Onwards & Sideways: A first glimpse at the film shot in Fakenham

Date published: 21st May 2026

Fakenham residents will remember seeing film crews back in November, and seeing Hollywood stars Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans filming in and around the town centre.

The first glimpse of the now-titled ‘Onwards & Sideways’ has been revealed, ahead of the release later this year in cinemas and on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

North Norfolk District Council and Norfolk Screen were pleased to have worked with Hilltop Screen and John Gore Studios to bring the production to Fakenham, and help facilitate the filming in the district.

Set and filmed in North Norfolk, feature-length drama is a touching, light-hearted story about two characters whose lives change when, on the same morning, they are diagnosed with Parkinsons, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, and find support with eachother, in their community, and through a new-found love of dance.

Rhys Ifans character plays ‘Tony Evans’, the deputy head of a local primary school, and Laura Linney plans ‘Emma Dretzin’, a pianist and composer. The film also stars Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan and Paul Mayhew-Jones, who wrote the story, and also lives with Parkinsons.

The Council works closely with Norfolk Screen, the Film Office for Norfolk, and with productions looking to film in North Norfolk, connecting them with locations or services/suppliers around the district.