Taking place across Lowestoft from 20–23 August, the festival will showcase filmmakers from across the region alongside an international programme of independent cinema. Among the highlights are six screenings offering audiences the chance to discover stories rooted in East Anglia and created by filmmakers with connections to the region.
The festival’s East Anglian highlights begin on Thursday 20 August with East Coast Short Film, a showcase celebrating short-form filmmaking from along the East Coast, followed by Local Connections, bringing together films that explore the people, places and communities that make the region unique.
Also screening on Thursday is The Creature From Scroby Sands, a cult Norfolk horror-comedy featuring a monstrous sea creature, seaside chaos and plenty of East Coast humour. The film promises a gloriously local take on the creature-feature genre, with the familiar landscape of the East Coast providing the backdrop for an extraordinary monster story.
Audiences can also catch Disremember, an award-winning psychological thriller from Lowestoft-born filmmaker Matthew Simpson, bringing a distinctly local connection to the festival programme.
On Friday 21 August, the spotlight continues with East Anglia On Film, a celebration of the region as captured through the eyes of filmmakers. Presented as part of the festival’s commitment to championing local and regional voices, the screening explores the many different ways East Anglia can be represented on screen.
The regional programme concludes with Breakwater, the acclaimed debut feature from Suffolk filmmaker Max Morgan, offering audiences the opportunity to experience a feature-length work from one of the region’s emerging filmmaking talents.
While these six screenings provide a dedicated showcase of East Anglian cinema, regional filmmakers and stories are represented throughout the wider Sunrise Film Festival programme.
Joshua Freemantle, Chair and Festival Director of Sunrise Film Festival CIC, said:
“East Anglia is full of incredible filmmakers and brilliant stories, and it’s really important to us that we continue to provide a platform for that work. From Lowestoft and across the East Coast, these films demonstrate just how diverse and exciting filmmaking in our region can be.
“Our fifth festival is a celebration of independent cinema from around the world, but it’s also about championing the filmmakers and communities on our doorstep. We’re incredibly proud to bring these films together and allow audiences to discover the talent that exists right here in East Anglia.”
From local landscapes and communities to horror, psychological thrillers, documentaries and feature filmmaking, the six screenings demonstrate the breadth of creativity emerging from Norfolk and Suffolk.
The 5th Sunrise Film Festival takes place across the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft from Thursday 20 – Sunday 23 August 2026.
For the full festival programme and passes, visit the Sunrise Film Festival website – https://sunrisefilmfestival.co.uk/programme/
