FEATURE FILMS
THE ICE TOWER
7:30 PM | MONDAY 17.11.25 | THE POLY
A hypnotic new fairytale from Lucile Hadžihalilović (Innocence, Evolution). In her most fantastical feature yet, The Ice Tower follows Jeanne (newcomer Clara Pacini), a teenager who escapes her secluded orphanage and slips onto the set of a lavish Snow Queen adaptation. There she encounters the film’s magnetic star Cristina (Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard), and together they embark on a spellbinding journey that drifts towards a chilling finale.
Dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović | 2025 | 1h 58m | French (with English subtitles) | Fantasy | CFF 18
Film gala followed by a Zoom Q&A
with the director.
THE THING
WITH FEATHERS
7:45 PM | SATURDAY 22.11.25 | THE POLY
After a tragic loss, a grieving father struggles to raise his young sons while confronting an unlikely, unpredictable houseguest — Crow, a chaotic figure who bursts from the pages of a book to peck at open wounds and guide them through grief in his own unsettling way. Director Dylan Southern brings striking visual poetry to this soulful exploration of loss, chaos and redemption. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a mesmerising performance in the highly anticipated screen adaptation of Max Porter’s award-winning novel Grief Is the Thing with Feathers — a haunting meditation on love, mourning and the strange beauty of survival.
The Thing With Feathers | Dir Dylan Southern | 2025 | 1h 44 mins | Drama | 12A
Film premiere | LIVE Q&A
​
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
2:30 PM | SATURDAY 22.11.25 | THE POLY
The incomparable Jafar Panahi returns with his Palme d’Or winner, an uproarious revenge story with a bitter sting. Haunted by his imprisonment by Iranian authorities, Vahid impulsively kidnaps a man he believes was one of his captors. As doubt over the man’s identity grows, he enlists a motley crew of fellow traumatised ex-prisoners. What follows is a darkly comic, extraordinary road trip through Tehran that is equal parts nail-biting thriller and madcap farce.
Dir. Jafar Panahi | 2025 | 1h 43h | Persian (with English subtitles) | Drama, Thriller | CFF15
Film premiere | Award Winner |
WINNER OF THE PALME D'OR 2025
SHORTS
THE BEST
SHORT FILMS
THE POLY
The Short Film Competition comprises the lineup of short films across seven competitive sections from local, national and international filmmaking talent. It features the most innovative and adventurous ideas from filmmakers whose short films demonstrate distinctive and genuine storytelling, stylistic boldness, strength of form, and the ambition to use the medium in a way that resists cliché
Dir. Various | 2025 | 20 mins | UK, National, International
Film premiere | Award Winners
INDUSTRY FOCUS 2025: PRODUCING
INDUSTRY
EXPLORING THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SCREEN PRODUCTION
At Cornwall Film Festival 2025, our annual Industry Focus shines a spotlight on the vital and often misunderstood role of the Producer. Whether you're working in short films, feature narratives, factual TV, or digital platforms, producing sits at the heart of the screen industry. ​ This year’s focus explores all facets of producing—from development and financing, to production logistics, distribution strategy, and creative leadership. Through talks, panels, roundtables, and networking, we’ll be lifting the curtain on what it really takes to get a story from script to screen.
STORIES FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD -
OUR FUNDERS & PARTNERS
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