The Final Film Festival Announces Four Days of Independent Cinema

London’s festival calendar is about to welcome a new arrival with ambitions that stretch well beyond the traditional premiere circuit. Blending international discoveries, cult favourites, repertory gems and emerging filmmaking talent, The Final Film Festival has unveiled the complete programme for its first edition, promising four days of screenings that span everything from underground oddities to world premieres across some of the capital’s best-known independent cinemas.

Running from 6 to 9 August, the inaugural event will take place across venues including Curzon Soho, the ICA, Genesis Cinema, The Castle Cinema, Peckhamplex and The Nickel Cinema, alongside several additional locations. Founded by independent film programmers Jack Hewitt and Kit Ramsay, the festival aims to create a new platform for films that often struggle to find a London showcase despite building acclaim on the international festival circuit.

Opening proceedings is the previously announced Perfumania, Charlotte Ercoli’s freewheeling comedy, while the festival closes with the 1978 shock documentary Faces of Death, presented as the world premiere of a newly restored version. The screening will be introduced by filmmaker Daniel Goldhaber.

Among the headline attractions is an eight-film competition dedicated to emerging directors, featuring world and UK premieres screening exclusively at The Nickel Cinema. The selection includes William North’s National Sport, Oliver James Hunt’s Eramus, Jinho Myung’s Softshell, Orla Smith’s Plane Film and Owen Vince’s Belief Is Not Without Pathos, alongside works from João Pedro Faro, Alexia Walther and Maxime Matray, and Luke Olutunmogun.

Elsewhere, the out-of-competition strand brings a selection of international independent features making their UK debut, including Patrick Wang’s A. Rimbaud, Amanda Kramer’s Imaginal Disk, Xander Robin’s Python Hunt and Millicent Hailes’ Perfect.

Genre fans will also find plenty to explore within the repertory programme. Highlights include Michael J. Murphy’s The Hereafter, Johannes Roberts and James Eaves’ Hellbreeder, the cult curiosity Godmonster of Indian Flats, Donald W. Thompson’s Image of the Beast and Bill Gunn’s Personal Problems in a new restoration.

The festival also shines a spotlight on the work of the late Albert Pyun, with screenings of Nemesis, Radioactive Dreams, Alien from L.A. and the UK premiere of the director’s cut of Captain America. A separate collaboration with Radiance Films brings repertory presentations of White God, Black Death, Hi, Mom! and The Dancing Hawk.

Special events include Uwe Boll’s House of the Dead, followed by a late-night party hosted by Canal Club, Craig Dennehy’s The Astrologer presented with a Tarot event, and Oscar Micheaux’s Body and Soul, accompanied by a live score from SECT. The programme is rounded out by a showcase of experimental and independent short films alongside a dedicated selection celebrating music video director Richard Heslop’s work between 1984 and 1992.

Speaking about the festival’s origins, co-founder Kit Ramsay said the event had emerged to fill what he believes is a gap in London’s cinema culture, bringing together repertory discoveries, independent premieres and alternative film programming under one banner. Fellow founder Jack Hewitt added that the festival was created to provide a stronger route for acclaimed independent films from festivals including Tribeca, Rotterdam, Locarno and SXSW to reach London audiences.

The Final Film Festival takes place across London from 6 to 9 August. The full programme and ticket information are available now at tfffestival.co.uk.