FIVE PHENOMENAL YEARS!

This year marks a significant milestone for Kingston International Film Festival as we celebrate our fifth anniversary.

The incredible hard work of our team, combined with the steadfast support of the Royal Borough of Kingston, our partners, the Rose Theatre, filmmakers, and the wider Kingston community, has helped us reach this achievement. It is a landmark year and one we could only dream about when we first began this journey.

Over the past five years, KIFF has gone from strength to strength, with audience numbers growing dramatically this year’s admissions were up by 67% on 2025.

This year saw a rise in submissions and, more importantly, an exceptional standard of filmmaking. The quality and diversity of entries demonstrate that filmmakers worldwide are becoming increasingly aware of KIFF and are eager to showcase their work at the festival.

We screened 99 films this year and were especially proud to host the world premiere of 25 Miles to Normal, with director Josh Brandon choosing KIFF for the film’s debut. Starring Rachel Nichols, Bruce Davison, Ed Begley Jr., and Michelle Hurd, the film was a highlight of the festival programme. We were delighted to welcome both Josh Brandon and Michelle Hurd, who joined us for a fascinating and insightful Q&A session.

We were also thrilled to launch Pride Month in Kingston with Being Seen, a special programme celebrating LGBTQ+ storytelling through a collection of outstanding short films. The evening opened with a fantastic performance from local dance group UNAPOLOGETIC, setting the tone for what proved to be a vibrant, inspiring, and memorable event.