Documentaries at Depot
Uncover hidden gems and engage with the most urgent and engaging documentary filmmaking
Otherfield Film Festival Presents: New Documentary Filmmaking, 18 March – 30 July 2026
Insightful films from the most exciting voices in contemporary documentary filmmaking, all introduced by documentarian Jerry Rothwell.
Otherfield is a Sussex based documentary festival dedicated to re-imagining the possibilities of nonfiction filmmaking. As documentaries on the larger streaming platforms become increasingly narrowly focused on celebrity and crime, Otherfield aims to create a window into other kinds of nonfiction filmmaking: films of unheard voices and places, personal films, films made or distributed in innovative or experimental ways. For the last three editions Otherfield has partnered with Depot Cinema to bring films and filmmakers to the festival.
Everybody to Kenmure Street
Wednesday 20 May, 17:30
Includes a post-film Q&A
Cert: 12A
In May 2021, a UK Home Office dawn raid triggers one of the most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory.
In Pollokshields, Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhood, hundreds of residents rush to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbours.
If you would like information about the content of this film, including potentially triggering material, please CLICK HERE for guidance from the BBFC
Marching in the Dark
Thursday 30 July, 20:15
Cert: TBC
A group of women farmers come together to break the vicious cycle of debt and climate related chaos in Indian agriculture that has pushed their desperate husbands to kill themselves, leaving them with their debts.
Initially cautious and reserved, 28-year-old introverted Sanjeevani is slowly drawn into the healing power of community and of sharing their common experiences.
Visual Music Workshop & Four Quartets on Film, Saturday 16 May & Saturday 23 May 2026
A workshop and film event for all makers of visual art, led by artist Tim Hopkins.
Tim Hopkins has made work with music in many forms – as an opera director and scenic designer, and using video in stage productions. His recent Four Quartets films, screening at Depot on Sat 23 May, also nod to the C20th ‘visual music’ scene artists such as Oscar Fischinger, Mary Bute, Evelyn Lambert and Norman McLaren.
Visual Music Workshop – exploring live cinema and new music
Saturday 16 May, 10:30-14:00
Pair with the unique film event Four Quartets on Film
£10
16+
This workshop, run by artist Tim Hopkins, invites you to explore ‘Live Cinema’ techniques using video materials developed on the day and software, Isadora.
‘Live Cinema’ takes cinematic ingredients – materials, mise-en-scene, photography, filming, editing – but mixes them live to make screen events that combine the visuality of film with the excitement of live presentation. In the workshop participants will explore this process, manipulating objects and other materials in front of the camera, creating menus of clips / live video sequences, experimenting with vision mixing tools. Tim will also share materials from his own films for people to remix as they want.
Four Quartets on Film
Saturday 23 May, 16:00
Pair with Visual Music Workshop – exploring live cinema and new music
Includes a Q&A between the two film screenings – director Tim Hopkins will be joined by composer Judith Weir, whose music features in the films.
Beguiling artist film responses by Tim Hopkins to new music.
Four Quartets on Film (2023)
Combining live action with painted animation, Four Quartets on Film responds to beautiful recordings of magical String Quartets by John Woolrich, Judith Weir, Joe Cutler and Helen Grime. Previously screened to acclaim at Aldeburgh Festival 2023.
Contest Music (2026) – World Premiere
Visualises part of Gavin Higgins’ extraordinary work for Brass Band and Orchestra, Concerto Grosso.
Iron Maiden Double Feature, Thursday 21 May
A double feature of films exploring the history of one of the world’s biggest rock bands. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer follows the final years of Paul Di’Anno, Iron Maiden’s original vocalist. Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition charts Iron Maiden’s remarkable five‑decade journey.
Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer
Thursday 21 May, 18:15
Cert: 15
Paul Di’Anno (Paul Andrews), Iron Maiden’s first vocalist before Bruce Dickinson, passed away in October 2024. Di’Anno was expelled from the band after the release of their second album due to drug and alcohol problems.
During this period, he signed a contract excluding him from song royalties after Iron Maiden had risen to fame. “Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer” follows Paul Di’Anno’s final years.
If you would like information about the content of this film, including potentially triggering material, please CLICK HERE for guidance from the BBFC
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
Thursday 21 May, 20:30
Cert: 15
This feature‑length documentary charts Iron Maiden’s remarkable five‑decade journey. Alongside the band, the documentary features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, each speaking to Iron Maiden’s influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide.
Formed in East London in 1975, Iron Maiden have grown into one of the world’s most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries.
If you would like information about the content of this film, including potentially triggering material, please CLICK HERE for guidance from the BBFC
Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival: Crossroads 2026, 19 – 30 May 2026
A new screening series bringing bold, contemporary Caribbean films to cinemas across South East England, curated from standout titles at the Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival
Crossroads is a new annual screening series bringing contemporary Caribbean film to independent venues across South East England, with plans to grow into a wider UK platform in the years ahead. Drawing on standout selections from recent editions of Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival, the series introduces audiences to bold, formally inventive, and politically resonant cinema emerging from one of the most underrepresented regions in global film culture.
Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story
Friday 29 May, 18:00
Cert: TBC
‘Bam Bam’ is a reggae anthem and one of the most sampled vocals in the genre. The woman behind the voice, Jamaican dancehall legend Sister Nancy, was denied royalties for decades. Despite this, she persevered and continues to perform worldwide to sold-out crowds. ‘Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story’, directed by Alison Duke, blends tour footage, interviews and archival clips to create a comprehensive portrait of Sister Nancy’s enduring prominence in reggae and hip hop.
Winelands: Sour Grapes, Thursday 11 June 2026
As part of this year’s Winelands Festival in Lewes, enjoy a special one-off screening of Sour Grapes at Depot cinema, accompanied by a post-film wine tasting in the auditorium and an afterparty in the Depot garden.
Winelands: Sour Grapes
Thursday 11 June, 18:00
Cert: 18
Presented by director Jerry Rothwell, Sour Grapes is a 2016 documentary exploring how notorious wine fraudster Rudy Kurniwan befriended rich and powerful wine collectors to sell fake wine through top auction houses. With pockets full of cash, charisma and a preternatural memory for vintages, an unassuming young Rudy Kurniawan earns the reputation of a wine savant, surrounding himself with some of the world’s most fervent wine connoisseurs. But when Bill Koch, a top US collector, and Laurent Ponsot, a Burgundian wine producer, discover suspicious bottles, an investigation begins into one of the most ingenious cons of our time.
The tasting will be led by Lewes Master of Wine Mike Best, who presented Battle of the Bubbles right here in Lewes in 2025. There will be two wines to try in a blind tasting after the film, one a genuine Burgundy from the famous Clos des Mouches vineyard in Côte de Beaune, the other a concoction of much less expensive wines designed to fool even the most experienced tasters into believing it is worth over £100 per bottle! Wines will be supplied by Symposium in Lewes.
Following the film and tasting event, you will be invited to share a glass of sparkling or still wine from a local Sussex vineyard in the Depot garden (or in the Gallery in the event of rain).
The film, blind tasting, and afterparty are all included in the price of the ticket.
Schedule:
18:00 – Screening of Sour Grapes with introduction by director Jerry Rothwell, followed by blind tasting of two wines led by Lewes Master of Wine Mike Best
20:00 – Afterparty featuring local wines and a cash bar