SWIF digest 📬 27 October 2026

👋 Hello filmmakers. If you're feeling the pinch up to Christmas, you're not alone. This digest has a lot of jobs, both crew and creative organisation roles. Keep going, keep making.

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

🥳 Congratulations to Johnny King winner of the script to screen award & Francesca McBride winner of the new filmmaker award at Bath Film Festival last week. - Instagram

👰🏾‍♀️ Catch a screening of Dao in Bristol tonight (27 Oct), with an introduction from Film Africa & Afrika Eye. - Watershed

🎃 Watch a screening of short horror films, including work from Dorset filmmakers on 30 Oct in Dorchester. - Picturedrome Cinemas

🧑‍🎨 Watch a screening of artists’ films from the shortlist of this year’s Film London Jarman Award. 4 Nov in Bristol. - Spike Island

🧏 Chapter Cardiff are hosting Deaf Gathering Cymru with two nights of short film screenings from a/Deaf filmmakers. 6 & 8 Nov. - Chapter

👹 Catch the second monthly gathering of the Queer Folk Horror Club in Bristol on 16 Nov. A community cinema bringing together fans for feature film screenings followed by informal, low-pressure discussions. - Headfirst

✍️ Creative Cardiff’s 'AMDANI' monthly writing group takes place on 18 Nov. Each session offers a chance to write, experiment and connect with other writers in a relaxed and welcoming environment. - Eventbrite

🤝 Exmouth Film Festival are hosting networking for filmmakers in Devon on 20 Nov. - Eventbrite

🖼️ Fotonow in Plymouth are hosting a photo social for women to share their work and receive feedback in a safe and inclusive space. 25 Nov. - Eventbrite

😂 Dirty Jack & The Gaffe Comedy Club are hosting Brizflix, a comedy short film night, on 30 Nov in Bristol. Submissions open. - Headfirst

💡 City Eye Film Network Southampton is hosting an regional showcase of short films on 8 Dec. - Eventbrite

✅ The New Black Film Collective is researching UK cinema-going habits and film preferences. Your anonymous responses to their survey will help guide the production industry to make more films for you! - TNBFC

🏆 Congrats to Penarth Pier Pavilion Cinema which has been longlisted for BIFA's Cinema of the Year award. - BIFA

💬 A new Whatsapp group for filmmakers in Dorset has launched. - Whatsapp

📹 Tickets are still available for Swashbuckling's self tape workshop for actors on 3 Nov in Penryn. - Eventbrite

📲 Those with experience in unscripted television can apply to an HETV unscripted socials producer training programme taking place in Bristol 27-28 Jan. Deadline to apply 5 Jan. - Mission Guru

📰 Little White Lies magazine is accepting article pitches. Check out their submissions guidelines too. - Bluesky

📢 An HETV drama filming in spring-summer next year needs Dorset based crew: 1st ADs, 2nd ADs, Production Coordinators & Assistant Production Coordinators. - Email

🎨 Colour Grader needed for a short film supported by the Exeter Phoenix Devon short film commission. - Exeter Phoenix

🍊 SEN Tutor needed at Boomsatsuma film college in Bristol. Deadline 21 Oct. - Boomsatsuma

👩‍💻 Post-production Trainee needed for an HETV production in Cardiff. Deadline 30 Oct. - Screen Alliance Wales

⏳ Operations Co-ordinator needed at Creative Kernow in Redruth. Deadline 2 Nov. - Arts Jobs

🕵️‍♀️ If you want to work in factual then Plimsoll Productions in Bristol are taking speculative applications on a range of roles. - Plimsoll Productions

📑 Cultural Administrator needed at East Quay in Watchet Somerset. Deadline 9 Nov. - East Quay

🧑‍💼 Programme & Operations Manager needed at Jolt Studios, Gloucester's creative incubator and co-working space which supports the city's cultural entrepreneurs. Deadline 16 Nov. - Arts Jobs

📅 Performance Programmer needed at Exeter Phoenix for maternity cover. Deadline 16 Nov. - Exeter Phoenix

✂️ Associate Editor needed to join the editorial team on a stop frame/mixed medium series for Aardman Animations in Bristol. Deadline 20 Nov. - Aardman

🌈 The Iris Prize Film Festival's online screenings are still running until 31 Oct. - Eventive

💷 Look Aside Films' short film fund has its regular deadline on 1 Nov. - Look Aside

🧧 FILMD's £1k short film grant is open for submissions. Deadline 20 Nov. - FILMD

📮 Upcoming film festival submission deadlines: Celtic Media Festival (6 Nov), Screams by the Sea (8 Nov), No Reason Short (22 Nov), Forbidden Worlds (30 Nov), Bristol Documentary (18 Dec), Encounters (21 Dec), Carmarthen Bay (23 Dec) & Pigeon Laughs (9 Dec). - FilmFreeway

🎃 Heligan Folk Horror Film Festival takes place 24-31 Oct near Pentewan. - Heligan

🕵️‍♀️ Film Noir Festival takes place 30 Oct - 1 Nov in Weston-super-Mare. - Ti.to

✊ Bristol Radial Film Festival takes place 6-8 Nov. - BRFF

🌍 Afrika Eye Film Festival takes place 19-22 Nov in Bristol . - AEFF

🇵🇸 Bristol Palestine Film Festival takes place 25 Nov - 6 Dec. - BPFF

🍿 On film club: Pain and Glory dir. Pedro Almodóvar (on BFIplayer) & Martin Margiela: In His Own Words dir. Reiner Holzemer (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
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.