A Short History of the Purbeck Film Festival

The Purbeck Film Festival was founded in 1996, when a group of cinema enthusiasts, working with Purbeck District Council, Artsreach and the Rex Cinema, came together to mark the centenary of cinema. Their ambition was both cultural and civic:  to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of film within the local community, while also attracting visitors to the Isle of Purbeck.

The inaugural festival ran from 3rd to 29th October 1996, presenting 21 screenings across the Rex, the Mowlem and several village halls. It attracted an audience of 1700 and ended its first year with a modest surplus, despite very limited public funding. This early success demonstrated both the appetite for cinema in rural Dorset and the viability of a locally rooted film festival.

Encouraged by this early success, the Festival formalised its structure and became a charity, enabling it to seek wider funding and plan more ambitiously. In 1997, the Lighthouse joined as a venue, reinforcing the importance of local cinemas at the heart of the Festival. From the outset, Purbeck built a strong reputation for the quality of its guests, welcoming leading figures such as cinematographers Ossie Morris, Jack Cardiff and Brian West, establishing a tradition of introductions, talks and discussions that supported its educational mission.

The early 2000s marked a period of rapid growth and confidence. In 2002, Bournemouth University became involved, hosting 16 screenings and an appearance from Julian Fellowes who shared his experiences of making Gosford Park. The following year brought visits from directors Asif Kapadia and Stephen Frears. This period marked the Festival at its most expansive, with over 90 films and 140 screenings presented across three weeks, marking the most ambitious programme in its history.

Alongside this expansion, the Festival’s organisational structure evolved. In 2009, the Purbeck Film Charitable Trust was established, bringing responsibility for the Rex Cinema and the Festival under a single charitable umbrella. This reflected their shared aims around access to film, education and rural cultural provision. This arrangement continued until August 2021, when both organisations entered a new chapter, continuing independently as charities while maintaining a close working partnership.

As the Festival matured, its venues diversified and its sense of place deepened. While the Rex, the Mowlem, Poole’s the Lighthouse and a loyal network of village halls remained central, distinctive locations began to shape its identity. Durlston Country Park joined the programme in 2008, followed by the 29029 Restaurant in 2016, Creech Grange in 2017 and the Swanage Waterworks in 2022. The Festival also extended beyond Purbeck, partnering with venues such as Bridport Electric Palace (2022), Dorchester Arts Centre (2023) and the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum (2025).

Although the Autumn Festival has always remained the core focus, Purbeck’s pop-up ethos has seen cinema presented in a wide variety of settings throughout the year. Outdoor screenings, first introduced in partnership with the National Trust at Corfe Castle in 2002, developed into the summer programme Cinema Under the Stars. Using iconic Purbeck locations, this strand presents accessible, family-friendly films while helping to support the wider Festival programme.

The Purbeck Short Film Competition was introduced in 2009 to provide a platform for emerging filmmakers and has become a popular fixture of the Festival’s final day, by 2025 attracting over 3000 entries from around the world.

A defining moment for the Autumn Festival came in 2015, when Dame Maggie Smith appeared at two events, highlighting the Festival’s growing national profile. In recent years, the Festival has continued to strengthen its presentation and reach, with the introduction of a full brochure in 2019 and the appointment of new patrons including Andy Paterson and Olivia Hetreed (2021), Sir Mark Rylance (2023) and Sir Sam Mendes (2025).

Reflecting on the Festival’s 30th anniversary, Sir Mark Rylance described Purbeck as “quite remarkable” at a time when many cinemas and festivals are struggling to survive rapid technological change. He praised small festivals like Purbeck as a “godsend for filmmakers”, celebrating their role in championing creativity beyond the mainstream and nurturing cinema’s human heart.

As it looks to the next 30 years, the Purbeck Film Festival stands confident and creative. Powered by volunteers, shaped by its community and ambitious in scope, it continues to bring exceptional cinema to rural audiences while championing film in all its diversity, imagination and impact.