Spirit of Independence Film Festival

Special film screening events celebrating unique and creative voices in the world of independent and cult cinema, leading up to the Spirit of Independence Film Festival in September.

30 July 2026 - Strange Days

The year is 1999. The millennium is ending. The city is on the edge.

Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days is a feverish vision of the near future — a cyberpunk thriller, noir mystery, and explosive action spectacle set during the final days before the turn of the millennium.

Former police officer turned black-market hustler Lenny Nero deals in illegal recordings that allow users to experience other people’s memories, emotions, and sensations firsthand. But when a mysterious clip lands in his possession, Lenny is pulled into a deadly conspiracy involving murder, corruption, and the violent tensions threatening to tear Los Angeles apart.

Released in 1995 and written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, Strange Days arrived ahead of its time — anticipating debates around virtual reality, surveillance, recorded experience, and media obsession long before they entered the mainstream. Combining relentless action with sharp political commentary and a uniquely immersive visual style, the film has grown into one of the most acclaimed and influential science fiction films of the 1990s.

Alongside the main feature, the evening will include a selection of special extras to complete the full cinematic experience.

Before the film, we’ll be screening a specially selected short from the Spirit of Independence archives, this month’s short will be Euan Munro’s ‘Raindog’. Two computer programmers developing a weather forecasting AI are unnerved to discover their creation is far more powerful than they'd imagined.

We’ll also be presenting a curated reel of trailers drawn from the neon-lit paranoia, virtual realities, and millennial anxieties.

And as an added bonus for the night, all attendees will be entered into a free raffle, with a chance to win a film-related prize.