SWIF digest 📬 10 February 2026

👋 Hi filmmakers. I'm in a little bit of an odd mood this week. Tomorrow (Wed 11 Feb) is the last day of Odeon Union Street Bristol. I've worked there for eight months and been part of a wonderful team. We're all moving to the new luxe site, but still, transitions are hard. Come see one last film with us in our 88 year old cinema.

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Here’s your weekly digest for independent film in the South West:

📸 We're in need of more BTS! Send me links & pictures to be featured in next week's digest. - Email

🎟️ Bristol Film Friends' next meet up is 18 Feb, with a pub visit followed by a trip to see Whistle. - Email

🤗 Filmmakers Plymouth Social's next meet up is 26 Feb. - Eventbrite

☕️ Creative Mornings Bristol's next breakfast talk is 26 Feb. Speaker tbc. - CM

🐠 Wildscreen's Science in Storytelling conference takes place online 19-20 Mar. Bringing scientists & filmmakers together to learn, collaborate and share how best to keep science at the heart of natural world stories. - Wildscreen

🏡 Watch a free evening of short films exploring identity, creativity, and the many ways people feel connected to the place they call home. 26 Mar in Southampton. - Instagram

🏳️‍⚧️ Cinematransexual are hosting the UK’s first trans pride film night on an imax screen with a screening of Challengers at the megascreen in Bristol. 27 Mar. - Instagram

🦓 Wildscreen are seeking production companies & environmental storytelling focused organisations across the UK to host ten paid traineeship opportunities through their Environmental Storytellers Programme. - Wildscreen

🎧 Notes Actually is a new podcast about demystifying the development process in scripted TV & film. In each episode, they'll discuss what it really takes to get a project over the line in today’s market. - Spotify

📽️ Smoovie, a micro-circuit of community venues across Wales, is seeking films made in Wales for screenings. - Smoovie

📟 ScreenSkills are offering a free 8-week course on a practical introduction to animation production management. Apply by 17 Feb. - ScreenSkills

🧑🏽‍🎓 BFI Network's online shorts school is back. 23-26 Feb. - Ticket Tailor

✂️ Somerset Film are hosting a Final Cut Pro X editing workshop on 26 Mar in Bridgwater. - Somerset Film

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Boom Cymru in Cardiff are hiring multiple roles in their production department. Welsh speakers only. - Screen Alliance Wales

🦸🏽‍♀️ Production Trainee needed for a drama series filming in Bridgend. Deadline 11 Feb. - Screen Alliance Wales

🐺 Bad Wolf in Cardiff are hiring a Production Secretary (11 Feb) & a Production Finance Accounts Assistant (12 Feb). - Screen Alliance Wales

🌳 BBC Studios Natural History Unit in Bristol are hiring a Producer-Director. Deadline 12 Feb. - BBC

🏃🏿‍♀️ Runner with a clean driving license needed in Bristol. Deadline 17 Feb. - Production Base

🍊 Boomsatsuma Bristol are hiring a Marketing & Content Coordinator. Deadline 23 Feb. - Boomsatsuma

🛞 We Are Parable are hiring a Project Manager for their 'Momentum' programme, designed to support Black British filmmakers with mentoring, mental
health support & access to industry professionals. Deadline 9 Mar. - We Are Parable

😇 Cornwall Film Festival are looking for volunteer pre-selectors. Deadline 1 Mar. - Google Form

😈 D-Horror is a UK-wide development programme supporting disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodivergent writers & directors to develop original feature-length horror projects. Deadline 13 Feb. - 104 Films

🚀 Local Landscapes, Global Horizons is a nine-week, producer-focused development & market strategy programme supporting UK producers with regionally rooted feature film projects. Deadline 20 Feb. - Screen Yorkshire

💷 Kino short film fund's final deadline is 14 Feb. - Genera Films

💸 Unsolicited Scripts' short film fund has an online Q&A on 15 Feb. The fund's application deadline is 15 May. - Unsolicited Scripts

✈️ First Flights short film fund has opened for applications. Deadline 30 Apr. - First Flights

👩‍❤️‍👩 The personals: Nothing this week, get in touch for a free listing.

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Forbidden Worlds (13 Feb), Elevation (15 Feb), Cardiff Mini (18 Feb), Cornwall (20 Feb), Wildscreen (24 Feb) & Carmarthen Bay (2 Mar). - FilmFreeway

📷 Two Short Nights Film Festival takes place in Exeter 5-6 Mar. - TSN

👻 Screams By The Sea International Film Festival takes place in Bournemouth 13-14 Mar. - SBTS

🍿 On film club: Dogtooth dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (on ITVX) & The Celluloid Closet dirs. Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman (on Channel4).

📣 Have something to share on the next digest? Could be an event, workshop, behind the scenes updates, crew call, showcasing your work or a personal ad. Get in touch! hollyholdsworth@gmail.com

💌 If you found this helpful please forward it to a friend.

Until next week!
Holly Holdsworth (she/her)
Writer/Director
where I am on the net

Inclusion in this email does not denote endorsement. I will always try to platform the best opportunities for this community and am not affiliated with any organisation, unless explicitly mentioned besides the link.