JANUARY       FEBRUARY     MARCH           APRIL

MAY              JUNE             JULY               AUGUST

SEPTEMBER    OCTOBER       NOVEMBER      DECEMBER

5th-15th Jan
FESTIVAL: Halloween Short Film Festival
Billed as the "edgiest film festival in the UK", this year's Halloween screenings include Destricted, examining the fine line between art and porn, and a Blaine Brothers retrospective.
Halloween site

From 12th Jan
FILM: Ghosts
Nick Broomfield moves away from his trademark documentaries for this docu-drama about the 21 Chinese cockle workers who drowned off Morecambe Bay in 2004.
Official site

From 12th Jan
FILM: The Last King Of Scotland
Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy star in Kevin Macdonald's acclaimed drama, about a young Scottish doctor and his relationship with Idi Amin in 70s Uganda.
Official site

18th-28th Jan
FESTIVAL: Sundance Film Festival
The world's premier indie festival, with the focus split between US and international features/shorts. Brit films on show this year include Ghosts and the documentaries How Is Your Fish Today?, Crossing The Line, and Julien Temple's The Future Is Unwritten, about Joe Strummer. Brits are well represented in the shorts section, with Tom Harper's Cubs, Daniel Mulloy's Dad and Matt Kirkby's Hard To Swallow among the pics on offer. The edgier Slamdance Festival takes place simultaneously, with Brit doc The Ballad Of AJ Weberman flying the flag.
Sundance site

24th Jan – 4th Feb
FESTIVAL: Rotterdam International Film Festival
Upcoming Dutch festival celebrating cinema's edgiest features and shorts.
Rotterdam site

From 26th Jan
FILM: The Lives Of The Saints
Photographer Rankin makes his feature debut, alongside Chris Cottam, in this ambitious and atmospheric North London-set thriller, starring David Leon and Bronson Webb.
Official site

From 26th Jan
FILM: Venus
Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips light up the screen in Roger Michell and Hanif Kureishi's second collaboration following 2003's The Mother.
Official site

26th Jan – 3rd Feb
FESTIVAL: Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
The French festival, now in its 29th year, presents shorts from around the world. Brit pics on offer include Gaelle Denis' After The Rain, Chris Shepherd's Silence Is Golden, and Nicola Mills' The Toughest Girl In The World.
Clermont-Ferrand site

From 2nd Feb
FILM: Notes On A Scandal
High-calibre adaptation of Zöe Heller's novel, with Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench facing off in the classroom. Richard Eyre directs from Patrick Marber's script.
Official site

8th–18th Feb
FESTIVAL: Berlin International Film Festival
The German festival celebrates its 57th birthday with the usual high quality selection. Shane Meadows' This Is England is just one of the Brit films on show.
BIFF site

From 9th Feb
FILM: Goal! 2
Second part of the populist Brit football trilogy, with the action relocating from Newcastle to Madrid.

From 9th Feb
FILM: Hannibal Rising
Peter Webber (Girl With A Pearl Earring) directs this Hannibal Lecter prequel, with Gaspard Ulliel starring as cinema's most (in)famous cannibal.
Official site

From 9th Feb
FILM: Back In Business
Martin Kemp, Chris Barrie and Dennis Waterman star in this family film about skullduggery in the Brit space race.
Official site

11th Feb
AWARDS: The BAFTAs
There's a new host (to be announced) and a new venue - London's Royal Opera House - for this year's BAFTAs. Brit talent such as Stephen Frears, Paul Greengrass, and Helen Mirren should feel confident about going home with more than just a goodie bag. This year's nominations are announced on Friday 12th January.
BAFTA site

14th-15th Feb
FESTIVALS: EAT OUR SHORTS
Two days of the best student shorts from across the UK, screening at the National Film Theatre in London.
Eat Our Shorts site

15th–25th Feb
FESTIVAL: Glasgow Film Festival
Gala screenings (including Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd and Woody Allen's Scoop) and a celebration of local cinema, including the Great Scots! strand showing Scottish films.
GFF site

From 16th Feb
FILM: Hot Fuzz
Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright's eagerly-awaited follow-up to Shaun Of The Dead is a policier pastiche. Nick Frost again stars alongside his Spaced cohort.
Official site

From 16th Feb
FILM: The Truth About Love
Dougray Scott, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jimi Mistry star in a romantic comedy by director John Hay. The film has been gathering dust for the past three years but is finally receiving a belated release.

16th–25th Feb
FESTIVAL: Dublin International Film Festival
Fifth year for the Irish film festival, showcasing both features and shorts from both Ireland and internationally.
DIFF site

25th Feb
AWARDS: The Oscars
The 79th annual Academy Awards will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, so at least they should be funny this year. Nominations are announced on 23rd January.
Oscars site

Opens Mar/Apr (date tbc)
FILM: The Gigolos
Sacha Tarter and Trevor Sather star in Richard Bracewell's directorial debut, about a group of gigolos at various stages of their careers. The classy cast includes Sîan Phillips, Susannah York and Anna Massey.
Official site

From 2nd Mar
FILM: The Good Night
Martin Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Danny DeVito star in this UK/US romantic comedy directed by Gwyneth's brother, Jake.

