Films and talks focusing on humans' relationships with rivers, estuaries, and water, in Cambridge, the Fens, & beyond, along with the presentation of artistic responses from the afternoon's creative workshop.

Filmmaker Matthew John Harrison introduces his documentary 'Oyster Land' - which spends time with the oystermen of Mersea Island, Essex, and explores the ancient oyster culture of the city of Colchester. The film is a flowing journey of working on the waters of an estuary that has sustained a local trade for thousands of years. 

Also shown will be 'CAM', A short film by Ryan Cooper Henniker and Matthew Ward, an audio-visual snapshot of everyday life in Cambridge. The 2025 film highlights deep-rooted rituals and enduring connections to the city. The stories and perspectives of local residents shown in the film offer a counterpoint to the increasingly transient nature of modern Cambridge.

The first screenings of short films commissioned for the festival, made during the Summer of 2025, will take place. 

'Eel Man' is a short documentary about Peter Carter, the last of the traditional fen eel catchers.

Image credit: Matthew John Harrison's new documentary Oyster Land 2024