PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 LINE-UP FOR SECOND EDITION

PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 LINE-UP FOR SECOND EDITION

- Features include a preview of WASTEMAN, Akinola Davies Jr.’s MY FATHER’S SHADOW and gala screening of PALESTINE COMEDY CLUB -

- Akinola Davies Jr. joins PictureEast: Creative Connections Panel -

- Free film festival, led by The New Black Film Collective, showcases powerful films, local voices and creative talent across East London -

LONDON, January 2026: The New Black Film Collective (TNBFC) has unveiled the full line-up for its second edition of the PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL (PEFF), which takes place in East London, showcasing local and world cinema.  

From 20 January to 1 February 2026, PictureEast returns as a free dynamic festival fortnight of 20+ feature films, short film showcases and panel discussions championing the stories from East London and around the world. Reigniting the power of cinema in the community, PictureEast is co-curated with Newham and Barking & Dagenham residents to help rebuild local cinematic culture and create a true ‘people’s festival’. Developed in response to local cinema closures, the festival restores the shared joy of the big screen while also amplifying underrepresented communities and local voices. Its programme explores the legacy of lost cinemas, East London’s film studios and locations, the connection between art and craft, and community cohesion through a series of cultural events. The programme includes topical subjects in films such as LONDON BOYS, MOTHER VERA and BLUE HAS NO BORDERS, which address themes of detention, deportation and displacement to counter the rise of far-right rhetoric and instead instil a sense of belonging, while retaining a spirit of warmth and accessibility through family-friendly screenings, children’s films, live comedy and events that amplify underrepresented communities and local voices. Films shot locally include LONDON BOYS and PALESTINE COMEDY CLUB, which were partially filmed in the neighbouring borough of Tower Hamlets. The festival is inclusive, featuring captioned screenings. PEFF is supported by Film London's Spotlight programme.

PEFF takes place across multiple venues including Everyman Stratford International, Vue Dagenham, Stratford Library, Discover Children's Story Centre, Good Hotel, UCL East, The Source, A House For Artists, Women’s Museum, The Boathouse Studios, The Wilds and The Tate Institute.

Directors whose films are featured include Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor (DREAMERS), Maia Lekow (HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY), Akinola Davies Jnr (MY FATHER’S SHADOW), Neeraj Ghaywan (HOMEBOUND), Shoshannah Stern (MARLEE MATLIN – NOT ALONE ANYMORE), Kirk Jones (I SWEAR), Daisy-May Hudson (LOLLIPOP), Claude Barras (SAVAGES), Boris Lojkine (SOULEYMANE’S STORY).

Revealing a selection of film previews, trailblazing stories from emerging and established global filmmakers, and panel discussions co-led with local voices, the 2026 edition includes:

• Opening Film: WASTEMAN preview and panel
• PictureEast: Creative Connections: Young Programmers Shorts + Networking
• MARLEE MATLIN – NOT ALONE ANYMORE and Q&A
• HOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY and panel
• LONDON BOYS and Q&A with director Laura Pavone
• THE BAD GUYS 2 and family activity
• GABBY’S DOLLHOUSE: THE MOVIE
• URCHIN and Q&A
• SOULEYMANE’S STORY and Q&A
• SAVAGES and Q&A
• THE STAND and Q&A
• I SWEAR and Q&A
• MY FATHER’S SHADOW preview and panel
• LOLLIPOP and Q&A
• HOMEBOUND and Q&A
• BLUE HAS NO BORDERS and Q&A with director Jessi Gutch
• FINDING OPTEL
• Young Programmers Shorts Showcase and Q&A
• NE ZHA 2 and activity
• NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE
• SHORTS – UNCOMMON VOICES and Q&A
• PictureEast Film Festival x One Room local creatives showcase, panel, networking and DJ night
• MOTHER VERA and Q&A with director Cécile Embleton
• DREAMERS and Q&A

• Closing Film: PALESTINE COMEDY CLUB preview and live comedy

Throughout the full duration of the festival, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy daily screenings, talks, and events. Speakers confirmed include Joelle Mae David of East London based BlueBird Pictures, documentary filmmakers Cécile Embleton and Jessi Gutch as well as Barking & Dagenham filmmakers Tyra Chuck, Jaha Browne and Timi Akindele-Ajani and Newham’s King Simpson. MY FATHER’S SHADOW director Akinola Davies Jr. will join a panel as part of the PictureEast: Creative Connections event, ahead of the film’s UK opening in cinemas on February 6^th, distributed by MUBI.

Priscilla Igwe, Founder and CEO of The New Black Film Collective, said: “PictureEast was created to put cinema back at the heart of our communities and provide a supportive base for creatives. At a time when local screens are disappearing and divisions are growing louder, PEFF brings people together through a powerful line-up of bold, joyful and challenging stories. From Newham-born talent David Jonsson leading our opening night film WASTEMAN, to DREAMERS by East London–raised director Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, alongside outstanding work from global filmmakers, the festival reflects East London’s creativity, resilience and global outlook, while our short film showcases, panels and networking events create space for marginalised creatives to connect, shine and thrive.”

Moira McVean, Spotlight Project Manager, Film London, added: “Film London is thrilled to be supporting the second edition of the PictureEast Film Festival and that with the additional support of Film Barking & Dagenham, the festival is expanding to Barking & Dagenham, home to world class film studios but only one cinema. Through the BFI and National Lottery funded Spotlight project, Film London has championed the development of hyper local community cinemas across both boroughs. The festival is a wonderful way of bringing all of the community exhibitors together in what we believe will be a joyful and impactful experience for the residents of Newham and Barking & Dagenham.”

The PictureEast Film Festival Steering Group is made up of passionate individuals who live, work or play in Newham and have helped shape the festival’s programming, delivery and identity. Supported by The New Black Film Collective and Film London, the group brought lived experience, cultural insight and creative ideas, ensuring PictureEast is an authentic celebration of film rooted in the community it represents.

The return of PictureEast Film Festival for its second year marks another milestone in The New Black Film Collective’s mission to broaden its scope in welcoming suppressed voices and becoming a safe haven within an increasingly hostile environment in time of EDI rollbacks and backlash.

Founded in 2013 following a Film London leadership programme, The New Black Film Collective (TNBFC) exists to cultivate a vibrant Black ecosystem across the UK screen industries - connecting every stage of the creative pipeline from talent to exhibition. Through its flagship initiatives PictureEast, TNB BHM (Black History Month) and TNB XPO, alongside strategic partnerships with organisations like BFI, Film London, Warner Bros. Discovery, Film and TV Charity, FDA and Channel 4, TNBFC continues to champion Black-led production, distribution, and preservation of Black film and television. More than a network, TNBFC is a movement - building visibility, resilience, and opportunity for Black creatives, while setting new standards for how inclusion and industry transformation can truly work hand in hand.

PictureEast Film Festival takes place from 20 – 25 January 2026 in Newham, East London and from 28 January – 1 February in Barking & Dagenham, East London.

Tickets are free and available to book HERE and:

Newham: PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL 2026 (NEWHAM) | Eventbrite

Barking & Dagenham: PICTUREEAST FILM FESTIVAL 2026 (BARKING & DAGENHAM) | Eventbrite 

For more information, please visit https://www.tnbfc.co.uk/peff26