Among them: the UK premiere of Paper Plane, Saoirse Ronan’s directorial debut, further UK premieres from Oscar nominees and winners including Joshua Oppenheimer, Bill Morrison and Jérémy Comte, with new work from Don Hertzfeldt, Gorillaz, Wesley Wang and many more. 

We’ve teamed up with BFI NETWORK partners from across the UK to bring you some unmissable events as part of the Industry Programme and are proud to see a whole host of south west talent represented in this year’s competition and in the wider line-up… 

Huge congratulations to all the filmmakers whose work has made it into the programme – we can’t wait to watch along with you. 

Made in the south west 

Our corner of the UK is bursting with talent, and that’s clear to see in this year’s competition with short films in competition from Paul Holbrook, Zoë Hutber, Tia Salisbury, Jasmin Blackborow, Myles Kamwendo and Matthew Wells. 

Be sure to be check out South West short The Flower Witch, funded by BFI NETWORK, and directed by Zoë Hutber. Screening as part of screenPLAY, a new weekend strand connecting families and young people with good screen experiences. 

• Zoe Hutber’s The Flower Witch Kids Shorts 10+ Sat 26 Sep 11:30 Cinema 1 

Confined to her cottage by a strange curse that kills every living thing she touches, Flora, a grieving witch, lives in solitude—until one day there’s a knock on the door.

• Paul Holbrook’s Tor Lewa South West Showcase Wed 23 Sept 20:30 Cinema 1 

At night, troubled alcoholic Billy Kane fears what lurks in the shadows, forcing him to run further from the painful memories of his past 

• Jasmin Blackborow’s Lovely South West Showcase Wed 23 Sept 20:30 Cinema 1 

‘Lovely’ is a 12-minute comedy-drama set in a Cornish care home. Supported by our friends at Screen Cornwall. 

Plus, a special shout out to BFI NETWORK and Beacons-backed shorts from across the Nations and Regions… 

• Varun Raman & Tom Hancock’s Into The Betaverse Brief Encounters 5 Thurs 24 Sep 14:00 · Cinema 1 

Gary’s just proposed to his girlfriend. However, their relationship only exists in a virtual world – the Betaverse. Technophobe best mate, Dave, suspects she’s a scammer, so he begrudgingly enters the Betaverse to spy on them. Produced by Hampshire-based producer Chuckie McEwan. Funded by BFI NETWORK.  

• Ben Cohen’s Moderation Brief Encounters 5 Thurs 24 Sep 14:00 · Cinema 1 

As a content moderator, Annabel patrols the internet for evil. So must contend with a steady stream of unrelenting bile, fed directly into her eyeballs. Luckily, she bonds with her melancholic colleague, AJ, over an illicit rooftop vape session. Funded by BFI NETWORK.  

• Molly Allen’s Extinction Late Lounge Thurs 24 Sep 20:00 Cinema 1  

Rich dinner-party guests are sat around a table, drinking, laughing, flirting and waiting for their food to arrive. The waiters bring out the food under a cloche and place the food on the table. The guests lean forward, hungrily, eagerly. The waiters remove the cloche and unveil a human corpse. The guests lick their lips while the human meat is carved and served to them. Funded by Ffilm Cymru.

Spotlight on Features 

It’s not all about shorts. Encounters 2026 offers a line-up of highly anticipated feature films too. Here are the ones we recommend you check out: 

• Paul Wright’s Mission – Wed 23 Sep 20:00 Cinema 3
  Alienated Dylan (George MacKay) throws off the shackles of his solitary life in an attempt to experience the highs and lows of existence at its most extreme. Produced by Bristol’s very own (and BAFTA-winning) Kate Byers. 

• Jonatan Etzler’s Bad Apples – Sat 26 Sep 15:30 Cinema 1 

A struggling primary school teacher begins to make some questionable decisions after one of her students is injured. Starring Saoirse Ronan (whose directorial debut Paper Plane screens elsewhere in the programme).

Bad Apples also features a whole host of Bristol legends including Amy Mason and Alice Lamb, and was filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in the South West. 

Industry Events 

It’s not just about what’s on the big screen – we’re also hosting and taking part in some must-attend industry events… 

Welcome Brunch Hosted by Screen Alliance South West | Sponsored by ADF 

Wed 23 Sep 10:00 Waterside 3 – no ticket needed 

Kick off your Encounters festival experience the right way. Join Screen Alliance South West for a relaxed welcome brunch, the perfect chance to connect with fellow attendees, catch up with familiar faces and fuel up before diving into the programme. 

Blak Wave in Focus 

Wed 23 Sep 13:30 Waterside 3 

We are delighted to see a focused session on pioneering Bristol-based indie Blak Wave, also founding partners of our New Voices programme aimed at supporting underrepresented voices in the screen industries. Founders Michael Jenkins and Dr Somina ‘Mena’ Fombo will be in conversation to discuss and celebrate their journey, how they got to where they are, and what it means to be the only recipient of the Channel 4 Creative Equity Fund outside of London. 

Animation Spotlight: BFI NETWORK 

Thurs 24 Sept 2026 11:00 Waterside 3 

Meet some of the participants involved in a new lab for writers to develop, experiment and expand their skills and understanding of storytelling in animation; a collaboration between four English BFI NETWORK Hubs with support from the ScreenSkills Animation Skills Fund. Over the last 3 months, these 12 writers from across the UK have developed their original short form projects and will be sharing them for the first time at this special festival presentation. 

British Council & BFI NETWORK South West Roundtable 

Thurs 24 Sept 17:00 Waterside 1 

Join the British Council, BFI NETWORK South West team and fellow creatives, for a discussion-led group session on how (and when) to plan for and make the most of international pathways for you and your work. 

Alternative Methods of Distribution 

Fri 25 Sept 16:30 Waterside 3 

The traditional distribution playbook isn’t delivering for most independent filmmakers. Chaired by Iddo Patt, this panel brings together the producer of How to Have Sex Emily Leo, the filmmaker behind We’ll Go Down in History, Cameron Richards, and others to explore how building community, partnerships and audience demand early is changing what a film’s route to market looks like, and what emerging producers can take from the documentary world’s approach to impact-led distribution.
 

We hope to catch you there! Get your passes now.