A Free Cultural Event!
This is a community-focused cinema programme where we showcase international films to celebrate Luton’s Diverse cultures.
Alongside screenings, we aim to host workshops, cultural activities that help audiences engage more deeply with each culture....and food!
Irish Day
September 14th
Celebrate Irish culture with an insightful day of film and cultural experiences.
Featuring screenings of The Quiet Man and Befast.
An American boxer returns to the Irish village where he was born, hoping for a peaceful life. Instead, he finds love, lively traditions, and a spirited community that won't let him escape his past. Filled with humour, romance, and breathtaking Irish landscapes, The Quiet Man is a timeless classic celebrating Irish culture and community.
Set in 1969, Belfast follows the story of nine-year-old Buddy as his close-knit community is transformed by the outbreak of conflict in Northern Ireland. Told through the eyes of a child, this heartfelt coming-of-age drama explores family, identity, love, and resilience with warmth, humour, and unforgettable performances.
Cultural Partners
Special thank to our
Luton Irish Forum
World Cinema for Luton is proudly funded by the Citizens Fund. The Luton Citizens fund is funded through Luton Rising, Luton council and Be Active Bedfordshire with partnership with BLCF
Later this year
Cinema is an art form that can connect people across different barriers, which is why we have chosen to screen two films: one more mainstream and the second more independent. This approach allows us to present a fuller picture of the ethnic group we are representing on each day.
Alongside the screenings, the workshop in between will help build dialogue between different cultural groups and encourage a better understanding of each other’s cultures.
The idea behind World Cinema for Luton is to bring people from different cultures and ethnic groups together to engage with and learn about communities beyond their own. We want audiences to share, explore, and discover more about the world through cinema.
Past
World Cinema Day
Caribbean Day
July 29th
Celebrate Caribbean culture with colourful day of film and cultural experiences.
Featuring screenings of Cool Running and Pressure.
Inspired by the remarkable true story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team's debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics, Cool Runnings is a heartwarming sports comedy about determination, friendship, and defying expectations.
Filled with unforgettable characters, infectious Caribbean spirit, and plenty of laughs, it's an uplifting celebration of resilience and national pride that has become a beloved family classic.
Directed by pioneering filmmaker Horace Ové, Pressure is the first Black British feature film and a landmark of British cinema.
Set in 1970s London, it follows Tony, a young British-born man of Trinidadian heritage, as he struggles with identity, racism, and belonging while caught between his family's expectations and the growing Black Power movement. Powerful, thought-provoking, and still deeply relevant today, Pressure remains an essential portrait of Black British life.
Cultural Partners
Special thank to our
West African Day
June 27th
Celebrate West African culture with a thought provoking day of film and cultural experiences.
Featuring screenings of Black Girl and The Last Tree.
Black Girl [15]
Directed by pioneering filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, Black Girl is a landmark of African cinema and a powerful exploration of identity, race, and post-colonial society.
The film follows Diouana, a young Senegalese woman who moves to France hoping for a better life, only to face isolation and exploitation while working for a wealthy family. Through striking visuals and emotional storytelling, Black Girl offers a deeply human and thought-provoking portrait of dignity, culture, and independence.
Widely regarded as one of the most important African films ever made, Black Girl remains as powerful and relevant today as it was upon release.
Book Tickets
The Last Tree (15)
Directed by Shola Amoo, The Last Tree is a powerful coming-of-age drama exploring identity, belonging, and the experience of growing up Black in modern Britain.
The film follows Femi, a British-Nigerian boy raised in rural Lincolnshire, whose life changes dramatically when he moves to London to live with his birth mother. As he struggles to balance culture, family, and masculinity, Femi is forced to confront who he truly wants to become.
Beautifully shot and emotionally honest, The Last Tree is a moving portrait of youth, heritage, and self-discovery.
Book Tickets
World Cinema for Luton is proudly funded by the Citizens Fund. The Luton Citizens fund is funded through Luton Rising, Luton council and Be Active Bedfordshire with partnership with BLCF
Cultural Partners
Special thank to our
Forever James
South Asian Day
May 25th
Celebrate South Asian culture with a vibrant day of film and cultural experiences.
Featuring screenings of The Glassworker and My Name Is Khan.
With energetic dance, dhol drumming workshops and cultural activies. Delivered in partnership with CYCD, Desi Fest and Alif New Beginnings, this is a powerful celebration of culture, community, and storytelling in Luton.
The Glassworker [12A]
From visionary filmmaker Usman Riaz comes The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature — a stunning and heartfelt story of love, art, and resilience.
Set in a beautifully crafted world on the brink of war, the film follows Vincent, a young glassblower apprenticed to his father. His life changes when he meets Alliz, the daughter of a military colonel, whose passion for music challenges everything he believes about duty, creativity, and courage. As conflict looms, the two must navigate their dreams in a world that threatens to tear them apart.
Blending breathtaking animation with a moving coming-of-age story, The Glassworker is a celebration of artistic expression and the human spirit.
My Name Is Khan (12A)
Directed by Karan Johar, My Name Is Khan is a powerful and emotional drama exploring identity, faith, and resilience in a post-9/11 world.
The film follows Rizwan Khan, a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome, played by Shah Rukh Khan, who embarks on an extraordinary journey across America to deliver a simple message: “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.” Along the way, his story becomes a moving testament to love, compassion, and the strength of the human spirit, as he seeks to reunite with his wife Mandira, portrayed by Kajol.
Blending intimate storytelling with a broader social message, My Name Is Khan remains one of modern Indian cinema’s most impactful and widely loved films.
Cultural Partners
Special thank to our
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