The 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival returns to nationally November 5th - December 7th with an exquisite program of films screening at Palace Cinemas and their affiliated sites.
Festival director Kim Petalas shares his TOP 5 PICKS with us...
This year's opening night film, set in Yorkshire, 1916, as World War I ravages the English countryside and strips small towns of their men, the local choral society faces near collapse. In a move borne of desperation, they turn to Dr. Guthrie (Festival favourite Ralph Fiennes), a formal and exacting choir master recently returned from Germany, to rebuild their singing ranks by recruiting adolescents in place of grown men at war. As Dr. Guthrie pushes these young voices toward a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, the teenagers wrestle with impending conscription, growing up in the shadow of loss, love, and national tension.
This year's closing night film, set in 1580 England. Impoverished Latin tutor William Shakespeare meets free-spirited Agnes, and the pair, captivated by one another, strike up a torrid affair that leads to marriage and three children. Yet as Will pursues a budding theater career in far-away London, Agnes anchors the domestic sphere alone. When tragedy strikes, the couple’s once-unshakable bond is tested, but their shared experience sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
From first-time feature director Ronan Day-Lewis comes Anemone, a haunting, resonant exploration of fractured kinship and the trauma that lingers across generations. Co-written with his father, Daniel Day-Lewis, who makes his return to the screen after an eight-year hiatus, this film is as much a personal reckoning as it is a dramatic revelation.
Bold, poignant, and infused with unexpected humor, I Swear tells the extraordinary story of John Davidson, a young man whose life takes a sharp turn in the 1980s when he begins to experience the sudden onset of Tourette syndrome. At a time when the condition was largely unrecognised and misunderstood, John’s world expands in ways that few could imagine. His unfiltered voice, once seen as disruptive, becomes a rallying point for understanding and change, carving out a space where honesty, individuality, and courage shine through.
Set against the sweeping highlands of Scotland, Glenrothan is a heartfelt drama about roots, reconciliation, and the ties that refuse to be broken. The story follows two estranged brothers who return to their hometown after years apart, each carrying the weight of old conflicts and unspoken regrets. Drawn back by the passing of their father, they find themselves not only confronting family history but also rediscovering the power of community in a place where tradition runs deep.