MADE IN EAST ANGLIA FESTIVAL

LADY

This offbeat comedy was shot on location at Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk.

A lonely, narcissistic aristocrat who dupes a struggling, opportunistic director into filming her every move. But her obsession with the spotlight takes a surreal turn when she starts becoming… invisible. Blending mockumentary and magical realism, Lady satirises our desperate need to feel seen.

Thu 20 Aug 17:30

Fire Over Shingle Street + We Fought Them in Gunboats

Fire Over Shingle Street
Fact, Fiction, or Propaganda?
A new documentary by Suffolk-based filmmaker Tim Curtis delves into one of Britain’s most persistent Second World War mysteries, asking: Has this enduring enigma been fully accounted for, or are there still unanswered questions?

We Fought Them in Gunboats
Felixstowe’s pivotal role in the protection of coastal convoys during the Second World War is highlighted in a new short film, We Fought them in Gunboats, based on the memoirs of war hero Robert Hichens who was killed in action in 1943.

Sat 22 Aug 14:00

The Deben Double: The Deben Valley + Life on the Deben

The Deben Valley
A rare outing for a late sixties black and white Suffolk film ‘gem’. A charming exploration of the river and the people who live by its banks, presented by the BBC’s Robert Dougall and his wife. The only surviving copy of the film was nearly lost forever, but rescued from obscurity by Leiston movie collector James Cecil. (Preceded by a short intro film about James Cecil and his amazing film collection)

Life on the Deben
Is a lyrical journey along one of Suffolk’s most beautiful and storied rivers. Presented by John McCarthy, the film drifts from the river’s sources near Debenham to Woodbridge and on to the North sea at Felixstowe, uncovering tales of landscape, heritage, and the people shaped by the waterway. With stunning cinematography, evocative music, and a deep sense of place, it’s both a love letter to the Deben and a thought-provoking film that leaves you seeing the river and the county in a whole new light.

Sat 22 Aug 19:30

Akenfield

With an introduction from Pat Church

Tom (Garrow Shand) is a young farmer who lives in Akenfield, a small village in England. In 1974, Tom attends his grandfather’s funeral and finds himself questioning his oppressive family history and his role within it. Will he, like his grandfather and father before him, never escape the secure but dreary existence that farming life in Akenfield holds in store for him? Or will he take a chance and venture out into the world beyond and possibly suffer as a consequence?

Sun 23 Aug 13:00

LIFE SUPPORT

This showing is in partnership with Amnesty International Bury St Edmunds Group.
All profits from this showing will be donated to charity.

Since October 2023, Gaza has been sealed from the world-except for one group, international doctors. While global media are barred from reporting and governments look away, doctors breach the blockade and what they find is not just a humanitarian crisis, but a calculated dismantling of life itself.

Covering the entire two years of the genocide, their firsthand accounts and visceral footage offer a rare and vital chronicle of the daily struggles of healthcare workers as they navigate bombed-out hospitals, dwindling supplies, starvation and the overwhelming influx of casualties— predominantly women and children.

Tue 25 Aug 20:00

Parent & Child Story Writing

Join BAFTA-accredited screenwriter and workshop leader Freya Bennett in a fun-packed workshop where you and your child will write your very own story!

Covering basics of narrative building and character creation, the session will allow parents and/or guardians to work collaboratively with their child and set their imaginations loose. A fun yet relaxed workshop, participants will leave with a sense of achievement and creatively energised. Book now as spaces are limited!

This will be followed by a showing of Paddington (2014)

Note: for just £20 you can book both the workshop and a ticket to the Paddington screening happening later in the afternoon.
Put a single Parent & Child Story Writing ticket and two Paddington tickets in the cart together to apply your discount at checkout.

Fri 28 Aug 14:30

PADDINGTON

Arriving in London from his native Peru with a ‘Please Look After This Bear’ label around his neck, our bewildered ursine friend is fortunately taken in by kindly Mr and Mrs Brown (Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins). Voiced by Ben Whishaw, and named after the railway station he arrived at, Paddington embarks on a series of bemused adventures as he searches for one of his Aunt Lucy’s (Imelda Staunton) friends and finds himself dodging a malicious taxidermist with an unnatural aversion to bears (Nicole Kidman). This charming amalgam of CGI, animatronics and live action will delight fans old and new of the perennially popular children’s books by Michael Bond.

Fri 28 Aug 17:00

EX_MACHINA

This film will be accompanied by a talk from University of Cambridge’s Dr Tom McClelland, a lecturer in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science.

An intense psychological thriller, from acclaimed writer/director Alex Garland, Ex_Machina is a chilling vision of the not-too-distant future of artificial intelligence. In the mountain retreat of a gifted internet billionaire, a young man takes part in a strange experiment: testing an artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl. But the experiment twists into a dark psychological battle – a love triangle, where loyalties are torn between man and machine.

Sat 29 Aug 19:30

Witchfinder General

With an introduction from Pat Church

Controversial upon its release, horror favourite Vincent Price is gloriously nasty in this cult classic as Matthew Hopkins, the notorious self-styled Witchfinder General, who leaves a trail of blood and torture in his wake as he travels East Anglia to cleanse it of the activities of ‘witches’.

Sun 30 Aug 13:00

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA

Filmed at several locations in East Anglia.

The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess’s newly inherited villa. In the meanwhile, a film is shot at Downton under Lady Mary’s supervision.

Sun 30 Aug 16:00

Suffolk Shorts at Abbeygate

For the first time, Suffolk Shorts Film Festival is screening short films from East Anglia at Abbeygate as part of this special event.

Suffolk Shorts is dedicated to bringing short films to a new audience in Suffolk and this diverse programme will showcase some of the region’s best talent from their 2025 festival.

You can expect to see stories that celebrate the region; animation, a ’Straight 8’ film made entirely in camera, dark comedy, music and the tale of a charity shop with a very persuasive sales technique…

Tue 01 Sep 20:00

ONCE UPON A TIME IN SUFFOLK

This collaborative project between local writers and filmmakers was independently crowdfunded, and contains an anthology of nine short stories inspired by many of Suffolk’s mysterious folklore legends.

Once Upon a Time in Suffolk is an anthology of nine new stories based on and inspired by classic fairy tales and Suffolk legends, produced by the cream of the region’s creative talents. From Red Riding Hood in Lowestoft to Rapunzel in Dedham Vale, these magical yarns are sometimes funny, sometimes dark, always heartfelt.  

The tales are introduced by celebrated storyteller and local legend John Row:

“Stories are the beating heart of Suffolk. They live in the echo of footsteps through old churches, in the salt wind that rattles the windows of seaside cottages. Tales of kindness and folly, of love and loss, of courage and consequence. 

Stories bind us, across time, over land and sea. They make us belong, to each other, and to the places we carry in memory. Listen closely and they’ll give you pause for thought… you might even find yourself seeing things differently. 

Now then… shall we begin?” 

The 17:45 showing will be followed by a live Q&A with with the film’s Producers!

Fri 04 Sep 17:45

Fri 04 Sep 20:30

HISTORY OF CINEMA TALK with Pat Church

Learn the history of Abbeygate Cinema from our very own Pat Church, who has worked in cinema for almost 60 years. An intimate story and anecdotes of life at Abbeygate, followed by a Q&A.

Approx. 2 hours.

Sat 05 Sep 14:00