SWIF digest 📬 24 March 2026

👋 Hey filmmakers! I'm working hard on 🌊 releasing one short online, 📹 in post-production for another and 🚙 writing another to film in Autumn. Got so much more to tell you! Jump over to my personal creative newsletter to be among the first to know what these cryptic emojis actually mean.

🧢 Warm weather's coming. Don't get burnt on set. Get complimented!

Put your name on the waitlist for 2026 edition SWIF merch. What item would you love to see?

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

📸 Real ghost spotted at Screams by the Sea Film Festival in Bournemouth this month. - Instagram

🥳 Congrats to Portsmouth & Swindon for making the long list for the next UK City of Culture. - Gov

👋🏽 Join Screen Cornwall's creative mixer on 25 Mar. An evening of networking for writers, directors and producers in film & TV. - Eventbrite

💻 DoomSCRL are hosting a live stream of new films submitted by creatives in Bristol on 27 Mar. - Instagram

🐥 Animinspo Bristol's regular night of animated shorts returns on 27 Mar, with a guest speaker from Kwak Studios. - Animinspo

👀 See 'A Watershed Moment for Black Filmmaking? An Exhibition' in Bristol on 28 Mar. - People's Republic of Stokes Croft

📽️ Watch a screening of local short films in Clevedon on 28 Mar. - Curzon

👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏾 Womxn in film & the creative industries are networking on 7 Apr in Bristol. - Headfirst

🤳 Sometimes I see opportunities that have deadlines before the next digest! I'll be sharing some of these on SWIF's new instagram account. Tag @southwestindependentfilm for reshares on your posts. - Instagram

🌍 Somerset Film have a free writing workshop on 28 Mar. Delivered by Climate Spring, the session focuses on 'patterns for regenerative storyworlds', a set of design patterns that writers can use for settings. - Somerset Film

🏋️‍♀️ Make Happen Institute have two free online workshops in April; 'Your audience isn't everyone' on 7 Apr & 'Finishing things' on 23 Apr. - Luma

💡 Launching your own film company? Look Aside are hosting webinars on that exact process on 8 Apr & 16 May. - Eventbrite

🎛️ Wex & Nine Tree Studios Bristol are opening their doors on 27-28 May. Explore new equipment across cameras, lenses, lighting, audio, monitoring & accessories, with experts on hand. - Eventbrite

👮 Major employment law changes are arriving in April and many of them will directly impact our industry. The Film & TV Charity break them down on their blog. - F&TVC

🫄 If you've had to take a break from your TV career for any reason but are now ready to jump back in, then apply for The TV Festival's 'Visionaries' programme. Deadline 26 Mar. - The TV Festival

🙋🏿 We Are Parable's Momentum programme is open for applications until 17 Apr. Designed for Black filmmakers to support them with mental health wellbeing, mentoring and access to industry professionals. - We Are Parable

🚀 Companies & institutions can register now to nominate emerging talent for CentreFrame's The Watchlist. Deadline 15 May. - CentreFrame

🤙 Last day to apply for Film Hub South West's Comms & Outreach Coordinator role. Deadline 25 Mar. - Watershed

📚 Female Pilot Club's sold-out live industry readings of female-written comedy scripts has its next submission deadline on 25 Mar. - FilmFreeway

🏅 Submit your short script & pitch deck to Kingston Film Festival's production competition by 2 Apr. - Smash Media

🤣 Submit your sitcom script to Sitcom Mission to be part of their next industry showcase. Deadline 26 Apr. - Sitcome Mission

🤑 Slick Films' shorts fund has its final deadline on 5 Apr. - Slick

💷 Unsolicited Scripts' short film fund has its regular deadline on 15 Apr. - US

🙉 Aesthetica & Audible's Listening Pitch film fund for documentaries that have listening at the forefront, has its deadline on 20 Apr. - Aesthetica

👩‍❤️‍👩 The personals: Colourist needed for my short sci-fi film about two female snipers on a hit that goes wrong. - Email Holly

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Iris Prize LGBTQ+ (31 Mar), Bournemouth International (1 Apr), Pompeywood Genre (3 Apr), Elevation (12 Apr), Wildscreen (16 Apr), Queer Vision (18 Apr) & Bristol Documentary (30 Apr). - FilmFreeway

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 WOW Wales One World Film Festival continues until 28 Mar. - WOW

🐦 Pigeon Laughs Film Festival takes place on 28 Mar in Cardiff. - Linktree

🖍️ Cardiff Animation Festival takes place on 23 Apr. - CAF

🤖 Forbidden Worlds Film Festival takes place on 23-26 Apr in Bristol. - FWFF

🟠 Carmarthen Bay Film Festival takes place on 18-21 May. - CBFF

🍿 On film club: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi (on Channel4) & Music by John Williams dir. Laurent Bouzereau (on Disney+).

📣 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.