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Festival coverage

East End Film Festival

23 June – 3 July 2016

A young Afghan woman raps her way to freedom in Sonita
A young Afghan woman raps her way to freedom in Sonita

The East End Film Festival returns for 2016 with a great line-up of films, special events and parties. As well as London-made films documenting the city's diverse cultures, there's a strand focusing on the best new cinema from Turkey, one exploring the experiences of refugees, and another looking at the history of punk. There are numerous special guests and some of the films are accompanied by live musical performances.

The festival runs from 23 June to 7 July.

Other years (5)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • We Are The Flesh
    Review preview for We Are The Flesh

    It may be derivative, underdeveloped and twee, but it has force of personality.

    Jennie Kermode · 2 out of 5
    Wandering through a ruined city, a young brother and sister discover a building inhabited by a mysterious hermit who offers them sanctuary.
  • My Feral Heart
    Review preview for My Feral Heart

    Gull has a keen eye for nature, beautifully captured by cinematographer Susanne Salavati.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    An independent man with Down's syndrome finds his life changed when he is forced into a group home.
  • Notes On Blindness
    Review preview for Notes On Blindness

    Hull's reflections touch on areas the sighted rarely stop to consider, such as the way that still photos are easier to remember than actual physical moments with loved ones.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
    Adaptation of John Hull's audio diary about the experience of losing his sight.
  • Jim: The James Foley Story
    Review preview for Jim: The James Foley Story

    Oakes is careful not to make his film hagiographic. Jim is presented as restless, troubled by a sense of guilt at his advantages, and sometimes naive.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A documentary about the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by terrorists in 2014.
  • Little Men
    Review preview for Little Men

    The film could be called "old fashioned" but that is rarely a bad thing.

    Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
    Caught up in a family feud over rent, two boys respond with a vow of silence.
  • Fire At Sea
    Review preview for Fire At Sea

    The symbolism in Fire At Sea is so organic that it might dawn on you hours or days after seeing the film.

    Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
    A documentary looking at the inhabitants of Lampedusa and the desperate attempts made by refugees to reach the island.
  • The Childhood Of A Leader
    Review preview for The Childhood Of A Leader

    After all, what’s so sinister about reading Aesop’s Fables? Everything and nothing, Corbet suggests.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
    Fable about the rise of fascism set in post-First World War Europe.
  • Author: The JT LeRoy Story
    Review preview for Author: The JT LeRoy Story

    A fascinating, if skewed, account of creativity gone wild.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
    The story behind the literary 'hoax' of JT LeRoy.
  • Baskin
    Review preview for Baskin

    Its plot is more cleverly structured than is at first apparent, and although it seems to lose its way part way through, there's always something going on upstairs.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    A squad of unsuspecting cops goes through a trapdoor to Hell after stumbling upon a Black Mass in an abandoned building.
  • The Hard Stop
    Review preview for The Hard Stop

    Two docs for the price of one? Both would have been better on their own

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2.5 out of 5
    Documentary about the death of Mark Duggan and the difficulty of finding work for young black men in Tottenham

A–Z of East End Film Festival 2016 reviews

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