2nd–4th Mar
FESTIVAL: Images Of Black Women Film Festival
Shorts and features are on show in this celebration of African descent women on screen and behind the camera, at London's Tricycle Theatre.
IBW site

7th-11th Mar
FESTIVAL: Tampere International Short Film Festival
The 37th year for one of the world's coolest - in both senses - short film festivals (Tampere is in Finland).
Tampere site

9th–24th Mar
FESTIVAL: Bradford Film Festival
The 13th annual festival will "present an array of new and classic titles while celebrating the talents of the people who help make cinema great".
BFF site

From 9th Mar
FILM: Becoming Jane
Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy star in Julian (Kinky Boots) Jarrold's historical romance about the young Jane Austen.

From 9th Mar
FILM: Gone
Working Title's thriller is about a young Brit couple (Amelia Warner, Shaun Evans) who don't have a g'day whilst trekking through the Australian Outback.
Official site

From 9th Mar
FILM: Outlaw
Nick Love's follow-up to The Business is a controversy-seeking thriller about vigilantes. Sean Bean, Bob Hoskins and Danny Dyer star.
Official site

From 9th Mar
FILM: Popcorn
Jack Ryder and Jodi Albert star in this comedy set in a multiplex. The film is written and directed by Darren Paul Fisher.
Official site

From 23rd Mar
FILM: Amazing Grace
Director Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) returns to Britain for this biopic about anti-slave campaigner William Wilberforce. The cast includes Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney and Rufus Sewell. The script is by Stephen Knight (Dirty Pretty Things)
Official site

From 23rd Mar
FILM: Fast Food Nation
Richard Linklater's adaptation of Eric Schlosser's book puts the fast food industry under the microscope.
Official site

From 23rd Mar
FILM: Catch A Fire
Political thriller from Working Title, with Derek Luke starring as a blue collar worker resorting to violent action in Apartheid-era South Africa.
Official site

From 23rd Mar
FILM: I Want Candy
Any film with a tagline that starts "Two lads from Leatherhead are making a movie..." is OK by us. Tom Riley, Mackenzie Crook, and Carmen Electra star in this comedy by Stephen Surjik.
Official site

22nd Mar – 1st Apr
FESTIVAL: Belfast Film Festival
Northern Ireland's leading film festival is now in its seventh year and showcases features, shorts and documentaries.
BFF site

From 30th Mar
FILM: Mr Bean's Holiday
Another Working Title release, this one is a belated sequel to 1997's Bean (one of the most successful British movies of all time). Steve Bendelack (The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse) directs, with Rowan Atkinson returning as the hapless Mr Bean.
Official site

From 6th Apr
FILM: Sunshine
Danny Boyle sacrificed some of the budget to shoot his sci-fi disaster pic in the UK; let's hope the gamble pays off. The predominantly local cast includes Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne and Mark Strong. The script is by Boyle's 28 Days Later collaborator Alex Garland.
Official site

19th–26th Apr
FESTIVAL: East End Film Festival
Showcase of shorts and features from London's East End. Expect Danny Boyle to bring Sunshine to the festival as he's one of the local luminaries.
EEFF site

25th Apr – 6th May
FESTIVAL: Tribeca Film Festival
The sixth annual film shindig orchestrated by Robert De Niro, with a strong representation of indie talent.
TFF site

From 27th Apr
FILM: Magicians
Robert Webb and David Mitchell (Peep Show, That Mitchell And Webb Look) star in this comedy, directed by Andrew O'Connor, about a pair of warring magicians.

From 27th Apr
FILM: Straightheads
Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer are the unlikely pairing for writer/director Dan Reed's follow-up to the ferocious Shooters. His latest is no less brutal.
Official site

From 27th Apr
FILM: This Is England
Shane Meadows' award-winning drama is a powerful and evocative look at a young boy's flirtations with fascism in post-Falklands War Britain. Newcomer Thomas Turgoose takes the lead role in Meadows' fifth feature.

