Local film critic and blogger Nathan Hardie shares his experience of last month’s Forbidden Worlds Film Festival (16th – 19th May 2024), which served up another feast of fantasy, action, sci-fi and horror on Bristol’s IMAX screen to its die-hard (and fast-growing) audience.

Bristol UNESCO City of Film Manager Natalie Moore recently travelled to the Polish city of Łódź , our fellow UNESCO City of Film, to take part in the International Congress for Culture and the Regenerative City (14-15 May 2024). Here, she describes experiencing the city’s film highlights and hearing more about how UCCN members are harnessing their designations to encourage urban regeneration. 

Bristol has won the coveted City of Film Award at the 2024 Global Production Awards, presented on Monday (20th May) during Cannes Film Festival. The annual awards held by leading film trade publication Screen International, recognise outstanding and sustainable work in the world of film and TV production, locations and studios.

Earlier this year, Bristol animation studio A Productions was named one of the UK’s Best Places to Work in TV for the second year running by Broadcast magazine. We caught up with Joint Managing Director Katherine McQueen to find out more.

A brand new 4K restoration of one of last century’s most stylish films will open the 50+ event programme on offer when the UK’s leading celebration of restored film and revivals – Cinema Rediscovered – returns to venues in and around Bristol UNESCO City of Film, from July 24 to 28. 

Bristol’s biggest repertory genre film festival is back to celebrate some of cinema’s most deadly women and director Peter Hyams, transporting audiences to spectacular inner worlds, stunning outer spaces, and – of course – the video shop archives.

Bristol has been shortlisted in the City of Film category of the 2024 Global Production Awards, which will take place during the Cannes Film Festival later this month.

Following a successful pilot in Bristol and the South West, Channel 4 has announced that its New Writers Scheme is once again open for applications, offering writers a fantastic opportunity to harness their skills with months of expert industry training and mentoring.

The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and Bristol Film Office have together secured almost £300,000 to support new entrants looking to break into scripted film and high-end TV production careers in the West of England.

The Creative Cities Convention has confirmed it will be coming to Bristol UNESCO City of Film for 2024! Super Early Bird tickets for the two-day event, scheduled for the 23rd and 24th April 2024, are now officially on sale.

Leading filmmakers, producers and writers will join production companies, commissioners, and politicians at the second Bristol and Bath Screen Summit, on Wednesday 8 November.

Thank you to everyone who supported Bristol’s first Summer Film Takeover! We’ve celebrated film in buses, on bicycles, in carpark basements, crypts, churches, former dept stores and even beamed onto buildings. Tell us what you thought by completing our super quick survey.