The Ashford Cinema,
Elwick Rd, Ashford TN23 1AE
Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March 2026
Welcome!
Kent on Film is a two-day celebration of filmmaking in, about and inspired by the county. Presented as part of Screen Ashford, the programme showcases the breadth of Kentish screen culture, from experimental shorts to contemporary features, community documentaries to a landmark British classic.
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Across the weekend, audiences can discover stories rooted in Kent’s coastlines, towns and rivers. Highlights include Peter Greenaway’s The Draughtsman’s Contract, filmed at Groombridge Place near Tunbridge Wells, Sam Mendes’ Margate-set Empire of Light, Jessi Gutch’s group portrait of Folkestone lives Blue Has No Borders, and Harry Lighton’s BAFTA-nominated Pillion, shot across multiple Kent locations.
Two curated shorts programmes place emerging filmmakers at the festive heart of the programme, presenting work that captures everyday life, creative communities and the county’s evolving cinematic identity. Seen together, these films map Kent as both a screen location and a place of lived experience – and a treasure map for discovering a rich array of talent.
Kent on Film is presented by Screen Ashford, a partnership between Screen South and Ashford Borough Council, with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
How to attend
You can buy a weekend pass and see everything on show, or buy tickets for individual screenings (including collections of shorts).
Tickets will be on sale from 2nd March
Programme
The Draughtsman’s Contract
Peter Greenaway's witty, stylised, erotic country house murder mystery. Newly remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive. Shown with The Golden Squacco Heron
Blue Has No Borders
A major new feature documentary about Folkestone, directed by local director Jessi Gutch. Shown with Eyes Turned Skyward
Empire Of Light
Luminous meditation on filmgoing and human connection, starring Olivia Coleman, Michael Ward and Colin Firth, with scenes shot at Dreamland and across Cliftonville and the shoreline. Shown with A Room By The Sea
Pillion
Harry Lighton’s BAFTA-nominated debut, a bold and darkly comic exploration of queer desire and subculture filmed across Kent locations including Bromley, Crockenhill and Sevenoaks. Shown with Ceremony
The Golden Squacco Heron
Two childhood friends search for the fabled Golden Squacco Heron, the reward to a treasure hunt unsolved for 29 years. Shown with The Draughtsman’s Contract
Eyes Turned Skyward
Eyes Turned Skyward chronicles the formation of The Dover and Folkestone Hang Gliding Club. Shown in a double bill with Blue Has No Borders
A Room By The Sea
A woman leads an isolated, but contented existence in her coastal apartment. She finds peace in the nuance of small details and takes time to reflect on her journals. Who is she? Shown with Empire Of Light
Ceremony
Ceremony is a semi-experimental short film, exploring the ways in which masculinity is ritualised. Shown with Pillion
Roots Will Remain
Inspired by the events which are tragically ongoing in Ukraine, this film tells the story of a determined sunflower making its journey toward the light.
Tank
A surreal trip into the internal struggles of a young woman experiencing long-term health issues.
11+
In 2002, two best friends, Louis and Jordan embark on what might be their final adventure together before heading off to different secondary schools.
Boxed Up
A wooden box that resurfaces decades later reconnects Glen with his childhood and the questions it left behind.
Swim Fever
Images of Barrelstout's (Bev Zalcock and Sara Chambers) female friends swimming in Kentish seas and beyond.
Notes from a Landscape
A lyrical documentary exploring Romney Marsh landscape through Winter.
Lovebirds
In a screen-obsessed world, Clive rediscovers a passion and makes an unexpected connection when he simply looks up from his phone.
Love & Bullets
When an agent screws up and a mission goes wrong, another operative is tasked with cleaning up the mess, only to find out the hard way that love and bullets don't mix.
Notification
In a world more globally linked than ever, this thrilling psychological drama explores the role of empathy, where the couple's social media consumptions, communities and world views differ drastically.
The Dreamers
An experimental film that draws on the imagery of the performance video, ‘Trapped: Elizabeth and Leo’, from the London Community Video Archive (LCVA), interwoven with original poetry and mixed with transformed archival footage.
Return To Water
At the Walpole Tidal Pool in Margate, a swimmer reflects on how water becomes a space for transformation and self-discovery.
Covenant With The River Medway
In early September 2025, Stephen Turner, Martin Booth and AD Taylor went out onto the water in two small craft to begin a dialogue with the river and with each other, about human relationships with tidal estuary waters.
Audry Lornacle Or 14 Days In DJ’s House
"So now I've landed here. A bump of flat land at the tip of England with the most beautiful and roundest pebbles in the world. They're called shingles here. A cottage full of memories and ghosts, perhaps."
True Love
A group of teenagers fall desperately in love with the same person. As their attempts to impress their crush and one-up each other get more and more dramatic, conflict is inevitable.
Small Hours
Struggling with alcohol addiction and mental illness, an artist reaches out to an old friend.
A Kiskadee Tale
Lonely teenager Vivi makes a wish to have a real friend. Her wish comes to life in an unexpected and magical way.
Ashford Community Drum Band: Rhythm Works
Ashford Community Drum Band CIC aims to share music for benefit of the Ashford community. This documentary presents the people, the music and the collective intention.
Somewhere in England
An original British musical promoting just one of the works of a mostly unknown and unrecognised late British composer, Gordon Caleb.