28th Apr
AWARDS: BAFTA Cymru
The Welsh branch of BAFTA hands out its awards for achievement in TV and film.
BAFTA Cymru site

From 11th May
FILM: 28 Weeks Later
Sequel to 28 Days Later, with a group of Americans arriving in a deserted Britain to save the day. They think. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto) and starring Robert Carlyle and Rose Byrne.
Official site

16th-27th May
FESTIVAL: Cannes Film Festival
Cannes reaches the grand age of 60 and is still looking fabulous, dahling. Hollywood blockbusters compete with micro-budget wannabes for the attention of the world. And usually win.
Cannes site

6th-11th Jun
FESTIVAL: International Short Film Festival Hamburg
The German city holds its 23rd annual short film event.
ISFF Hamburg site

10th–15th Jul
FESTIVAL: Galway Film Fleadh
Showcase for Irish talent, both in features and shorts. The festival is now in its 19th year.
Fleadh site

From 13th Jul
FILM: Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Fifth instalment in the lucrative film franchise. Intriguingly, the director this time is Brit helmer David Yates, who's better known for his work on the small screen (State Of Play, The Girl In The Cafe).
Official site

28th Jul - 3rd Aug
FESTIVAL: Rushes Soho Shorts
Ninth annual event celebrating UK shorts which takes place all over Soho and - increasingly - at cinemas across the country.
Rushes site

15th–26th Aug
FESTIVAL: Edinburgh International Film Festival
The 61st annual film fest in Edinburgh has a new artistic director (Hannah McGill) but should continue to showcase the best of British filmmaking and independent film from around the world.
EIFF site

29th Aug – 8th Sept
FESTIVAL: Venice International Film Festival
One of the world's top film festivals, determined to fend off the advances of Rome to remain Italy's most glamorous movie event.
Venice site

6th–15th Sept
FESTIVAL: Toronto International Film Festival
Canada's latest film extravaganza, invariably a showcase for both Hollywood fare and independent films from around the world.
TIFF site

From 14th Sept
FILM: Atonement
Director Joe Wright follows-up Pride & Prejudice with another juicy literary adaptation, this time Ian McEwan's Atonement. The stellar Brit cast includes Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Vanessa Redgrave.

26th Sept – 7th Oct
FESTIVAL: Raindance Festival
The Brit indie scene gets its turn in the spotlight with the 15th annual festival in London's West End.
Raindance site

4th–7th Oct (dates TBC)
FESTIVAL: Dinard British Film Festival
The 18th year for the northern French festival with a love of all things British (well, the films anyway - they're probably still a bit sniffy about the food).
Dinard site

17th Oct – 1st Nov
FESTIVAL: Times BFI London International Festival
The UK's biggest film festival enters its 51st year, buoyed by record attendances during its golden anniversary in 2006.
LFF site

From 19th Oct
FILM: Stardust
For his second directorial feature, Matthew Vaughan (Layer Cake) brings Neil Gaiman's fairy tale novel to the big screen. Jane Goldman (aka Mrs Jonathan Ross) co-wrote the script, so we await the Film 2007 review with interest.
Official site

26th Oct - 4th Nov
FESTIVAL: Kinofilm
Manchester's biennial film festival unspools the best shorts from around the world.
Kinofilm site

11th Nov (date TBC)
AWARDS: BAFTA Scotland
The Scottish branch of BAFTA hails the best talent in TV and film. Andrea Arnold's Red Road walked away with most of the gongs in 2006, even though she herself is as Scottish as a pint of Guinness.
BAFTA Scotland site

20th–25th Nov
FESTIVAL: Encounters Short Film Festival
The UK's biggest gathering of short films convenes at Bristol's Watershed Cinema. Expect the best shorts from around the world in both live-action and animation.
Encounters site

28th Nov (date TBC)
AWARDS: British Independent Film Awards
Tenth annual BIFA event, aiming to build on the success of 2006 where This Is England, The Queen, The Last King Of Scotland and Red Road all won major awards.
BIFA site

1st Dec
AWARDS: European Film Awards
Berlin is the host for this year's EFAs. The major prizes in 2006 were shared between Pedro Almodóvar's Volver and German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives Of Others.
EFA site

As well as the films listed, many more British films will be released in 2007 - the likes of Anton Corbijn's Control (about Joy Division singer Ian Curtis); Simon Ellis' romantic comedy Dogging; David Mackenzie's Edinburgh-set Hallam Foe, starring Jamie Bell; Gavin Claxton's comedy The All Together, starring Martin Freeman; Richard Laxton's The Allotment, a comedy written by Frank Cottrell Boyce; Anand Tucker's And When Did You Last See Your Father?, with Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent; Duane Hopkins' feature debut Better Things; Shekhar Kapur's The Golden Age (aka Elizabeth 2); Oliver Parker's comedy I Really Hate My Job, with Neve Campbell and Shirley Henderson; Billie Eltringham's Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution, starring Catherine Tate; Steve Hudson's True North (with Peter Mullan and Martin Compston), which is not to be confused with Asif Kapadia's True North, starring Sean Bean and Michelle Yeoh; Justin Chadwick's The Other Boleyn Girl, with Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman; Tom Hunsinger and Neil Hunter's Sparkle; and Roger Goldby's The Waiting Room, starring Anne-Marie Duff and Ralf Little... to name but 15. We'll be reporting on these as the year progresses; we can't promise to cover Carry On London, however.

Adrian Hennigan | Published 04 Jan 07

send to a friend 

start a new discussion