Forbidden Worlds Film Festival - 28th May - 1st June 2025, Bristol Megascreen
"How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is clearly Ocean.” Arthur C. Clarke
Bristol’s Forbidden Worlds Film Festival returns to commandeer the Bristol Megascreen (formerly the IMAX) for a five-day dive into cult cinema’s murkier depths. This year’s theme, Forbidden Worlds of the Deep, celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jaws with a line-up of aquatic oddities and submerged scares.
Expect the UK theatrical premiere of the extended Waterworld “Ulysses Cut”, a rare screening of Japan’s The Whale God (1962), and freshly restored versions of Orca and Alligator for those who like their creature features with a side of schlock. There’s also Below (2002), a haunted submarine thriller making its UK big-screen debut.
The festival honours producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens, The Walking Dead) with in-person Q&As and screenings of her classics. Meanwhile, Bristol’s own Arthur Cauty premieres The Big Picture, a documentary chronicling the resurrection of the city’s long-abandoned IMAX into its current cult cinema haven.
Add in a short film showcase spotlighting emerging genre talent, and a few VHS-era gems from 20th Century Flicks’ archives (The City of Lost Children, Young Sherlock Holmes), and you’ve got a festival that’s equal parts nostalgia trip and cinephile deep dive.
Tickets are available for individual screenings and day passes. Festival passes are sold out, but there’s still time to catch a wave.
