SWIF digest 📬 23 June 2026

👋 Hey filmmakers! It's confirmed, SWIF's 3rd birthday party will be Friday 11 Sep from 7pm at Shredenhams Bristol. Bring your film mates, meet some new ones and hear about upcoming opportunities from the region's screen orgs. Plus cake, games and zine making.

🥰 Please consider supporting this resource. 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:

📸 Still from short film Hugged People, Hug People which premiers at the Queer Vision shorts screening on 5 Jul in Bristol. - Instagram

🎟️ Cardiff Animation Nights is hosting a free screening of shorts film on 25 Jun. - Eventbrite

🎤 Doomscrl are taking their filmmakers open mic to Cardiff on 26 Jun. All types of filmmakers are invited to step forward, share a film they're proud of, and tell the stories behind the stories. - Instagram

⏳ New date for Filmmakers Plymouth Social's one shot film challenge, now on 26 Jun. You're welcome to join a team on the night, they're a friendly crowd. - Eventbrite

🐟 Free screening & discussion of documentary Riverwoods: An Untold Story, exploring biodiversity and nature recovery on 28 Jun in Exmouth. - Eventbrite

✅ Want to hear from a festival programmer on how to make your film submission stand out? The Screams by the Sea Festival team are hosting an online coffee chat on 29 Jun. Spaces extremely limited. - Linktree

🤝 City Eye Southampton have announced their next networking date on 14 Jul. - Eventbrite

🎶 Mark Jenkin & Dion Star will perform their score live to Rose of Nevada on 18 Jul in Plymouth, plus watch a live scoring of short film The Creek beforehand. - Ticket Tailor

🌊 Kernowfornia Film Co will host a screening of their feature Nowhere on 22 Jul in Falmouth, followed by a director Q&A. - The Poly

🌈 Get 15 Oct in your diaries for the Iris Prize's industry day. It's a day for everyone, regardless of background or identity. - Iris Prize

⚡️ Rising Arts Agency have announced their new Co-Directors. - Rising Arts

🔪 Dark comedy feature film Deadly Scare is raising funds for production. A sharp horror-comedy mockumentary about a dysfunctional group of serial killers with the perfect front for their work; an escape room. - Indiegogo

🌳 The Wildscreen Festival bursary programme is supporting emerging talent to attend the festival in Bath in Oct. Apply by 13 Jul. - Jot Form

🙋🏻‍♀️ The Female Founders programme from Creative Enterprise, which supports women leading screen businesses with six months of workshops, mentoring & peer support, has its deadline on 8 Jul. Plus they have a webinar with the mentors on 30 Jun. - Creative Enterprise

🇱🇻 Writers in Exeter can apply to the Tukums UNESCO City of Literature writer-in-residence programme in Latvia. Deadline 30 Jun. - City of Literature

🤔 Places still available on 'developing great formats for unscripted tv' online workshop on 9 Jul from Media Career Advice. - MCA

🛋️ Assistant Set Decorator needed for an HETV production in South Wales. Deadline 24 Jun. - Screen Alliance Wales

🌍 Researcher needed for Green Planet at BBC Natural History Unit. Deadline 28 Jun. - BBC

🎅 Sound Recordist needed for a paid short film shooting in south Devon in August. Styled as a comedic "so bad it's good" Christmas film. - Email Tamsin Lynes

🗣️ Director of Photography, Editor & Sound Designer needed for an experimental film poetry project in Somerset. - Email Lemi Taylor

👨🏽‍💻 North Somerset Creative People & Places is looking for a Creative Director & Programme Lead. Deadline 10 Jul. - Voluntary Action North Somerset

🏆 If you're under 22 yrs you can submit to the Young Animator of the Year Award. Deadline 1 Sep. - Young Animator

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Southampton Film Week (26 Jun), Cardiff Animation, Pigeon Laughs, Darkroom (all 30 Jun), ANiMiNSPO Mini Animation Festival (1 Jul), International Film Festival
 of Wales (3 Jul), Cardiff Mini (12 Jul), Bath (15 Jul), Gloucester Independent (18 Jul) & Cornwall (24 Jul) . - FilmFreeway

🏳️‍⚧️ Queer Vision Film Festival takes place in Bristol on 26 Jun - 10 Jul. - QVFF

🏕️ Sistaland Festival takes place 10-12 Jul. - Sistaland Festival

🎞️ Cinema Rediscovered Film Festival takes place in Bristol on 22-26 Jul. - Watershed

🏔️ Bristol Documentary Film Festival takes place 3-5 Sep. - BDFF

🍿 On film club: But I’m a Cheerleader dir. Jamie Babbit (on Amazon Prime) & Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus dir. Neo Sora (on BFIplayer).

📣 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..