What’s On

Five lives, one city… the fate of a nation. From the metropolis of Khartoum five Sudanese characters: a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer, and two street boys all in search of freedom, have their stories unexpectedly woven together through animated dreams, street revolutions and a civil war. This autumn, audiences across the UK will have a rare chance to experience a landmark season of Sudanese cinema through Voices and Visions of Sudan – A Cinematic Reflection, a programme curated by Sudanese film curator Talal Afifi and presented by the Almas Art Foundation, Aya Films, and Maona Art. Bringing together films that span generations, genres, and geographies, the season highlights Sudan’s cultural life amid historic transformation, tracing the legacy of pioneering figures like Gadalla Gubara to urgent new works by contemporary filmmakers addressing revolution, displacement, and social upheaval. Together, these films reveal Sudanese cinema as a living archive that resists erasure, foregrounds oral memory and visual poetry, and offers alternative visions of community, identity, and futurity.

Two artists in Walthamstow set out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution. Inspired by lockdown mutual aid initiatives, artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to turn their street into an energy-generating powerhouse – a prototype for a new way of living, with the hope of galvanising a wider push towards sustainable alternatives. Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours and sleeping on the roof of their home, to raising finance and launching a bid for a Christmas number one single. By turns funny and heartwarming, Powell and Edelstyn’s film is a vibrant portrait of their local neighbourhood, and a charming testament to the power of art in changing minds about what could be possible.

Itto, a young woman from a modest rural background, is slowly adapting to the privileged codes of her husband’s Moroccan family. When supernatural events plunge the country into a state of emergency, Itto is separated from her husband and new in-laws. Alone, pregnant, and searching for a way back, she discovers her own emancipation.

During the 13th century, a small village fights for freedom in the frontier landscape of the Carpathian Mountains against Mongolian invaders.

A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.

Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

At 38, BAFTA award-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck found herself single, pregnant, and broke. Shot over 20 years, MOTHERBOARD is a celebration of messy lives, capturing the pain, joy and comedy of raising her son Jim alone.

Jeanne, a 15-year-old orphan, witnesses the shoot for a film adaptation of the fairy tale The Snow Queen, and she becomes fascinated by its star, Cristina, an actress who is just as mysterious and alluring as the Queen she is playing.

An unkind businessman is compelled by three ghosts to reflect on his life and to consider the needs of the people around him in this musical comedy adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol set in present-day London.

A choral society's male members enlist in World War I, leaving the demanding Dr. Guthrie to recruit teenagers. Together, they experience the joy of singing while the young boys grapple with their impending conscription into the army.

Niko is a flying reindeer boy whose biggest dream is to become a member of Santa's flying forces. But instead he loses Santa's sleigh and during pursuit to get it back he learns the importance of friendship and doing things your own way.

Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.