During the pandemic, when cinemas were closed, lots of film festivals and collectives took their work online. Many found that their audience reach was much wider than they had realised; they reached new audiences and grew despite the lack of physical spaces. When cinema's reopened, many worried that this commitment to making films more widely available, would be lost in the pursuit of exclusivity; thankfully, this doesn't seem to be the case.

I've been personally astounded by the number of opportunities we've had to collaborate since opening. From major premieres to some really unique, considered programmes. I can confidently say there are lots to look forward to in Autumn/Winter (though I can't mention what yet)! In the meantime, this weekend marks our first collaboration with Sundance Film Festival London – with four films from their excellent programme opening here in Sheffield, right after their first UK screenings in London.

This Thursday, we've got a preview of The Sparks Brothers. A new documentary from Edgar Wright on Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks, 'your favourite band's favourite band'.

On Friday, there's Writing With Fire, a captivating documentary looking at India's only newspaper run by Dalit women. A stirring, inspiring story about a group of women who defend the need for accurate, fearless journalism in pursuit of justice.

On Saturday, there's a special preview of The Nest. A moody thriller from Sean Durkin (Marcy, Martha, May, Marlene) starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon, a wealthy couple who move to the British countryside and find their lives spiralling slowly out of control.

Finally, on Sunday, Zola. After a now-infamous thread of tweets went viral in 2019, rights to the story were bought by production company A24. Not the most conventional method of script development, but Zola has gone from strength to strength on the film festival circuit, with solid reviews from those who have seen it so far. The story follows a Detroit waitress who finds herself flung into chaos after accepting a 48-hour road trip to make some fast cash.

Each film will be screened with exclusive Q&As from filmmakers, either live via satellite or pre-recorded. Tickets are available to buy now.

This article first featured in the Sheffield Telegraph on Thursday 29 July 2021.