This anniversary edition is a special one, with some incredible guest speakers from Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry to south west based Nida Manzoor and Max Porter, brand new features and a packed short film competition programme including 44 premieres. Huge congratulations to all the filmmakers whose work has made it into the programme – we can’t wait to watch along with you. 

Funded 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 films from Paul Holbrook, Xenia Glen, Ellen Mcdougall, Laura Tofarides, Siôn Marshall-Waters, Edward Rowe, Penn Bálint, Ada Player and Bron Waugh, Karni and Saul, Matty Crawford and Ross Harrison (whose The Alphabeticians will world premiere.) 

 Several BFI NETWORK South West-funded shorts are competing at Encounters – don’t miss them in these programmes: 

Our corner of the UK is bursting with talent, and that’s clear to see in this year’s competition with films from Paul Holbrook, Xenia Glen, Ellen Mcdougall, Laura Tofarides, Siôn Marshall-Waters, Edward Rowe, Penn Bálint, Ada Player and Bron Waugh, Karni and Saul, Matty Crawford and Ross Harrison (whose The Alphabeticians will world premiere.) 

 Several BFI NETWORK South West-funded shorts are competing at Encounters – don’t miss them in these programmes: 

• Edward Rowe’s Poll Pri – Brief Encounters 1, Wed 24 Sept 10:30am
  Following in his dad’s footsteps, young father-to-be Jori works hosing clay from the gaping abyss of the pit. But the gap between his wages and the new “affordable” housing in his home village threaten to wash away any dream of supporting his family. 

• Xenia Glen’s Alo – Brief Encounters 3, Wed 24 Sept 7:30pm
  An undocumented Filipino worker is struck by a seizure which jeopardises his status in the UK. 

• Ellen McDougall’s Bare Roots – Brief Encounters 5, Thu 25 Sept 4:30pm
  Sue’s farm is about to be buried by second homes, but her daughter’s return unearths deeper truths. 

• Siôn Marshall-Waters’ Pen Mari – Weird & Wonderful, Thu 25 Sept 8:30pm
  In the desperate search for a horse’s skull to lead an ancient folk procession, a man is drawn into the black market for animal body parts. 

• Chris Urch’s Blackout – Brief Encounters 7, Fri 26 Sept 2pm
  In a London tower block, a young man prepares a birthday celebration for his boyfriend, but unsettling disturbances from the flat next door begin to unravel the night. 

And a special mention for the  BFI Short Film Animation Fund showcase, on Thurs 25 Sept, 12:30pm, a screening and discussion of the fantastic films supported through the fund in the last two years. 

Spotlight on Features 

It’s not all about shorts. Encounters 2025 offers a stellar line-up of feature films too. Here are the ones we recommend you check out: 

• Thea Gajic’s Surviving Earth – Wed 24 Sept 6pm at Watershed.
  Based on a true story, Surviving Earth follows Vlad, a talented harmonica player who arrived in Bristol in the 1990s after fleeing the conflict in Yugoslavia. 

• Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese’s Lesbian Space Princess – Thu 25 Sept 9pm This winner of the Teddy Award for best LGBT Feature Film at this year’s Berlinale sees introverted lesbian space princess Saira embarks on a mission to rescue her ex from evil incel aliens, enlisting the help of an enby popstar and a cantankerous boomer spaceship. 

• Cillian Murphy’s Steve + Q&A – Fri 26 Sept 8pm at Watershed. A reimagining of Bath based writer Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy followed by a Q&A with Max and producer Alan Moloney, hosted by Nikesh Shukla . It was filmed locally in the South West and scored by Bristol’s own Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, who will be presenting a masterclass earlier in the afternoon.  

• Cornish folk horror The Severed Sun – Fri 26 Sept 9pm  at Watershed.
  In this debut feature by writer/director Dean Puckett (a BFI NETWORK South West alumnus short film Seagull, 2021), fear and paranoia spread in an isolated religious community when a mysterious beast with shimmering, white eyes embarks on a bloody rampage. 

• Matt Harlock’s Blockhead, starring Bristol legend Joe Sims (Broadchurch, Reunion, BBC Radio Bristol) – Sat 27 Sept 8pm at Watershed. A failing novelist thinks his muse appears to inspire him in the form of a drunk, psychotic decorator – but instead his life spirals into chaos and murder – but just possibly, genius.  

Industry Events 

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

• Your Route to Greenlight – Wed 24 Sep 2pm at Watershed (Waterside 3.)
  You’ll get to hear from a panel of industry experts – including acclaimed film and TV director Nida Manzoor, Curtis Brown agent Cynthia Okoye, and James Collins and Kate Maxwell from the BFI Filmmaking Fund team. 

• Find out what commissioners, agents and production companies might be looking for, understand the work you’ll need to put in, and get a better sense of how to get a project greenlit for film or TV. 

• Climate Storytelling in Animation: Illustrating the Future – Thurs 25 Sep at Arnolfini 

• This conversation, presented in association with Climate Spring, will examine the power of climate storytelling in animation. Hear from the BAFTA-nominated directing duo, Karni and Saul (previously supported by the BFI Animation Fund), Dane Winn, Director and Creative Lead at Blue Zoo animation studio, and the director, writer and animator Neeraja Raj. 

• BFI NETWORK Feature Pitch – Fri 26 Sep 11:30 at Watershed
  BFI NETWORK and the regional film hubs are excited to present the Feature Pitch, where five early career writers from different regions will pitch their debut features, recently developed through the BFI NETWORK England Early Development Fund. Join us to hear from some of the most exciting regional voices that are being developed through the fund. 

• After the pitch, come along to an industry networking event hosted by BFI NETWORK, where you’ll have the chance to meet the writers and other industry guests. The full list of projects pitching will be published nearer the time. 

• Thanks to National Lottery funding, BFI NETWORK England Early Development Fund supports the early development of long-form live-action, immersive and animation fiction projects. It will reopen again this autumn. 

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