Rowan Atkinson will headline the 30th anniversary autumn season of the Purbeck Film Festival this October, appearing in person at Swanage’s Mowlem Theatre for a special day celebrating the work of French filmmaker Jacques Tati.
The event is one of the highlights of the 2026 season, which marks three decades since the festival began in 1996. Founded to coincide with the centenary of cinema, that first year attracted around 1,700 people to 21 screenings. Since then it has grown into one of the South West’s best-known independent film festivals, last year recording more than 8,500 admissions.
Over the years, Purbeck has welcomed an impressive roll call of guests, including directors Stephen Frears and Asif Kapadia, Julian Fellowes discussing Gosford Park, cinematographers Jack Cardiff and Ossie Morris and, in 2015, Dame Maggie Smith. Its patrons include Sir Mark Rylance and Sir Sam Mendes.
Rylance described the festival’s 30th anniversary as ‘quite remarkable’, saying small festivals such as Purbeck are a ‘godsend for filmmakers’ and help nurture the human heart of cinema.
Films on location
Part of the festival’s enduring appeal is its choice of venues. Screenings take place not only in cinemas but in churches, village halls, gardens, stately homes and historic sites across Purbeck, with locations often chosen to complement the film.
That approach continues this autumn. BAFTA-nominated director Philippa Lowthorpe will present her adaptation of H Is for Hawk, starring Claire Foy, at St Mary’s Church in Swanage, while The Etches Collection at Kimmeridge will host a family gala screening of Jurassic Park beside ‘Big Sara’, the museum’s Allosaurus.
The full programme will also include exclusive previews, Cannes prize-winners, UK premieres, documentaries and locally-rooted films, continuing the festival’s long-standing mix of international cinema and Dorset stories.
Festival director Claire Burns said: ‘This festival has always belonged to the communities of Purbeck and the audiences who travel from across the country to be part of something truly special.
‘What started thirty years ago as a bold idea for rural cinema has grown into something we’re incredibly proud of.’
The Purbeck Film Festival remains a small charity run largely by volunteers, with the aim of bringing independent, foreign-language, classic and specialist films to an area where access to that kind of cinema can otherwise be limited.
The 2026 Autumn Festival runs from Friday 16th October to Sunday 1st November, with screenings across Purbeck, Poole, Bournemouth and beyond.
Full programme available at purbeckfilm.com.
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