Cinema Expanded: The Films of Frederick Wiseman at QFT Belfast

What to Expect

Queen’s Film Theatre is giving over most of 2026 to Frederick Wiseman, the American documentarian whose observational, fly-on-the-wall style has shaped nonfiction filmmaking since the 1960s. Cinema Expanded works through his catalogue roughly every two weeks, pairing a single feature with a short introduction where possible. The season runs without narration or talking-head interviews across the board, which is the whole point of Wiseman’s method - the camera simply stays in the room and lets an institution or a place explain itself.

Confirmed dates so far are Aspen on Sunday 16 August, Belfast, Maine on Sunday 30 August, At Berkeley on Sunday 13 September and In Jackson Heights on Sunday 27 September. Aspen looks at the former mining town turned ski-set playground; Belfast, Maine is one of Wiseman’s most immersive films, tracking the rhythms of a New England port town over four hours; At Berkeley spends time inside the politics of American higher education; In Jackson Heights turns to one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in New York City. Further dates are expected to be added through the rest of 2026 as the retrospective continues.

Good to Know

• Screenings run roughly fortnightly on Sundays through autumn 2026: confirmed so far are 16 August (Aspen), 30 August (Belfast, Maine), 13 September (At Berkeley) and 27 September (In Jackson Heights).
• Venue: Queen’s Film Theatre, University Square, Belfast.
• Prices vary by film - check queensfilmtheatre.com for each screening; QFT membership discounts apply.
• Book online at queensfilmtheatre.com or at the box office, subject to availability.
• Further titles from the Wiseman catalogue are expected to be added to the season as 2026 continues, so it is worth checking the seasons page before each visit.

Getting There

QFT is at 20 University Square in the Queen’s Quarter, a 15 to 20 minute walk from Belfast city centre. Metro bus routes on University Road stop close by, and Botanic train station is a five-minute walk. Street parking is available on nearby residential roads, particularly at weekends.