SWIF digest 📬 22 September 2026

👋 Hello filmmakers. It's Encounters Film Festival in Bristol this week. I'll be around the festival most days, so do say hi if you see me!

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

📸 Sneaky pic from the cast & crew screening of my short thriller sci-fi Playback. Big thanks to Films@59 for hosting us. Be among the first to hear about its release here.

💚 This week is Filmmakers Plymouth Social's scratch night on 24 Sep. Share your recent films & works in progress with fellow filmmakers. - Eventbrite

🐡 Creative Mornings Bristol's next talk & coffee catch up is all about 'what would a big fish do?' to help change your mindset when making business and creative decisions. 24 Sep. - Creative Mornings

👷🏾 ANiMiNSPO is back on 25 Sep in Bristol for a night of sharing animation works in progress from local directors. - Headfirst

🥳 Jamaica Street Studios Bristol are holding an open studios weekend on 25-27 Sep. Meet artists, look around the listed building & take part in their fundraiser auction. - JSS

✍️ Scribe Lounge are hosting an online writing day on 10 Oct. Hear from organisations like BBC Writers and former open call winners, then do a writing sprint, then hear from more inspiring writers, repeat! - Scribe Lounge

🎧 Listen to new episodes of The Library Podcast - a Bristol based arts & culture podcast spotlighting underrepresented creative voices living/working in Bristol, the south west and beyond. - Linktree

⚔️ Swashbuckling Cornwall have announced new combat workshops in Oct & Nov in Falmouth; including swords, lightsabers, fantasy & knights! - The Poly

✨ Doghouse Post Production in Bristol are hiring a VFX & GFX Producer / Production Manager. No deadline and an immediate start date. - Doghouse

🏃🏿‍♀️ Plimsoll Productions in Bristol are seeking energetic and proactive Trainees to join their Operations team. Deadline 25 Sep. - Plimsoll

🍊 Boomsatsuma in Bristol are hiring an Outreach & Engagement Coordinator to design and deliver workshops in schools, colleges, & community settings to give young people a real taste of creative learning. Deadline 28 Sep. - Boomsatsuma

🐘 BBC Studios Natural History Unit in Bristol need a Senior Producer/ Director and a Producer / Director to work on a new and ambitious landmark production. Deadlines 4 Oct. - BBC

🤖 Plimsoll Productions in Bristol are hiring a Digital Lead who can develop and execute content strategies, manage channel growth, and create engaging video and digital content. Deadline 12 Oct. - Plimsoll

📘 BFI Network's early development fund for feature film treatments open in Oct. Hear from a previously funded writer about their experience on 19 Oct online. - Humanitix

💸 West of England Combined Authority have launched a new production fund, 'Greenlight West'. Awards from £50k-500k will be available for productions with qualifying spends. - Greenlight West

😂 The Gaffe Comedy Club in Bristol are hosting a film challenge right now. Submit your film based on the brief before 28 Sep. - Headfirst

🙋🏽‍♂️ Last week to apply for the Arvon screenwriting programme, a fully funded, two-year opportunity for emerging screenwriters from working-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds. Deadline 30 Sep. - Arvon

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Llyfrau Lliwgar's LGBTQ+ writers retreat for Welsh language writing is open for applications until 9 Oct. - Literature Wales

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: 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. - EFF

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

🍂 Gloucester Film Festival takes place 3-4 Oct. - GFF

🌴 Bournemouth International Film Festival takes place 9-10 Oct. - BIFF

🏳️‍🌈 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: The Other Side of the Wind dir. Orson Welles (on Netflix) & The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft dir. Werner Herzog (on BBC iPlayer).

📣 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
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.