SWIF digest 📬 15 September 2026

👋 Hello filmmakers. Thanks to everyone who turned out for our 3rd birthday! On Friday we also hit our 650th subscriber. To celebrate the filmmaking community further we're creating a one off SWIF zine. Email me scans/pics of your A5 pages to be included: drawings, thoughts, quotes, details of your work, questions for the community, anything goes.

🥰 Please consider supporting this resource that connects the community, helps people get their first creative jobs and has no access barriers. You can give a one-off amount, or take an on-going membership if you want access to the filmmaker resources.

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

📸 Filmmakers from the SWIF micro-budget feature film workshop meeting at our 3rd birthday party last week. - Instagram

🚓 Tickets still available for tonight's (15 Sep) Bristol screening of documentary Everybody to Kenmure Street. An intense, ground-level, and ultimately joyous account of the public's stand-off with the police and the UK Home Office. - Cube

☕️ Catch up with the BFI Network South West team at their online coffee morning on 17 Sep. This usually gets booked up, but there's still space. - Humanitix

🤝 Network with actors & creatives in Falmouth on 17 Sep. - Eventbrite

💚 Share your recent films & works in progress at Filmmakers Plymouth Social's scratch night on 24 Sep. - Eventbrite

🧐 We are Doc Women are hosting a panel on 'thinking outside the box & how to get documentaries made now' on 29 Sep in Bristol. - Eventbrite

📷 Fotonow are hosting a free evening for women who take photographs on 30 Sep. Coffee, company and a chance to share your work and receive feedback. - Eventbrite

🎊 Join Bournemouth Education Arts Foundation for their launch party on 8 Oct. Learn about their work in creative health, future plans and see their exhibition and film screening in their new space. - Eventbrite

📽️ Can the south west take home BIFA's 2026 cinema of the year award? Voting closes on 21 Sep. - BIFA

👤 Watch local musician and music video creator Erin Layla's recent work Bly. - YouTube

🌾 Apply to 'Field Work' by 30 Sep, a development programme for rural & coastal Producers with at least two years experience working on narrative shorts and/or micro-budget features who have an active film project in development. - Bosena

📹 Take part in an in-person workshop for actors wanting to develop their self tapes and understand the fundamentals. Penryn on 6 Oct. - Eventbrite

🎞️ Video Editor needed in Bristol for The Content Emporium agency. Deadline 21 Sep. - Bristol Creative Industries

👸🏽 Head of Culture and Creative Economy needed at Gloucester City Council. Deadline 27 Sep. - Arts Jobs

👨🏽‍🔧 Cast & crew needed across departments for a debut feature shooting in Bristol in January. - Tabb

🏘️ Artistic Programmer needed at Bridgwater Town Council. Deadline 2 Oct. - Arts Jobs

📑 Last day to submit your TV comedy script to BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition. Deadline 16 Sep. - BAFTA

🫥 Last day to submit your animation work in progress to Animinspo x Encounters Film Festival. Deadline 16 Sep. - Google Form

📘 Screen Cornwall are looking for Cornwall-based writers aged 16-25yrs to submit a short film script on the theme 'the hustle'. Selected writers will receive a £200 fee & be produced by BFI Film Academy participants. Deadline 28 Sep. - Screen Cornwall

🤑 The Kino short film fund has its deadline this week on 20 Sep. - Kino

🙋🏽‍♀️ Apply for pitching & 1:1 sessions with major production companies at Aesthetica Film Festival, taking place in York 4-8 Nov. Apply by 30 Sep. - Aesthetica

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Ffilm Cymru's feature film development fund is open for applications until 2 Oct. - Ffilm Cymru

💸 Underscore Studios have released full details about their short film fund, supporting working-class filmmakers through funding, mentorship and practical support. Early deadline 30 Nov. - Underscore

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Two Short Nights (20 Sep), Cardiff Animation (22 Sep), Portsmouth Shorts::Cut, Pigeon Laughs (both 30 Sep), Southampton Film Week (9 Oct), International Film Festival of Wales (7 Oct) & Screams by the Sea (8 Nov). - FilmFreeway

🎬 Encounters Film Festival takes place 23-27 Sep in Bristol. - Encounters

↗️ Elevation Film Festival takes place 3-4 Oct in Devonport. - Elevation

🏳️‍🌈 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival takes place 12-18 Oct in Cardiff. - Iris

🎥 Bath Film Festival takes place 16-25 Oct. - Film Bath

🗣️ Poetry Film Festival takes place on 17 Oct in Bristol. - Eventbrite

🍿 On film club: A Special Day dir. Ettore Scola (on Amazon Prime) & 4 Little Girls dir. Spike Lee (on Now TV Cinema).

📣 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
watch my films

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.