SWIF digest 📬 26 May 2026

👋 Hey filmmakers! Hope you've survived the heat. A big digest today for you. I've been making a long form behind-the-scenes video about Fathom. It's not quite ready yet, but the main takeaway is set your filming dates, stick to them, then the film will have to get made. So, when are your next dates?

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

📸 Loving these BTS updates for short film Paper Girl. I'll be 1st AD on this one and it's filming this weekend. - Instagram

🌈 The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival are hosting their summer party and celebrating 2o years on 27 May in Cardiff. Tickets are free. - Eventive

🏭 Join SONY & Wex Photo Video for two inspiring open drop-in days at Blanket Studios Bristol on 27-28 May. Bringing together leading brands and the wider filmmaking community for kit demos, expert chat & networking. - Eventbrite

🤝 Devon Creative Social, a new regular networking event at Studio KIND, takes place on 29 May in Barnstaple. A relaxed space for creatives to meet, share ideas, swap stories, and build meaningful connections. - Eventbrite

👀 Chapter Cardiff's monthly showcase of short films with filmmaker conversations takes place on 1 Jun. - Chapter

📝 The Lighthouse Poole's next writers group takes place on 4 Jun. Sessions include prompts to stimulate new writing, space to feedback on works in progress, group critique and networking. - Lighthouse

🌳 'Park Cinema: A Celebration of Nature on Screen' outdoor screening takes place on 7 Jun in Midsomer Norton. - Eventbrite

📽️ Short films with puppets screen on 13 Jun in Bristol as part of Bristol Experimental Puppet Festival. - People's Republic of Stokes Croft

👮 Arnol Fini Bristol's film programme continues with Cues, an examination of interrogation as a performed scene. Until 16 Jun. - Arnol Fini

🫟 Want to run creative workshops or be a facilitator? Rising Arts in Bristol are holding a workshop on exactly that. 11 Jun in Bristol. - Humanitix

💄 Hair & Make-Up Artist needed for a short film in Bristol, filming in Jun. - Instagram

🎇 VFX, lighting and camera crew needed for an animation in Bristol. - Instagram

🏩 Casting call for a horror drama performaed on stage as part of Bath Spa University's Film Fest this week! Multiple genders, 18-35 yrs. - Tabb

🏥 BBC's Casualty are taking on Trainees across departments. Must be Welsh or Wales based. Deadline 28 May. - Screen Alliance Wales

🌊 Programme Lead & Activity Session Leaders needed for a community project at Mor Media, the team behind Cornwall Film Festival. Deadlines 31 May. - Mor Media

🚚 Production Manager needed at Boom Cymru. Deadline 29 May. - Screen Alliance Wales

🐸 Animation Workshop Leader needed in Cardiff. Deadline 5 Jun. - Screen Alliance Wales

📞 Communications & Partnerships Manager needed at Bristol School of Acting. Deadline 19 Jun. - Arts Jobs

🤔 Screen Cornwall are seeking new board members. Deadline 30 Jun. - Screen Cornwall

👩‍❤️‍👩 The personals: Swindon based Writer-Director with a horror & thriller focus seeking experienced Directors to shadow in production. - Jack Ostle

📗 The i-D drama writing competition closes for short and excerpt entries on 28 May. - i-D

✍🏾 'The Pour Over', a funded eight-week online programme for women of colour who feel called towards writing, creativity and a more expansive life, has its application deadline on 29 May. - SquareSpace

🤑 Ffilm Cymru's Beacons short film fund has its deadline on 12 Jun. - Ffilm Cymru

🏆 Bath Film Festival's short film competition and script to screen fund have their early deadlines on 15 Jun. - Film Bath

🏅 Film Expo South's short script competition has its early deadline on 17 Jun. - FilmFreeway

💎 The Performance short film competition, with prizes for comedy, micro, documentary, horror and drama, closes for submissions on 30 Jul. - Performance Insurance

💸 BFI Doc Society's documentary short film fund is open for applications until 1 Jul. - Doc Society

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Two Short Nights, Bristol Documentary (both 31 May), Bournemouth International (1 Jun), Iris Prize (2 Jun), International Film Festival of Wales (5 Jun), Cardiff Mini, Gloucester Independent (both 13 Jun) & Bath (15 Jun). - FilmFreeway

🌍 Watch Africa Film Festival takes place in Cardiff on 11-13 Jun. - WAFF

🏳️‍🌈 Queer Bath Film Festival takes place on 13 Jun. - QBFF

⚡️ Electric Film Festival takes place in Poole on 13 Jun. - EFF

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

🍿 On film club: El Ángel dir. Luis Ortega (on Amazon Prime) & A Night of Knowing Nothing dir. Payal Kapadia (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

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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..