Bolton International Film Festival packs 305 shorts into five days

Bolton International Film Festival will mark its tenth edition with 305 short films at The Light Cinema, Market Place, Bolton, from Wednesday, 30 September to Sunday, 4 October.

Tickets are available through the festival’s official website. Bolton Council’s announcement does not state ticket prices, daily screening times, transport advice or accessibility arrangements, so visitors should confirm those details before booking.

The five-day event is aimed at film audiences as well as filmmakers and industry professionals. Its programme combines screenings with more than 25 talks, masterclasses, networking sessions and professional-development events.

A tenth-edition programme drawn from nearly 4,000 entries

The 305-film selection includes 39 world premieres, 22 European premieres and 78 national premieres. The films were chosen from almost 4,000 submissions, with filmmakers from more than 120 countries represented.

The programme spans live action, animation and documentary work by emerging and established filmmakers. Kathryn Ferguson, director of the Sinéad O’Connor documentary “Nothing Compares”, will appear with her short film “Nostalgie”. BAFTA-winning director Aneil Karia brings “VOTE GAVIN LYLE”, while Australian filmmaker Nash Edgerton joins the programme with “Candy Bar”.

The films also feature an extensive cast, including Jeremy Irons, Liv Tyler, James Cromwell, Maxine Peake, Christopher Eccleston, Rufus Sewell, Siobhan Finneran, Jack Lowden, Aidan Gillen, Ralph Ineson, Sally Phillips, Jason Watkins, Michael Smiley, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Nabhaan Rizwan and Ruth Codd.

Bolton International Film Festival is a qualifying event for BAFTA, the British Independent Film Awards and the Grierson Awards, giving its short-film programme a direct connection to major UK awards pathways.

Talks, masterclasses and a filmmaker market

More than 25 industry events will run alongside the screenings. The schedule includes talks, masterclasses, networking opportunities and a one-to-one filmmaker market.

Announced speakers include documentary filmmaker Marc Isaacs, writer-director Naqqash Khalid and Bolton School alumnus Andy Paterson, whose producing credits include “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, “The Railway Man” and “Hilary and Jackie”. BAFTA Breakthrough filmmaker Paul Sng will appear in conversation with Mandy Chang, chief executive of the Documentary Film Council and a former commissioning editor of BBC Storyville.

The tenth edition will also launch the North West Producers Forum. Together with the festival’s relationship with Bolton Film Office, the forum is intended to strengthen links between filmmakers, producers and the wider screen industry across Bolton and North West England.

Emerging filmmakers can pitch for £16,000

Two funding initiatives will offer a combined £16,000 during the festival. The Slick Films Short Film Fund Pitch provides £10,000, while the Northern Doc Pitch will make two documentary awards of £3,000 each.

The Slick Films pitch is being brought to Bolton by Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton, whose work appeared at the festival’s inaugural edition in 2017. They later won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film with “The Silent Child”. Previous fund recipient Jordon Scott Kennedy developed “Rocket Fuel” after pitching at the festival; the completed film subsequently received a 2026 BAFTA Television Award nomination.

The Northern Doc Pitch, now in its third year, is coming to Bolton International Film Festival for the first time and supports documentary filmmakers from across the North.

Planning a visit to The Light Cinema

The festival runs from 30 September through 4 October at The Light Cinema, Market Place, Bolton, BL1 2AL. Visitors can choose between the screening programme and the accompanying industry sessions, while filmmakers can assess the talks, networking events, market meetings and funding pitches relevant to their work.

The complete screening programme, industry schedule and ticket booking options are available through the official Bolton International Film Festival website. Visitors should use the published programme to confirm individual session times, prices and attendance requirements before travelling.

Source: Bolton Council News