Folkestone Film Festival

03/06/2026

The earlybird deadline to send us your films is in just a few day's time! Submit via FilmFreeway by this Sunday, June 7th.

Use promo code DISCOFOLKESTONE for 45% off all submissions.

Submissions are now open for the 6th Folkestone Film Festival, running from 6th to 8th November 2026. Code: DISCOFOLKESTONE for 45% Off Submission 🎬🍿 O...

28/05/2026

Rabbit Ears Q&A with Writer/Director/Producer Leonie Watkins 🎬🏆

What happens to a child when a parent dies young? When Eloise's beloved mum suddenly passes away, Eloise is left to navigate the world alone. Years later and all grown-up, Eloise wants to reclaim her life, but that means being honest with herself and confronting her grief. Is she ready? Sort of...

𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 is an ode to grief with an uplifting message. It is a film about love and loss, but equally, it exposes a truth - that it can take years to confront grief. My own mother died when I was a child. It was a shattering experience that froze me in time. It was as though I was living in an adult world, and for years, I felt stuck, unable to let go for fear of forgetting her entirely. I sought to capture the isolation, loneliness, guilt and confusion of what it's like to exist in the world when the person you are closest to is suddenly no longer there. The film aims to connect those people who can relate to the experience. For everyone else, I hope the film shows it is possible to let go and move forward after a devastating loss - something everyone will unfortunately go through during their lifetime. I set out to make a touching film that resonates with young people and adults alike. My wish is that the film leaves the audience feeling hopeful.

26/05/2026

We'd like to announce our TOP JUDGE for Season Five. Mansur Judged the highest amount among our judges and completed 100% of his allocated submissions. Congratulations Mansur Sarsembayev and thank you so much for contributing to our festival! 🎬🏆👏

Mansur is a screenwriter and film director from Kazakhstan and is a recipient of the prestigious Altyn Kalam Award for Best Screenplay and Dramaturgy of the Year 2020.

He has served as a jury member at international film festivals, including the Eurasian Creative Guild Film Festival 2022 (United Kingdom) and the Burabay International Short Film Festival 2025 (Kazakhstan).

He worked as a screenwriter on the Russian television series “Knockoffs” (2023), and Directed the short film “Late Session” (2019) and animated film “Where Does the Heart Call?” (2018).

Mansur is a member of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), the League of Cinematographers of Kazakhstan, and the Eurasian Art Union in the Theatre, Film and Television section.

25/05/2026

Rockpools Q&A with Writer/Director Georgy Pleece 🎬🏆

On the South Coast of the UK, two siblings navigate the grief of selling their family home. When hundreds of children's toys start to wash up in the rockpools, memories from the past start to rise to the surface.

"I grew up in Brighton, East Sussex, and from a young age I was surrounded by creativity, storytelling, and the coast. I had a love for performing and theatre, and went to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts to train as an actor. During my time there, I got involved in scratch comedy and new writing nights, and haven't looked back since. I have written for theatre, audio drama, and short film, having recently completed a masters in filmmaking at Kingston University. I am interested in telling stories about the passage of time, the natural world, and the life after death."

25/05/2026

My Hero Q&A with Writer/Producer/Key Cast Arnaldo Stafa & Key Cast Charmel Koloko 🎬🏆

From zero to hero, we follow the life of Nathen, whose life has been pushed around for too long. He soon encounters his alter ego who transforms into his hero and battles on his behalf in difficult situations. However, Nathen quickly discovers that a hero's journey can lead to complicated consequences.

Jessica Magaye is a Writer/Director whose career began in 2019 with Eleven Film as an office runner on S*x Education.
Jess was Second Unit Director on Supacell, the new superhero series written and directed by Rapman for Netflix. She had initially been selected for the "Supacell Six" shadowing scheme, working closely with the showrunner across production. She has been in many writers' rooms for TV shows as a writer/writing assistant. Jess wrote and directed her short film Daddy's Girl with DBK Studios and Sky Studios, which aired on Sky Arts in early 2022.

23/05/2026

Dear Darlene, Q&A with Writer/Director Nabeel Renaaz 🎬🏆

In a letter that could be his last, Bruce, a soldier, reminisces about the poet who rewrote the verses of his life—Darlene.

A storyteller, a dreamer, and a deep observer. Nabeel does not come from a traditional creative background. His educational background screams IT guy. But one conversation with him and you'll realise that his brain has been hotwired toward art and creativity.
Fueled by his love for stories, he has been writing since fourth grade. Starting with short episodic stories, he now writes full-fledged screenplays, with a goal to bring them all to screens around the world.

23/05/2026

Gorse Mother Q&A with Writer/Director/Co-Producer Sonya G. Rosen 🎬🏆

It is Crab Skerry's first time joining the gorse game – the sensual, perilous coming-of-age ritual that the young villagers of Neverness perform every year. To win the game, Crab must dive into the field of gorse and emerge, bloodiest of all the boys, with an arrow bearing the name of one of the village girls. But this year the Gorse Mother (patroness of the ritual) interferes, and something will go horribly wrong with deadly consequences.

Sonya has always loved to share stories, starting early in theatre summer camps and acting in school plays. When she discovered directing, she never went back. Indeed, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Theater Directing at Skidmore College, with a minor in Anthropology, and likes to say that she "majored in telling human stories." She came to London Film School to explore filmmaking tools and techniques, where she finally settled on the medium she pursues today. She loves the intricate dance of technicality and artistry involved in the craft of film, and revels in the opportunity to lead talented and dedicated teams.

22/05/2026

What About Chris? Q&A with writer Jamie Owen Gilligan 🎬

Attending his uncle Chris' funeral, 19 year old Ryan reflects on a weekend the two spent together when he was 10, where Chris' struggled to leave his past life as an addict behind.

21/05/2026

Neneh Q&A with Writer Samuel Tucker 🎬🏆 Winner of Best Feature screenplay, Season 4.

Born into a traditional Mandingo family in Liberia we tell the story of war, forced marriage, abduction and attempted FGM. Neneh escapes this, leaving her kids behind, not knowing where she is going. Her journey leads her towards Europe, she is submitted to multiple abuses along the way and ends up on the steps of the Home Office battered and bruised. The Home office treated her no fairer and push her mental health to its limits.

"I first met the real Neneh in 2018 and am very familiar with her horrific story and treatment in the UK subsequently. The day I sat in a court room with her, was the day I was compelled to tell her story. Neneh is aware that I have written this screenplay, but likely will never want to watch the movie as it would be too painful."

19/05/2026

Выход (Vyhod / Exit) Q&A with Director/Animator Ernie Maltby 🎬🏆 Winner of Best Experimental Animated Film

Feelings of home & strained memories of healthcare & treatments enmesh in echoes of planned negligence, conditioned immunity to war and erasure of communities. Scavenged materials, whirring scraps of machinery and interrogatory lighting are forged to life in corners of domesticity against a boiling musical score to create a surreal and kaleidoscopic meander through strained memories of a prevailing fascist state complicity.

A film by Ernie Maltby made in collaboration with Shape Arts (UK), leading disability-led arts organisation. Produced and commissioned by Shape Arts as part of the Adam Reynolds Award programme, supported by funding from Garfield Weston Foundation and Arts Council England.