UK Film Festival Guide

Welcome to the UK Film Festival Guide, presented by the British Council Film team. Our aim for this Guide is to offer international friends a snapshot of the rich and diverse ecosystem of film festivals taking place across the UK. This is a selection of some key UK festivals with an international profile that cover a range of programmes, themes and forms of filmmaking, many of which can be found in our British Council Festivals Database.

Download the UK Film Festival Guide

Each entry in the Guide includes the festival website and contact details, as well as the month and location in which it takes place. At the end of the Guide is a handy index to check whether the festivals featured are awards qualifying, host awards or present immersive work as part of their programme. You can also check for a festival alphabetically or by month.

This Guide is not an exhaustive list and there are many other excellent events on the UK Film Festival scene. Please dig into our British Council Festivals Database to find out more or to register as a UK festival organiser.

Highlights from our UK Film Festival Guide....

Sheffield DocFest

Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary film festival, hosting a world-renowned nonfiction market. The festival presents work across all forms of nonfiction, spanning film, TV and art, and hosts a significant showcase of XR work through its influential ‘Alternate Realities’ programme. Curated industry events and discussions are a key feature of the festival – often in very fitting settings for debate, such as the City’s Town Hall.

Discovery Film Festival

Discovery Film Festival is a youth-focused international film festival based at Dundee Contemporary Arts, which also tours across Scotland. With three weekends of films, activities, and gala events, plus two weeks of screenings for schools, Discovery enriches media literacy and cultural understanding among young audiences. Partnering with venues across Scotland, it brings global stories to new viewers. Organised by DCA’s Cinema Youth Development Officer, the festival is guided by Young Ambassadors and educators, who help curate the program and create classroom resources

Manchester Animation Festival

Hosted at leading arts complex HOME, the Manchester Animation Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. Working with organisations including Netflix, Disney and Aardman, the festival is designed for those passionate about animation in any form, whether you are a seasoned pro or curious newcomer, offering a programme of contemporary and retrospective screenings, workshops, networking events, panel discussions, masterclasses and screen talks from leading industry figures over the course of one week. MAF also hosts an international competition for short, feature and VR animation.

Aesthetica Film Festival

One of the UK’s largest film festivals, Aesthetica takes place across the historic city of York (a UNESCO City of Media Arts). The official selection includes a mighty 300 shorts alongside a selection of features, VR & Immersive, and is the first UK filmfestival to include Video Games as part of its public programme. They host conversations with leading industry such as Ridley Scott Associates, DNEG, Framestore, Aardman and more; as well as thought-provoking guest programmes curated by global partners. All films are eligible for ‘Best in’ category awards, craft awards and the festival’s unique Audible ‘Listening Pitch’ awards documentary grants of up to £30,000.