The Cambridge Film Festival (CFF) returns this autumn for its 45th edition, marking a milestone year with 11 days of international cinema, British filmmaking, family favourites and films from some of the most distinctive directors working today.
Running from 22 October to 1 November, the 2026 festival will showcase almost 100 titles from more than 25 countries. The itinerary includes scores of UK premieres, alongside European and world debuts. Meanwhile, over 50% of the line-up is female-directed, marked with the festival’s signature F-Rating, championing women filmmakers.
See Cannes Festival prize winner The Dreamed Adventure
Among the highlights is Cannes Festival prize winner The Dreamed Adventure by Valeska Grisebach (pictured above). Set in the Bulgarian border town of Svilengrad, it follows archaeologist Veska as an attempt to help an old acquaintance whose car has been stolen draws her into criminal networks.
From Britain comes I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, directed by Clio Barnard and adapted by Enda Walsh from Keiran Goddard’s novel. Five childhood friends from the same Birmingham estate approach 30 and find themselves confronting the distance between the futures they imagined and the lives they are now living.
I Love Boosters, Boots Riley’s second feature, brings a very different energy. The director of Sorry to Bother You turns his attention to a crew of professional shoplifters targeting a ruthless fashion figure, with Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter and Demi Moore among its ensemble cast.
Then there’s The Debut, the third feature written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, starring Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey and Bernadette Peters. The film follows a shy woman unexpectedly cast in a local production of a musical. Under the influence of its strong-willed director, she becomes increasingly absorbed in the role and the world of the theatre company.
Exploring youth rebellion, culture and self-expression on screen
CFF45 is also part of Rip It Up, the BFI Film Audience Network’s UK-wide 2026 season exploring youth rebellion, culture and self-expression on screen over the past 75 years. The Cambridge programme includes Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha’s coming- of-age comedy starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley; Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, about a teenager trying to keep herself and her younger brother together after their mother disappears; and 24 Hour Party People, Michael Winterbottom’s exuberant account of the Manchester music scene.
Plus, Cambridge Family Film Festival returns with Wicked, Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Little Women (1994).
Featuring films, Q&As, special events and opportunities for emerging talent, the full CFF45 programme and ticket information will be revealed on 30 September at camfilmfest.com
Lead image: © KOMPLIZEN FILM / BERNHARD KELLER