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The Nottingham Comedy Festival Director Helen Stead: "It is important to remember that comedy is an outlet to escape from reality, people like to have a laugh to forget about their troubles."

Since its inception in 2009, The Nottingham Comedy Festival has been consistently bringing the laughs to our city year after year. With 2019 set to be the biggest and best festival yet, we caught up with co-founder and director Helen Stead… 

Nottingham International Film Festival Returns in November

In November, The Nottingham International Film Festival returns for its fourth year. We had a chat with the festival’s Director of Operations, Neil Jeram-Croft, to find out everything you need to know about the event… 

Review: Nottdance Festival, Part 3

Review: NottDance Festival, Part 2

The biennial festival, now in its 25th edition, returned to Nottingham to captivate us all. The official Nottdance 2019 reviewer, Maud Lannen, has her say...

Film Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon

The Peanut Butter Falcon follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, as he escapes from his nursing home and goes on an adventure with out-of-luck crab fisher, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), and reluctant nursing home employee, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson)...

Film Review: Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon

The latest offering from Aardman studios bounces onto our cinema screens this week, strategically timed to coincide with half term. And, bounce it does. Wit, humour, slapstick – it’s all there, and fans of Shaun and the Aardman legacy will not be disappointed.

Review: Mayhem Film Festival 2019

Ashley Carter and Fabrice Gagos give a rundown of their favourite films of Mayhem Film Festival 2019...

LeftLion Film Podcast #23 - Mayhem Film Festival 2019 Review

Ali Emm and Penny Reeve join hosts Ashley Carter and Derry Shillitto to give their verdict on Mayhem Film Festival 2019...

Film Review: Official Secrets

Fabrice Gagos debriefs us on the big-screen adaptation of whistle-blower Katherine Gun...

Film Review: El Camino

Is the new Breaking Bad film a victim of its own success?

LeftLion Film Podcast #22 - Oli Sillito

Nottingham stand-up comedian Oli Sillito joins Ashley Carter and Derry Shillitto to discuss Stone Soup Academy and their Stand Up to Knife Crime comedy events...

Nottdance Festival 2019: Launch Night Review

The biennial festival, now in its 25th edition, returns to Nottingham to captivate us all. The official Nottdance 2019 reviewer, Maud Lannen, has her say on the opening night... 

Film Review: Joker

It’s already being called the film of the year and even got an eight-minute standing ovation at its premiere, but what is it about Joker that makes it so spectacular?

Film Review: Ready or Not

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's gory comedy-horror is in cinemas now... 

Film Review: Between Two Ferns - The Movie

Does Zach Galifianakis' popular web-series transfer to the big screen?

Film Review: The Last Tree

Without a big-name actor or existing franchise to lean on, The Last Tree has likely flown under many moviegoers’ radars - but greenhorn writer/director Shola Amoo has crafted a remarkable coming-of-age drama that will firmly plant his name on the map...

LeftLion Film Podcast #21 - Steven Sheil and Chris Cooke: Mayhem Film Festival 2019

Mayhem Film Festival co-curators Steven Sheil and Chris Cooke join hosts Ashley Carter and Derry Shillitto to give the lowdown on what to expect from the 2019 festival...

Review: Nafeesa Hamid and Colette Bryce at Inspire Poetry Festival

We caught performances by poets Nafeesa Hamid and Colette Bryce as part of Inspire Poetry Festival...

Review: Patience Agbabi at Inspire Poetry Festival

We got down to Southwell Library to catch revered poet Patience Agbabi, as part of Inspire Poetry Festival...

Review: Paper Cranes Poetry at Inspire Poetry Festival

My first assumption when almost anyone says ‘spoken word’ is of slam poetry – a shouting twenty something with a beanie, comparing their emotions to a ball of yarn or a revolver. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised, when attending Paper Cranes at the Beeston library, to find it was not a group of twenty somethings in beanies, but a collective of individuals eclectic both in age range, and personality...

Film Review: Ad Astra

Brad Pitt takes us to infinity, and beyond...

Nottingham Green Festival is Back For Its 27th Year

For nearly three decades, hoards of like-minded, green-thumbed folk flock to the Arboretum on a September Sunday for the Nottingham Green Festival, a community-led event where the whole family can educate themselves on being environmentally friendly. Our new Stage Editor, Rebecca Buck, has fond memories of the fest, dating back to her childhood...

Film Review: IT Chapter Two

Lifelong coulrophobia wasn't enough to stop Ben Lawrence checking out IT Chapter Two...

Film Review: Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth

Jeanie Finlay's latest documentary follows the story of Freddy McConnell, a gay trans man, on his journey to fatherhood...

Mayhem Reveals Full 2019 Festival Line-Up

Fright-fans rejoice - Mayhem, Nottingham's biggest and best film event, is just around the corner, and the Broadway-based festival has announced its full line-up for 2019...