Train Driver's Diary - Sunday 5th March 5pm

This Sunday our film is Train Driver's Diary, a story of a train driver bringing up his adoptive son whilst dealing with suicides and accidental deaths on his trains: believe it or not, this is more a comedy than anything.

As the Raindance Festival reviewer puts it, "The film has a very difficult balance to maintain between being able to discuss suicide, accidental killing, and trauma in a sincere, but funny manner, and simply making light of these issues. It never fails to fall on the right side of this divide...Miloš Radović triumphs with this must-see sensitive, funny and heartwarming portrayal of the psychology of innocent murderers."

Under the Shadow - Sunday 26th February 5pm

After our fantastic festival , we return to 'business as usual' with Under the Shadow... or is it usual? As Rotten Tomatoes says, it "deftly blends seemingly disparate genres to deliver an effective chiller with timely themes and thought-provoking social subtext". What we are offering you is, then, a believable horror movie!

Set in Tehran, we follow Shideh as she deals with the problems of bringing up her child alone in the Iran-Iraq war, facing bombs, hunger and thirst plus male and religious intolerance. Under these pressures, is she imagining the noises in the night and the misplaced articles...or has something sinister arrived in her apartment block..? So, do expect some classic horror tricks, but well wrapped up in a story of our time - "The jump scares are solid, and earned. The suspense is genuine. And Under the Shadow never loses sight of the basic human reality of mother and child, trapped at home, encircled by a variety of evils, both real and imagined" – Bilge Ebiri, Village Voice.

So, when did you last watch a horror movie? Come along and enjoy yourself!

18th Keswick Film Festival

This year's festival runs from Thursday to Sunday. There are over 30 films during the weekend from Bafta winner La La Land to Casablanca (though unless you can be in two places at once 15 is the most you'll see).  As usual there are two films benefiting from the giant Rheged screen.

We have a good range of guests ranging including Greta Scacchi, three film critics and the boat Amazon.

Film club members can get a free programme by showing your membership card or festival pass at the Alhambra or Theatre by the Lake. You can also download the programme or purchase it for £1.

If you've not yet got your tickets, passes are £45 (£50 non members) and individual tickets £5 (£6 non members) so if you are seeing nine or more films it makes sense to get a pass which also gives entrance to the party on Thursday night at the Golden Lion. Passes and tickets are on sale at the theatre and online at theatrebythelake.com and individual tickets at the cinema.

Remember because the theatre studio is small passholders will need to collect complimentary tickets from the theatre box office.

If you live outside Keswick there is a car park pass for Lakeside car park for £5 for Friday to Sunday on sale from Thursday evening at both venues.

Sieranevada - Sunday 12th February 5pm

It is hard to say much about our Romanian film this weekend:  Sieranevada deliberately leaves most of the plot for you to work out as you watch it. All I will say, then, is that it is set in an apartment where a group of friends and relations are gathered. Their conversations are going to make you think about many of the world’s recent big issues - from Charlie Hebdo to communism – but also from food to infidelity. This is a film that you are going to have to think about, both during it and afterwards. In looking for an appropriately obscure review, I came across this one:-

"A film that tries to combine audiovisual and space-time manipulation with a background that pretends to be realistic by means of a technique that impresses but which, above all, seeks naturalness and efficiency" – Ok, this is from a Spanish critic -  Ignacio Navarro, El antepenúltimo mohicano  – but I just thought it says everything you need to know in advance..!

Maybe I should tell you one last thing; it was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year.