Chagford Film Festival celebrates in style

The Crocodile from Peter Pan, this year's Chagford pantomime | Claire Shauna-Saunders

placeholder image — The Crocodile from Peter Pan, this year's Chagford pantomime | Claire Shauna-Saunders

The Chagford Film Festival celebrated its 15th year of bringing outstanding cinema, industry talent and community spirit to the heart of Dartmoor, between 21st–26th September 2026.

Thirty-two events took place, with participation from twelve special guests within both local and international film making - including acclaimed BAFTA Award winning producer Andrew MacDonald, who discussed the powerful cult film ‘Trainspotting’ and why it remains a cultural phenomenon some 30 years on. Visitors came from across the region and as far afield as Canada, Australia, Belgium and Ireland.

Opening Night was a celebration of National Theatre Live, with the recently released ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’ which saw a full house and celebratory bubbly! Films and events during the week included: Pride, 500 Miles, Jo in the Water, American Werewolf in London (featuring a ‘spooky’ walk through the back alleys of Chagford!), Quadrophenia, Hamnet, To Sir With Love, a filmmakers workshop, Derek v Derek, H is for Hawk, Fire of Love, Sinners, Magic Faraway Tree, and a remarkable tribute live act ‘The Essence of Audrey’ with West End actress Helen Anker sharing the story of Audrey Hepburn – with audiences enjoying dressing up and a few special ‘Audrey’ cocktails!

Chagford Film Festival is famous for its ‘Closing Night Extravaganza’ and this year was no exception. Chagford Pantomime group and The Globe Choir led a fun-filled Peter Pan street party, complete with colourful costumes, mermaids, pirates, sea shanties and a crocodile!

‘The Invite’ was the film for the final night – how better to celebrate the week than with a film about a crazy dinner party – followed by an after party for all, hosted by the Globe Inn.

Rosina Kellman, who runs both the pantomime and choir groups, said: “The Film Festival is a remarkable celebration of theatre, film and culture and an extraordinary feat of organisation by the team who bring it together. It joins people across our communities, as well as our shops, pubs and cafes, many of which participated in the window dressing ‘guess the film’ competition. We loved creating something fun and entertaining for everyone to join in with the street party on the last night – and it’s free!”

Organised entirely by volunteers, the festival has grown into a distinctive and much-loved cultural event, helping to establish Chagford as a respected destination on the regional film festival calendar with a strong reputation for welcoming filmmakers, actors and creative professionals to the town. The Festival was particularly poignant this year, following the sad passing of two of the three founder members, Penny Keen and Dean Gardener, in the last year. Remaining founder and ‘powerhouse’ behind the event, Mary French, brought together a largely new team to make sure the Festival could take place, as a tribute to Penny and Dean. “I very much hope we have made them proud,” she said.

Many visitors commented that this year’s programme was the most varied yet, with a wide- ranging selection of films and events including local interest films, ‘docudramas’, classic favourites, international screenings and documentaries, along with more opportunities to hear from special guests within the film industry than ever before.

Volunteers, home owners and shops ‘dressed’ the town and events took place at the Jubilee Hall, the Church, Endecott House and the Cinema in the Globe Inn, creating a vibrant festival atmosphere and offering something for everyone — from passionate film enthusiasts to those simply looking for an enjoyable and memorable experience.

The festival also plays an important role in supporting the local economy, with the influx of visitors bringing increased footfall to Chagford’s shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants, and accommodation providers, benefiting businesses throughout the community. One example was ‘Italian Night’ where The Forge Café hosted a sell-out Italian-themed dinner just before the popular ‘Il Postino’ film showed at Jubilee Hall.

“With such a significant milestone and considering that we only decided we could try to go ahead in May this year, I do want to say a huge thankyou to the volunteers, sponsors, supporters and audiences who have helped make Chagford Film Festival 2026 possible,” said Mary.

Chagford Film Festival 2026 is supported by Film Hub South West through the BFI Film Audience Network, Chagford Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council, The ELMGrant Trust and Chagford Community Trust.