Framing New Brighton + Q&A

The film will be followed by Q&A with director Dylan Cubbin and photographer Alex Hurst.

Framing New Brighton is a documentary portrait of a seaside town seen through the lenses of three acclaimed photographers, Ken Grant, Alex Hurst, and Tom Wood, whose work spans decades of dramatic social and cultural change.

Once famed for its bustling fairground, towering landmarks, and holiday crowds, New Brighton has long been a place of vivid contrasts. From the high-energy nights of the iconic Chelsea Reach nightclub in the 1980s to the slower Sunday strolls along the promenade, the town has continually reinvented itself while retaining its distinctive character and charm.

The film weaves together candid interviews, stunning photography, and rarely seen archive footage to tell the story of both a place and the people who document it. Each photographer offers a unique perspective: Ken Grant’s empathetic eye for working-class life, Alex Hurst’s intimate portrayal of the town’s streets and shoreline, and Tom Wood’s bold, colourful images that have become synonymous with Merseyside life.

At its heart, the film asks how we see the places we think we know best, and how different it can be from another person's perspective. Whether you remember the packed dance floors of the Chelsea Reach or the quiet beauty of an empty prom at dawn, Framing New Brighton invites audiences to rediscover this remarkable town on the big screen.

Dylan Cubbin is a filmmaker from Wirral, Merseyside. His work explores themes of place, memory, and identity, with credits including Liverpool Story (2024) and The Town I Love So Well (2025).