Tuesday, 4 November 2025

Film Festival announces 2026 dates

The Hebden Bridge Film Festival today announced that the 6th edition of the festival will take place from 20-22 March 2026 in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Launch Film: "Come See Me in the Good Light"

This year's launch event will feature a special screening of "Come See Me in the Good Light" on Saturday 15 November 2025 at 7pm at the Hebden Bridge Picture House, followed by a Q&A in conversation with Hebden Bridge Film Festival Director Louise Wadley.

"Come See Me in the Good Light" is a multiple award winning, poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley, who face an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit, and an unshakable love for each other.

Directed by Ryan White and produced by Tig Notaro, the film follows Gibson and Falley as they navigate life three weeks at a time, while giving us jewels as Gibson continues to write and perform poetry.

Through intimate archive footage, we see Gibson's rise from small gigs to spoken-word stardom and recognition as Colorado's Poet Laureate. Mesmerising and deeply human, the film captures Gibson's reflections amid the warmth of their family & chosen queer community. Despite the closeness of death, "Come See Me in the Good Light" brims with laughter and hope.

Festival Director Louise Wadley said, "We're thrilled to be launching our 2026 Festival with this deeply moving and unexpectedly uplifting documentary. Andrea Gibson's words and spirit speak powerfully to vulnerability, truth, and the courage to see and be seen - themes that lie at the heart of this year's festival theme, 'Bearing Witness'."

Tickets for the Launch Night screening of "Come See Me in the Good Light" are available to book via the Hebden Bridge Picture House website here.

Early Bird Festival Passes for the 2026 Hebden Bridge Film Festival go on sale 15 November 2025, available online at the Film Festival website. Mailing list subscribers will receive a reminder when sales open.

About the Hebden Bridge Film Festival

The Hebden Bridge Film Festival in association with the beautifully restored, state-of-the-art Hebden Bridge Picture House cinema and, for the first time this year, Hebden Bridge's renowned venue The Trades Club, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling. With strong roots in local and independent film, HBFF is synonymous with creative expression and entertainment. The festival brings film lovers to the Calderdale valley and champions emerging and established voices and introduces new ideas through exclusive premieres, exhibitions, conversations, and live performances.

The festival was founded by Louise Wadley and Jay Rutovitz in 2019 to champion the stories of those who exist in the margins, sit outside the mainstream or just plain don't fit in, and promote films produced and directed by women, LGBTQ, working-class and BME filmmakers and filmmakers with disabilities. The annual Hebden Bridge Film Festival will celebrate it's sixth year from March 20-22 in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.