The Tyne Valley Film Festival is a celebration of our community through film. It takes place every year in March and it is a festival for everyone. We recognise that not everyone can get to the cinema, especially in winter. We live in the most isolated county in England with long distances between people and low-density public transport. So how do people access shared experiences of culture? Well, we take it to them!
We bring a glorious mix of films into the Tyne Valley and take them into villages and towns up and down the region from Tarset to Newcastle. The festival focuses on independent films, films that reflect local life in the north-east and creations by emerging filmmakers. We work with 15 or more film clubs to make sure as many people as possible can enjoy the experience of sharing a film.
The Tyne Valley Film Festival is the only festival of culture that joins together all these different places in one event. Additionally, it showcases various heritage buildings in the area such as Hexham Abbey in which we have shown such classics as; Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo
and Juliet’ and it also brings into prominence buildings such as St Andrew’s Cemetery Chapel and Hexham Moot Hall which are unique and historic places to watch films. In 2026 we showed the environmental film ‘Arctic Tale’ in Hexham Community Centre and ‘Poised’ about Steven France’s mission to help marginalised young adults in Sunderland. During TVFF 2026 we showed 7 preview films, giving audiences a chance to view pictures before general cinematic release. In 2025 we showed the UK premiere of the Swiss family drama ‘The Courageous’. Red carpet events indeed!
The cinema is the beating heart of the event, and as well as hosting screenings throughout, the festival opens and closes there each year with sumptuous events featuring local artists, performances, food and drinks galore, and of course a film. We close with events especially selected to end the festival on a high note such as, ‘The People’s Joker’ hosted by drag artist Sweet Boy in 2025 and ‘Rose of Nevada’ hosted by The Keelers, the UK’s longest performing sea shanty group in 2026, we had chips from the chippy too – just like a time-travelling day at the seaside, all that was missing was the seagulls (thank goodness!).
We like to make a celebration of each film during the festival. We can’t resist a party. So, for any festival screening there is likely to be something a bit exciting attached: a murder mystery trail, pudding eating, cheese tasting or sweary bingo. For something a bit more cultural we work with musicians such as Labyrinthine Oceans, Melanie Baker and Hexham Brass Band. Film directors pop in and animation artists such as Sheila Graber who worked on Paddington Bear in the 1980s, and Petra Szeman swing by as well. On a very memorable occasion Tarset packed out its village hall when Anne Cleeves rocked up.
The film festival has something for literally everyone with family friendly screenings, dementia friendly and relaxed screenings, 100-year-old films, preview films, premieres, emerging filmmakers debuts, grand gestures in Hexham Abbey, fond laughter in Hexham cemetery, dressing up in Allendale. Accessibility is gauged and recorded for each venue so you can select what works best for you.
Join us! If you are part of a film club who would like to get involved email clare@forumhexham.com. Or simply come along in March and enjoy our beautiful film festival.
