After years of collaboration and dedication, Once Upon a Time in Suffolk is finally ready to share its unique collection of stories with audiences.

Eight stories. One region. A Feature film made by East Anglian talent.

This event will be followed by a special Q&A.

The Stories
Crossing the Earth

Set in the present day, this poignant drama explores how legends are born.

A grieving and isolated young boy becomes convinced that a famous local sculpture possesses healing powers capable of saving his fractured family, while his exhausted mother struggles to cope with the pressures of everyday life.

The Painters

In the 1820s, the young John Constable is persuaded by his best friend to try his hand at portrait painting after responding to a mysterious newspaper advertisement.

His client is none other than the fairy-tale princess Rapunzel, who hopes a flattering portrait will help her find Prince Charming. Unfortunately, Constable has rather uncompromising ideas about artistic beauty.

Mawhini

Against the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain, an ambitious property developer plans to build a luxury golf resort in rural Suffolk.

His schemes begin to unravel when he encounters a sinister local cult fiercely protective of an ancient scarecrow, leading to a chilling supernatural confrontation.

Briar and Daughter

When two trainees are left in charge of a law firm specialising in magical disputes, they inherit a dangerous case involving a desperate mother who wants to escape a fairy bargain that promised away her child.

Standing in her way is the malevolent fairy known as Clay.

A Mid-Suffolk Night’s Dream

A provincial amateur theatre company attempts to stage Shakespeare’s classic comedy, only to find themselves disrupted by mischievous fairies.

When the magical visitors turn vindictive, it falls to the overlooked musical director to restore harmony before the production descends into chaos.

Red

A modern reimagining of the Red Riding Hood legend, this darkly comic thriller follows nervous vegan Rory on what should have been a romantic evening.

Instead, he discovers his outspoken date, Sassaba, has rather more carnivorous intentions than he expected—and she may not be entirely human.

Widdershins

Imaginative young Mia is desperate to save her older brother from the influence of a local gang.

When an ancient Suffolk legend transports her back to the eighteenth century, she witnesses tragic events that mirror her own life. Can the lessons of the past change the future?

Ethel

A lonely woman finds solace in sea swimming along the Suffolk coast until she uncovers the truth behind the legend of the Wild Man of Orford – a mysterious merman said to have washed ashore centuries ago and whose story may not have ended in the distant past.

Q&A Panel 
Darius G Laws: 

Darius G Laws is the writer of The Painters, a comedy segment featuring fictionalised versions of John Constable and his friend John Dunthorne.

Raised among the fields of Suffolk, he began filmmaking at an early age and has built a career in broadcast and digital communications.

He has worked with leading brands, FTSE 100 companies, government departments and charities, writing and producing content for international broadcast, news and social media.

He  delivers executive media training for senior leaders across banking, utilities, politics, the NHS, emergency services, and most recently qualified as a teacher and spends a day a week helping college students in Colchester.

Sophie Eels: 

Sophie is a Production Designer who worked on numerous segments of this film. 

Sophie is a hands-on maker, painter and nature-lover who, after years of crafting and creating in her spare time, decided to properly pursue her love of set design and world building.

Sophie has experience in set decoration and prop making across commercials, short films and events!

Julien Mery: 

Julien works as part of the FILM Suffolk team as a Producer.

Originally from France and Germany, he has settled with this family in the UK 20 years ago.

He works in education whilst also running FILM Suffolk as part of a dedicated team, dividing his time between shooting content for clients, teaching media and fielding enquiries from productions coming to this region.

Further panelists to be announced soon….

Accessibility information for your visit

Save on cinema when you attend with friends!

Enjoy incredible cinema for less while helping us continue to bring the very best films to our whole community. 

Group Save: Book 3 or more tickets to a Peak screening and get 10% off! 

So bring you friends along – the more the merrier ! Don’t miss out on extra flexibility, great value for students and even more ways to save when you book together.