Hazelgrove
For over 170 years, Crystal Palace Park has been home to monsters. When sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins unveiled the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs to the public in 1854, they were the first ever life-sized depictions of extinct animals. Whilst hugely inaccurate according to our modern understanding, they now represent an important milestone in the history of science.
UK 38m World Premiere
King Putt Directed by Hansel Rodrigues
In the world of competitive crazy golf, the courses are small but the personalities are big. Enter Marc ‘The Force’ Chapman, an Olympic reject whose pursuit of sporting success turns many in the close-knit crazy-golf community against him. With a shot at sporting immortality on the line, this is much more than a family day out. UK 24m London Premiere
Equal Play
Directed by Lily Ahree Siegel
This documentary explores the transformative power of sports for disabled people through the stories of two British children. Marley discovers his confidence in boxing, and Tammy is inspired by a Paralympic star to explore wheelchair racing. Both of them face discrimination in their access to sports and physical education, and the film follows their fight against these systemic barriers. By capturing the nuanced joy and empowerment that sport brings to disabled individuals, Equal Play highlights the positive change that inclusion can create.
UK 24m
London Premiere
Destined to Play...
Destined To Play: The Untold Story of Saudi Women’s Football
Directed by John Ford
For the women who wouldn’t take no for an answer. For those that waited years and journeyed hours to play. For the girls who dreamt of one day representing their nation, this is their story.
UK 35m
TUES 25 MARCH
Excellent & Eclectic (15) 7:30pm Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13. Food and bar available.
Moondweller
Directed by Kin Shing Kwok
A man flees to the moon, bringing only his most cherished possessions: flowers, a stuffed rabbit, rare stones, and a beloved guitar. Hong Kong 4m
Don’t Even Know You
Directed by Anna Volosnik
An ambitious postgrad student’s life is going to plan, but something’s missing. When a directionless barista with a talent for drawing and bullshit brightens up her day, it may be serendipity or something more.
UK 17m
Going
Directed by Rupert Ratcliffe
Val (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Mike (Nicholas Pinnock) tour the English countryside in their camper van. But this is not a holiday and the world outside is not OK.
UK 28m
The Doll’s House
Directed by Tim Rogg
It’s the end of dinner at Miriam’s house and having just inherited a doll’s house from her mother, she’d like the answer to one simple question before her four adult children leave the table: which one of them will give her a grandchild and inherit the family heirloom?
UK 15m
Cya
Directed by Alice The G00n
This new music video from rhythm & dance artist alice the g00n delivers an audio-visual experience akin to John Wick going all Lord of the Flies on corporate America.
USA 6m
Factory Drop
Directed by Petja Pulkrabek
In a bleak future in the year 2118, a gigantic skyscraper called the Factory rises above the ruins of the old world. In the dark lower floors, forced laborers toil tirelessly to produce diamonds. Emotions and contact are strictly forbidden. Germany 15m London Premiere
Gillyfish
Directed by Sarah Sellman
When GILLIAN takes on her partner’s identity to confront their father, she finds a connection she didn’t expect in the strange exchange she has with him. A short about healing by proxy, and stepping into new identities.
Ireland 11m
Hard Times
Directed by Elliott Gonzo, Elliot Warren
Danny, is a man grappling with the challenges of fatherhood under the strain of the cost of living crisis.
UK 19m
WEDS 26 MARCH
Brilliant & Brief (15) 7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13
Food and bar available.
Croydon Cowgirl
Directed by Phoebe Barran
A bold, upbeat, female-driven romantic drama, set in and around the coastal town of Barry, South Wales. A resonant story about immigration, class, true friendship and the power of love.
UK 15m World Premiere
Croydon Cowgirl
World Premiere
Screening Room
Directed by Abdullah Khan
A young screenwriter searching for inspiration meets a mysterious woman, and the two bond over their shared love of cinema.
UK 17m
Primacy
Directed by Jos Man
Robert Preston and Julia Desmond struggle against Arion’s logic, the Artificial Intelligence in charge of the most advance military computer system, developed to help them achieve their targets following the most efficient way.
Spain 20m
Kind Mother
Directed by
Clare O’Connor
An estranged mother arrives at the silent retreat that her daughter is attending. When the two women engage in an unusual - and fantastical - power struggle, limits are tested, generational trauma is brought to light, and together they must grapple with mortality and forgiveness.
USA 15m European Premiere
Space Plug
Directed by Marcus Anthony Thomas
In the middle of space, a baby human is raised in a blank white room with everything that they need but nothing they want.
UK 14m
Travel Socks
Directed by Tess Annan, Joseph Madden
As the world shuts down due to COVID, Orla (‘Socks’) decides to leave Belfast and travel across the Irish Sea for access to a safe abortion.
‘Travel Socks’ follows this spirited young woman on her journey, as she overcomes numerous obstacles in her path - whilst attempting to keep the truth from her overbearing yet loving family.
UK 19m
Death!
Directed by Matthew B.C. Death! follows the story of death-obsessed Marianne. But sometimes it’s not a convenient moment to think about death. Sometimes you’re trying to eat hummus. Sometimes you’re at the Dental Hygienist. But sometimes the intrusive thoughts intrude just a little too far.
