Encounters Film Festival 2024
Festival Description: Encounters Film Festival stages one of the world’s leading international competitions for the short film, animation, and immersive moving image work. The international competition is an official gateway to the world’s most prestigious awards; the Academy Awards®, BAFTAs, and the European Film Awards. Its mission is to provide an international platform for new and emerging talent in filmmaking. For over a quarter of a century, Encounters Film Festival has welcomed guests from all around the world, connecting filmmakers with the wider industry, our wonderful audiences, and, of course, each other.
2024 Festival Coverage
The 2024 festival edition has been canceled due to insufficient funding. Festival info
2024 Call for Entries
The 30th Encounters Film Festival will take place from 27 to 30 September in Bristol, UK. Films completed after 1st January 2023 will be eligible for the 2024 festival. The maximum eligible duration is 40 minutes (including credits).
Awards and Prizes
- INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:
Films in the competition are presented in thematic programmes including live action, animation, documentary, experimental/artists’ moving image works and judged by an international jury of industry professionals. The films compete for the following awards:
- Brief Encounters Grand Prix for live-action shorts
- Animated Encounters Grand Prix for animated shortsThe winning Brief Encounters and Animated Encounters films are both eligible for Academy Awards nominations and each receives a £2,000 cash prize.The films in the International Competition are also eligible for the Audience Award.
- NATIONAL COMPETITION: The National Competition showcases work from UK-based filmmakers including live action, animation, documentary, and experimental/artists’ moving image works. Films in the competition are judged by a national jury of industry professionals and compete for the UK Award, which carries a cash prize of £1,000. Entries submitted here may also be screened in the International Competition. The films in the National Competition are also eligible for the Audience Award. Films made by UK Student filmmakers are eligible for the UK Student Award, which carries a cash prize of £500
- SOUTHWEST COMPETITION: The Southwest Showcase is Encounters' newly revamped competition to nurture and celebrate local talents. Live action, animation, documentary, and experimental/artists' moving image works from Southwest-based filmmakers are eligible to participate. Films in the competition are judged by a jury of industry professionals and compete for the Southwest Award, which carries a cash prize of £500. In addition to the Southwest Competition, the short films submitted can also qualify for the National or International Competition. The films in the Southwest Competition are also eligible for the Audience Award.
- UK STUDENT ENTRIES: Entries created within UK educational institutions are eligible for the UK Student Award. You may be asked to provide evidence that you were a student in UK education at the time of making the film. Submissions made through the UK Student category are automatically enrolled in the National Competition. Films from UK student filmmakers can still be submitted to the International Competition but a reduced entry fee is only available for submissions made through the UK Student category.
Terms and conditions
- The festival is open to short films of all production techniques, including animation, documentary, experimental or artists' films, and hybrid work from low to high budgets.
- Films previously submitted for competition to past editions of the festival are not eligible for re-submission unless withdrawn prior to the programme announcement or at the festival’s discretion. Films that have appeared in guest programmes at previous editions are still eligible to submit, providing they meet all other eligibility criteria.
Important information
- Regular deadline: 27th March 2024, Late deadline: 8 May 2024, Final deadline: 22 May 2024, UK student final deadline: 29 May 2024
- Rules and Submission via Filmfreeway
Archive
2020 Festival Coverage
The festival has selected over 250 titles, from a huge 3000+ submissions, to be part of this year’s digital festival.
2019 Festival Coverage
2018 Festival News (25-30/9/18)
Event Dates
- From 27/09/2024 to 30/09/2024