New Cross and Deptford free film festival opens Friday
Ten days of completely free film screenings start on Friday 24 April.
The New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival runs from 24 April to 3 May 2026, with 21 free events over ten days at 18 different venues across SE8 and SE14.
The festival opens with comedy classic Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion followed by a school disco.
Festival events range from short film nights at Art Hub and Acme Studios, showcasing locally made films, to an outdoor, bike-powered screening of School of Rock in Telegraph Hill Upper Park that wraps up the festival on Sunday 3 May.
Screening for families include Brother Bear at Creekside Discovery Centre, Flow at The Bear in Deptfor and Zootropolis 2 at The Somerville in New Cross.
David Byrne’s True Stories, a visit to the fictional Texas town of Virgil with Talking Heads soundtrack, will be screened at the Piehouse Coop, pie and mash will be available.
1990s films include The Piano by director Jane Campion and Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave, showing on consecutive nights at Villages Taproom.
The Brookmill pub will screen the classic Ken Loach movie My Name is Joe, and there’s the chance to see Parker Posy in Party Girl at New Cross Learning.
A number of the screenings are part of themed events: a sparring demo at the Double Jab Boxing Club followed by a showing of When We Were Kings at Goldsmiths Cinema; a showing of Beats will be followed by a DJ night at AAJA, and a screening of Almost Famous at Deptford Junction is part of an evening with live bands.
Paul Verhoeven’s divisive cult classic Showgirls (18-certificate) is showing at Little Nans.
Other films include Untouchable, Buena Vista Social Club: Adios, Kinky Boots, The Hundred Foot Journey, plus the premier of new short film Garment of Praise about the "community closet" clothing exchange at Telegraph Hill.
It's all free, although donations are welcomed.
Find full listings here or download the festival programme or insta @nxdfff
This year's festival is funded by Lewisham Council through NCIL funding.
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