SWIF digest 📬 20 January 2026

👋 Hi filmmakers. Currently living the hermit life, locked in my flat, coughing my lungs out, eating noodles, watching films. Hope you're all keeping better.

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

📸 BTS of a recent documentary about metal musicians in Bristol. - Instagram

🐻‍❄️ Documentary Trade Secret, which uncovers the shocking legal trade in polar bear skins, screens with a Director's Q&A on 22 Jan. - Plymouth Arts Cinema

💡 If you're 16-25yrs old you can attend this free two-hour 'Intro to Production' workshop in Bristol on 23 Jan from IGNITE & Netflix. They're also running a week long course in Weston-super-Mare in Feb. - Ticket Tailor & Jotform

🛢️ A screening & Producer introduction of Wild Coast Warriors, a documentary of indigenous resistance to big oil in South Africa, takes place on 27 Jan in Bournemouth. - Eventbrite

🌍 Join an evening of cutting-edge research and creative practice exploring how film & performance can respond to urgent climate challenges. 28 Jan in Bristol. - Eventbrite

📽️ Cardiff Animation Nights screening of amazing animated shorts takes place on 29 Jan. - Eventbrite

🌊 Archeo-Heritage Film's Into the Depths Festival has released details on a talk on 'Sound of the Sea: A Musical History of Hollywood’s Nautical Epics' & a nautical themed film quiz. 5-8 Feb in Bath. - Bath Box Office

⏱️ City Eye Southampton are hosting speed networking on 10 Feb. - Eventbrite

⚒️ Need crew for your next project or looking for your next crew role? Get yourself to the pitching forum in Bristol on 10 Feb. - Eventbrite

🤝 Bristol Creative Industries' next panel event & networking will be 11 Feb. - Eventbrite

👾 Screen Cornwall's annual 'Imagination Unleashed' exploring the creative, economic & social potential of CreaTech, takes place on 11 Feb in Truro. - Eventbrite

❤️ BIFA are offering free anti-racism training online on 28 Jan. - Eventbrite

💸 The Film & TV Charity are hosting a free webinar on taking control of your finances on 12 Feb. - F&TVC

👨🏽‍🏫 BFI Network SW are hosting a webinar on what it's like to produce one of their short films. 23 Feb, which is about the time their short film fund will open. - Eventbrite

👩‍🔧 Somerset Film are offering free technical support sessions near Yeovil on 3 Mar & in Somerton on 24 Mar. Access assistance with film projects, editing, lighting, sound recording, podcasts, iPhone support, computer basics & animation. - SF

📸 Nikon magazine are expanding their freelance pool of photography & videography Writers. Looking for technical pieces or on the filmmaking process, for beginners all the way to pros. Deadline 26 Jan. Pitch via email. - Email

👩🏼‍🎨 Lecturer in Animation needed at Uni of Gloucester. Deadline 27 Jan. - Uni of G

🐞 A trainee talent pool has opened up for submissions in Bristol for wildlife TV production. Deadline 30 Jan. - Production Base

💃 Casting call for actors in their 20s for a short filming in Exeter in Mar. Deadline 31 Jan. - Facebook

🤣 Casting call for comedy actors in their 20s-30s for a comedy sketch in Feb near Bristol. Email your clips - Email

😈 Crew & casting call for a dead-pan comedy about love, money and the supernatural. Shooting in Spring. Crew needed across multiple departments. Pitch deck available. - Alfie Morgan

🤑 BFI's Discovery and Impact Feature Fund is open for submissions until 5 Mar. - BFI

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

👩‍❤️‍👩 The personals: Composer/Sound Designer looking for new projects to score, happy to work with any genre at any length. Please get in touch if you’re interested in hearing my work! - Fred Lawrie

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Carmarthen Bay, Fortean (both 31 Jan), International Film Festival
of Wales (6 Feb), Gloucester Independent (7 Feb), Forbidden Worlds (13 Feb), Cornwall (20 Feb), Wildscreen (24 Feb) & Pigeon Laughs (6 Mar). - FilmFreeway

🤿 Archeo-Heritage Film presents: Into the Depths 5-8 Feb in Bath. - BAHFF

📷 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

🗻 Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour is out across the region over the next few weeks. - Eventbrite

🍿 On film club: Joyland dir. Saim Sadiq (on Channel4) & HyperNormalisation dir. Adam Curtis (on BBCiPlayer).

📣 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

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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.