UK 6m
Space Plug
Travel Socks
Finger Food
Directed by Jacob
Dudman
Jason desperately wants to be liked by his girlfriend’s parents. Things prove more difficult upon a horrifying discovery... Sci-Fi comedy starring Ali Khan (Halo, A Haunting in Venice), Debbie Chazen (The Last Kingdom, Doctor Who), Angus Barnett (Pirates of the Caribbean, Lorenzo’s Oil) and Maggie Ollerenshaw (Open All Hours, War Horse).
UK 13m
Finger
FRI 28 MARCH
Super Short Shorts (15)
7:30PM Picturehouse West Norwood SE27 9JU £13.50. Food and bar available.
Resaca
Directed by Joe Borg
Ryan is using alcohol to distract himself from his new sense of loss. Two years after losing her son, Ana is still very much living in her grief and seeking connection.
UK 11m London Premiere
The Bunker
Directed by Ian Killick
On the brink of nuclear destruction, a mother must make an impossible decision to protect her children.
UK 7m London Premiere
One Punch
Directed by
Huse Monfaradi
A misguided young prisoner confronts his overwhelming guilt when he is visited by the compassionate parents of the boy he killed.
UK 11m London Premiere
Whistle
Directed by Ainsley James Cannon
Ashort, surreal comedy-horror film. A glimpse inside the working of a neurodiverse brain trying to cope with life.
UK 8m World Premiere
The
RedRoom
Directed by Sophie Cohen, Michael Lindsay
We open this tale with the sight of a bloodied, handsome well-to-do man, staggering around East London. We close the film enjoying the rare glimpse into the everyday backstage camaraderie of women who strip for a living.
UK 9m
Diskoteka
Avariya — Well, What Are You
Directed by Evgeny Bystrov
In modern Russia, the Post-Soviet 90s have recently become, for some reason, a symbol of the impassable darkness into which the country has descended.
Russian Federation 7m
Well, What Are You
London Premiere
London Premiere
World Premiere
Whistle
House Hunters
Directed by Joe Warner House hunters paints a twisted picture of an all-too-believable future, where prospective tenants are prepared to go to just about any lengths to secure a place to call home. In this festering world, the scarcity of houses has created a market where money alone is no longer enough. Landlords rule, and one particularly blood-thirsty Estate Agent will not give up until she makes that commission –whatever the cost…
UK 11m
It’s All Gravy
Directed by Chris Kyriacou
A journey through Nas’s battles with depression and anxiety, ‘It’s All Gravy’ underscores the crucial roles of seeking help and human connection in healing mental health struggles.
UK 9m UK Premiere
Us & In Between
Directed by Katia Shannon
Two long-lost lovers in their 80s, Agnes and Eddie, reignite their flame against all odds with hilarious and touching consequences.
UK 16m
UK Premiere
House Hunters
Who Wants To Be Me?
Directed by Josh Harper, Pip Barclay
When Sam discovers he’s won this week’s lottery, he thinks he’s got it all— money, a loving wife, and a perfect family. But sometimes life has a funny way of not playing ball, as Sam’s unlikely win catapults him into a whirlwind of unexpected chaos and hilarious misfortune in this heartwarming tragicomedy.
UK 10m
Boys Like You
Directed by Paul Holbrook
SAT 29 MARCH
Awards & Comedy (18)
7PM, Stanley Arts SE25 6AB £35. Complimentary glass of bubbles, fab food/desserts all night! We are thrilled to have Kerry Godliman return to CPIFF - one of the biggest names in British comedy. 160 million views in ‘After Life’
Dog Person
Directed by Harry Carr Lucy is upset when her new boyfriend, Simon, proposes that they have an open relationship. At home, Buddy, her dog, comforts her. She wishes he was human; he would make the perfect boyfriend.
UK 9m
The CPIFF Awards & Comedy Night
The Nun Slayer
Directed by Ben Bovington-Key
After 30 years of ‘false imprisonment’ Donald Peartree had been living his dream as a globally notorious and feared serial killer. Now, with new evidence proving his innocence he is being released and must face the fact he has been living a lie.
UK 12m
Just be Awesome
Directed by Ed Kear, Cringo Williamson
With spiralling debts and a partner at the end of her tether, Alex, a mid 40s freelancer, desperately needs some work. A golden opportunity at an absurdly trendy agency offers a way out. But he’s going to have to play their game if he wants to land the role.
UK 14m
Teen Mary
Directed by Ali Rosenthal
In Ancient Nazareth in the year Zero, a pregnant teenage girl (MARY) and her gay best friend (JOSEPH) must hatch a plan to save their lives when they discover they might get stoned to death for their sexual “sins”. Their plan? They’ll convince everyone that GOD made Mary pregnant... with the new Messiah.
USA 20m European Premiere
Whippy
Directed by James Rooke Rivalry, greed… and calippos. A messy turf war has erupted between warring ice cream firms in 1980s Glasgow after one rogue vendor is caught crossing county lines.
UK 5m
Whippy
Dog Person
We would like to say a very special thanks to Lucy & James at Martin and Co Crystal Palace for their continued support over 10 years! All the businesses that advertise in the programme each year. Lambeth & Croydon councils and all the train stations for allowing us to put up posters and to our fantastic volunteers who work so hard. Big thanks to all the filmmakers who submitted we are so impressed every year. We simply couldn’t do it without any of you. Especially you, the public, for attending. Hope you loved it. Keep smiling!
