This event is part of Forbidden Worlds Film Festival 2026. Visit www.forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk to see the full line-up as well as buy Weekend/Day Passes.

Dir: Matthew Robbins | United States | 105 mins | Cert. PG

There was a time when Walt Disney Pictures liked to test the limits of their family entertainment and nothing best showcases that period than Dragonslayer.

Set in a gritty realistic Dark Ages era, where politics, religion and prejudice have the most power, a king is forced to stave off the threat of a nearby dragon by sending him virgins as sacrifice, each selected by a seemingly random lottery…

In search of a solution, a group of villagers seek out an aging sorcerer (Sir Ralph Richardson), but when he is killed, the task falls on his young and inexperienced apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol) who must face the fire-breathing and awesomely-named Vermithrax Pejorative (who has become the cinematic blueprint for every dragon design since)!

With its groundbreaking Oscar-nominated visual effects from stop motion maestro Phil Tippett (The Empire Strikes Back, Robocop), Dragonslayer is an essential fantasy adventure that brings to life a world of magic, wonder… and light levels of gore and nudity for a Disney family film!

Before the screening, we'll be joined by Vicky Coules of the University of Bristol to discuss The Evolution of Dragons in Popular Culture.

Dragons have been with us for as long as we've been telling stories, and images of them accompany books, paintings and films. Over the many centuries, Vicky will show how they've changed and evolved...

Vicky is currently completing her PhD at the University of Bristol researching dinosaurs in visual culture. She also runs the Palaeomedia Project blog.