An Evergreen Guide to the Whitley Bay Film Festival

Most film festivals happen in the dark of a multiplex. The Whitley Bay Film Festival does something different: it takes cinema out into the town, screening classics, documentaries and cult favourites in some of the most characterful venues on the North East coast, from a working lighthouse on a tidal island to a converted cafe by the sea. Held each September, it is one of the most distinctive things on the town's cultural calendar, and this guide explains what it is, how it works, and how to plan a visit whichever year you go.

What the festival is

The Whitley Bay Film Festival began in 2010 and has grown into a much-loved annual event that runs across the town every September. It is produced and delivered entirely by volunteers, and its programme leans towards classic films, anniversary screenings, documentaries and animation rather than new studio releases. The organisers put it simply on their own site: they do it because they love it, and ticket income and sponsorship keep the whole thing running.

That volunteer, community spirit is the heart of the festival's appeal. It is unashamedly local and independent, yet it regularly punches above its weight with its guests and programming. The writer Ian La Frenais, co-creator of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and The Likely Lads, is a patron of the festival, and past editions have welcomed notable filmmakers, including the acclaimed documentary maker Nick Broomfield, for in-person appearances and Q&As.

The venues make it

More than anything, it is the settings that people remember. Rather than one auditorium, the festival spreads screenings across a shifting mix of quirky and atmospheric spaces, so each film comes with a real sense of place.

• Jam Jar Cinema on Park Avenue is the town's own independent, community-run cinema and a natural hub for the festival.
• St Mary's Lighthouse, on its tidal island north of the town, makes an unforgettable screening spot, tide times permitting.
• The Rendezvous Cafe, the beloved Art Deco cafe on the seafront, hosts intimate screenings with a view of the sea.
• Grander and more unusual venues have included Seaton Delaval Hall, the Stephenson Steam Railway museum, Cullercoats' Fishermen's Mission and community clubs around the coast.

The exact line-up of venues changes from year to year and film to film, which is part of the fun. Always check which venue your chosen screening is at when you book, as they are spread across Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and beyond.

What to expect

Programmes typically mix crowd-pleasing anniversary screenings of well-loved films with documentaries, silent classics with live musical accompaniment, family animations and the occasional cult oddity. Some events are straightforward screenings; others come with introductions, live music or guest speakers. Because many of the venues are small, the atmosphere is warm and informal, closer to a community gathering than a corporate premiere.

Best for:

Several venues are compact and screenings can sell out, especially those with a special guest or in an unusual location. If there is a film or venue you have your heart set on, book as early as you can rather than turning up on the night.

Tickets and the programme

The full programme is published on the festival's official website ahead of the September dates each year, with film descriptions, certificates and the venue for each screening. Tickets are usually available online, and in some years from a local box office or council customer point in the town as well. Prices are kept deliberately modest, in keeping with the festival's community ethos.

The best approach is to browse the official Whitley Bay Film Festival site when the new programme lands, pick the screenings that appeal, and note the venue for each one before booking.

Practical tips

• Plan around the venue, not just the film. Screenings are scattered across the coast, so allow time to get between them.
• Mind the tide. If a screening is at St Mary's Lighthouse, the causeway is only passable at low water, so check tide times before setting off.
• Come by Metro. Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Monkseaton all have Metro stations, and parking near the seafront can be busy on festival weekends.
• Make a day of it. Pair a screening with a walk on the beach, fish and chips or a drink in one of the town's seafront bars.

For more of what is on across the town through the year, see our guide to film and TV locations around Whitley Bay and the wider What's On listings.

Involved with the festival, or know a detail we should add? Get in touch via our contact page.