Running Date: September 2026

Sheffield Film Festival is Showroom Cinema’s annual celebration of the city’s and the surrounding region’s film heritage, and wider film culture.

This year, the festival will focus on heritage and history, with a programme of new, archive, and classic film whilst showcasing the work of Sheffield-based filmmakers, archivists, academics and more.

The festival will be split into three main strands which highlight Sheffield’s legacy as a hub of cultural and political activity throughout the 20th and 21st century, with a particular focus on the general strike, youth culture, and music.

Protest!

2026 is the 100th anniversary of the UK’s only official and nationwide general strike. Yorkshire links were a significant aspect to the strike being implemented, with the impetus rooted in a long-running dispute between coal miners and colliery workers – in Sheffield alone 80,000 workers went on strike.

To mark the centenary, we have curated a strand of films based on the theme of protest featuring archive film, big-screen TV classics, and silent cinema.

Misshapes, Mistakes, Misfits: The Sound of Growing Up in the Steel City

The musical heritage of Sheffield is one of its greatest exports, with some of the biggest artists in the world hailing from the city. This strand of the festival will celebrate our place as a centre of musical expression and youth counterculture in the UK.

The title – taken from the Pulp song – speaks to the alternative, rebellious spirit associated with the city and its musical legacy; as a pioneering hub of electronic music, witty Brit pop lyricism, and 00s indie sleaze. We’ll be highlighting the work of these major artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Pulp alongside special events which celebrate the work being made by Sheffield youth today, and further influential musical history from across the country.

This strand is supported by the BFI as part of the BFI FAN UK-Wide Season, Rip It Up.

Sheffield Connection

It’s always a joy to see your hometown and its culture represented on the big screen. Each year at Sheffield Film Festival we endeavour to highlight the best of Sheffield in cinema, with sold-out screenings of big names such as Threads and When Saturday Comes with cast and crew, just a couple which have graced the stage of Sheffield Film Festival.

This year, we’re exploring more of Barry Hines work – this time, a Play For Today – alongside the 15th anniversary screening of Ben Wheatley’s Kill List, and a totally unique snooker film.