A rundown of Bristol Film Festival's January screenings

By Meadow Wattret, Film & TV Co-Deputy Editor

Like me, you might have survived the pre-Christmas exam season and now hope to avoid the January Senate sessions, unpacking, and dissertation-starting. What better way to ease the New Year blues than watching a film in a funky, beautiful space? Bristol Film Festival is putting on a variety of screenings throughout the new year to welcome you and your inner film buff back to the city. Here's your guide to the events.

The best thing about the classics is that they never get old. Kicking off the 2025 lineup is the timeless cult-comedy Withnail & I (1987), with a 18:00 screening on January 21st at Wiper and True’s Old Market taproom. Deemed a ‘student staple’ by the festival, the film pairs perfectly with the setting – a funky industrial estate that hosts ‘cosy blankets, flickering candles and the best beer in Bristol’. Due to high demand there'll be a second viewing at the same time and place on January 28th, so there's options to fit around your busy student schedule.

Another pick that can’t go wrong is Groundhog Day (1993), screening on January 24^th in Averys Wine Merchants’ wine cellar, an intimate venue tucked away just off Park Street. There you'll be treated not only to Bill Murray’s charming screen presence but a sparkling wine reception (!), followed by four specially curated wines to taste throughout the film (!!!). At £29.50 per person it's a splurge, but one worth it if you’re looking for a special night out in one of the city centre's cosiest hidden gems.

There are two 3D screenings on January 23rd, both hosted inside the We The Curious Planetarium (the mirrored sphere in the middle of Millennium Square that looks a bit like a giant disco ball). At 18:30 is the indie flick Primer (2004), a ‘mind-bending, micro-budget thriller’, and at 20:45 is everyone’s favourite Nolan: Interstellar (2014). The latter will be partly restored to IMAX for the ultimate big screen experience and, to get you in the mood, you're invited to look around the venue’s space gallery before the film starts. Even better yet, students get cheaper tickets - both screenings are going for £13.50. If you love dramatic science fiction, there’s something for everyone that night.

At 18:30 on January 24th, the Planetarium will also host the classic sci-fi action thriller Terminator (1984), a good choice if you love a big 'sciency' spectacle.

Later, at 21:10 on the 24th, Dune: Part Two (2024) is on. If you didn't catch it at the Odeon originally or fancy having your jaw dropped all over again, seeing the Lisan al Gaib on a big spherical screen seems a good way to spend a Friday night. Both Terminator and Dune offer reduced-price student tickets for £13.50.

Closing the Festival’s New Year selections is a special January 25th or Burns Night screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935) in Averys Wine Merchants' cellar at 18:45. The experience would again offer sparkling wine, followed by four ‘thematically linked’ whiskey pairings hailing from Scottish regions, for £33. It might be worth the splashing out if you’re looking for an atmospheric way to celebrate the famous Scottish poet.

Maybe you’re too busy in January - the Festival still has plenty of films on at lots of interesting venues throughout February. On the 12^th, the silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World (1925) is on in St Mary Redcliffe church, accompanied by a live organ recital from an award-winning composer.

In and around V-Day there’s a bit of everything - the best Shakespeare adaptation ever, 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), is showing on February 15th in the Averys cellar. On the 18th, ‘The Mount Without’, a church-turned-venue based on St Michael's Hill, is hosting the recent Best Picture-winning Poor Things (2023), and Baz Luhrmann’s beloved Romeo+Juliet (1996), for £14 each.

Starting the new term can be daunting, but we recommend easing yourself in by getting out of the house (hopefully not the library) and behind a big, unusual screen.

If watching a new or favourite film in a pub, wine cellar, or church appeals to you, have a look at the Festival's 2025 Programme for more upcoming events.

Which screening will you be attending this January?