Looking for a quiet weekend?
@visitbristol might not be your place.
Here’s why 👇
🎶 @lovesavesthedayfestival
🍺 @craftbrewfestival
🎭 @stpaulscrnvl
🎧 @forwardsbristol
🎬 @encounterssff
Five festivals. One city. No off switch.
From May through to September, Bristol doesn’t slow down. It builds. Bigger crowds, better nights, longer days.
And when it’s time to crash?
Stay somewhere that matches the energy.
📍 Moxy Bristol
Not your standard stay. Not your standard summer.
#WhatsOnBristol #BristolFestivals #UKSummer #StayDifferent
Mysterious robot carers, heartbroken knights, VHS dating videos, battling delivery drivers, angry alien overlords, unforgettable first dates… we have it all in this year’s GENRE FILMMAKERS OF THE FUTURE: SHORT FILM SHOWCASE - supported by @filmsat59 !
On Saturday 25 April, you’ll be able to watch the most exciting action, horror and sci-fi/fantasy shorts from around the world on the biggest screen in Bristol AND you’ll be able to vote for the Short Film of the Year!
Get your tickets now and find out more about the short films on our website.
#bristolfilm #bristolfilmmakers #bristolfilmmaking #bristolfilmfestival #bristolfilmmaker
Congratulations to all of tonight's BAFTA nominees! 🎬
A special mention to four Encounters alumni celebrating tonight, each at a very different point in their journey.
@one_6th 's Two Black Boys in Paradise has had a remarkable festival run, winning our Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Manchester Animation Festival and many more, and tonight receives its BAFTA nomination for British Short Animation.
@hlighton competed at Encounters with Leash in 2018, part of a short film journey that also included the acclaimed Wren Boys, and tonight picks up three nominations for his debut feature Pillion.
@nobledanceroslo brought his NFTS short Procter to Encounters in 2003, the beginning of a remarkable creative partnership with Eskil Vogt, and is tonight nominated for Best Film and Best Director for Sentimental Value.
Lynne Ramsay's early shorts competed at Encounters in the late 90s, and tonight she receives an Outstanding British Film nomination for Die My Love.
Good luck to everyone!❤️
#Encounters #BAFTA2026 #BazSells #TwoBlackBoysinParadise #HarryLighton #JoachimTrier #LynneRamsay #ShortFilm #BritishFilm
🎬 Calling all film lovers!
Join us as a volunteer pre-selector for Encounters Film Festival 2026.
Watch 100-250 short films (your choice), help shape our BAFTA-qualifying programme, and gain hands-on curation experience.
You'll get:
✨ Film programming experience at a leading UK festival
🎟️ Free pass to Encounters 2026
🌟 Access to our film community
Flexible, remote role (Feb-June 2026). Open worldwide.
⏰ Apply by 5pm, 30 January
🔗 Link in bio
We're in great company this weekend! 🎬
Head over to the @europeanfilmacademy website and check out 8 curated shorts programmes - including films from past editions of Encounters and @sansebastianfes . We are honoured to be the UK's nominating festival for the EFA's European Short Film - Prix Vimeo 🏆
Call for entries to the 2026 Encounters Film Festival are now open. Check out the links in our bio.
Still image taken from Seeds Of Love (2020) by Rosco 5 📸
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR NEXT YEAR’S GENRE FILM-MAKERS OF THE FUTURE SHORTS SHOWCASE!
Submit your films before 30 November to take advantage of the lowest fees!
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival is once again looking to find the Genre Film-Makers of the Future!
In 2026, Forbidden Worlds will host an epic showcase of the latest short genre films (sci-fi, action, horror and fantasy) from around the world.
The award winners are selected by a panel of judges made up of film professionals, however the Film of the Year is selected by the in-attendance festival audience who watch the shorts on a massive 18m x 15m IMAX screen and vote in-person via secure ballots. The winners will be announced on the same day.
- Best Sci-fi/Fantasy Short (selected by judges)
- Best Horror Short (selected by judges)
- Best Action Short (selected by judges)
- Best Performance (selected by judges)
- Short Film of the Year (Audience Choice Award - selected by in-person festival attendees)
Winners will receive an eco-friendly award from Bristol Design Forge that will be sent to them or awarded in person.
