Manchester Film Festival is a ten-day celebration of film, with all films screened in a cinema with full surround sound and crystal-clear visuals.

All attending filmmakers are invited to take part in post-screening Q&A’s, red carpet interviews and nightly after parties.

In-competition films will come from open submissions submitted through FilmFreeway and the festival will end with the annual awards ceremony, with winners chosen by industry professionals, Manchester Film Festival alumni and Manchester Film Festival’s programming team.

Filmmakers will have plenty of opportunity to network with other film creatives at a festival that is known as a relaxed, filmmaker friendly event in a city that can offer an experience to attendees beyond the festival itself.

Attending filmmakers can come along to our Industry Days, where the festival hosts in-depth panel discussions that provide insight and perspective on a range of film related topics. Previous panels have included How to Succeed in the Industry if You're an Outsider, BFI Funding, Independent Distribution, Acquisitions, the UK Film Landscape and more.

Filmmakers can expect industry representation from the likes of BFI, Curzon, Altitude and Bulldog Films. Previous Manchester Film Festival films have gone on to have full theatrical releases and many can be found on Netflix, Amazon, and other platforms.

Manchester Film Festival 2025 will see industry panels, nightly after parties, daily film screenings in a cinema, red carpet interviews, Q&A’s and overall good times.

Manchester Film Festival

Send Message to Manchester Film Festival

Gallery

Recent Awards

Stay ahead of the curve