The winner of the Film of the Year award will also win £500 worth of post-production and £500 of equipment hire (for UK based film-makers) for their next project, courtesy of @filmsat59 , Bristol’s leading kit rental and post production facilities.
Please read all rules and requirements for submitting your project on our @filmfreeway page via our bio link.
Find out about some our previous winners on the Submissions page on our website.
#bristolfilmfestival #shortfilmfestival #shortfilms #bristolfilm #horrorshorts #horrorfilmfestival #stuntlife #actionshorts #filmmaking #filmmakers #filmmakerlife #scifishort #scififilmfestival #fantasyshorts #fantasyfilmfestival #shortfilmcompetition #shortfilmprize
For Encounters Roaming Reporters 2025, Amir Leo Elharrif has created a zine detailing his highlights of the festival and some helpful tips when attending next year!
Roaming Reporters is a talent development scheme in partnership with BFI Film Academy SW.
#encountersfilmfestival #encounters #filmfestival #bristol #shortfilm #favourites #zine
For our Encounters 2025 Roaming Reporters, Martha Redfern shares her experiences at the festival and writes about the empowering Female Stories showcased - link in bio for the article or on our website!
Roaming Reporters is a talent development scheme in partnership with the BFI Film Academy SW.
#watershed #youngpeople #bristol #encountersfilmfestival #encounters #roamingreporters #shortfilm #femaleempowerement
The first piece from our Encounters Roaming Reporters 2025 cohort is Noah Berridge's glowing review of the new Cillian Murphy film Steve; a special Q&A screening hosted by Nikesh Shukla with actor Jay Lycurgo, writer Max Porter and producer Alan Moloney joined us at Watershed!
Catch Steve at Watershed this week (w/c 13th October) or stream it on Netflix.
Roaming Reporters is a talent development scheme in partnership with BFI Film Academy South West.
#watershed #youngpeople #bristol #encountersfilmfestival #encounters #steve #cillianmurphy #jaylycurgo #roamingreporters #netflix #qna
Announcing the Encounters Roaming Reporters 2025 Cohort!
From Wed 24 to Sun 28 September, Encounters Film Festival celebrated their 30th anniversary in Bristol, a UNESCO City of Film.
In partnership with BFI Film Academy South West, five early-stage creatives had the opportunity to explore the festival and are provided with a platform to produce an artistic response on whichever topic they choose.
Follow Makeshift (@makeshift_ws ) and Encounters (@encounterssff ) to see what they create!
#encounters #filmfestival #roamingreporters #contentcreators #youngpeople #talentdevelopment
In 2026, Forbidden Worlds will once again host an epic showcase of the latest short genre films (sci-fi, action, horror and fantasy) from around the world.
Most of the award winners are selected by a panel of judges made up of film professionals, however the Film of the Year is selected by the in-attendance festival audience who will watch the shorts on the massive 18m x 15m IMAX screen of @bristolmegascreen and vote in-person via secure ballots.
The winners will be announced on the same day.
- Best Sci-fi/Fantasy Short (selected by judges)
- Best Horror Short (selected by judges)
- Best Action Short (selected by judges)
- Best Performance (selected by judges)
- Film of the Year (Audience Choice Award - selected by in-person festival attendees)
Winners will receive an eco-friendly award from Bristol Design Forge that will be sent to them or awarded in person.
The winner of the Film of the Year award will also win £500 worth of post-production and £500 of equipment hire (for UK based film-makers) for their next project, courtesy of @filmsat59 , Bristol’s leading kit rental and post production facilities.
Please read all rules and requirements for submitting your project on our @filmfreeway page via our bio link.
#filmmaking #filmmakers #filmmakerslife #horrorshort #actionshort #scifishort #fantasyshort #horrorfilmfestival #actionfilmfestival #scififilmfestival #bristol #bristolfilmfestival #bristolfilmmakers #shortfilmmaking #shortfilmfestival #shortfilms
