HYENA – Brief Encounters Live Action Grand Prix
Encounters Film Festival welcomed thousands of visitors to Bristol UNESCO City of Film for its 2026 edition last month (23-27 September), reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s leading showcases for film in all its forms.
This year’s Brief Encounters Grand Prix was awarded to Altay Ulan Yang’s Hyena, described by the jury as “a visual treat and a brilliant allegory showcasing the descent into mob mentality.”
Encounters Executive Director Dave Taylor-Matthews said: “Hyena was one of 5,000 films submitted to the festival and we knew very early in the process that it was something special, with one of the earliest reviews from our team simply stating, ‘This one is a showstopper.’
“After thousands of hours of watching, discussing and deliberating over our selections, that feeling never changed and Hyena remained a showstopper from beginning to end. I’m absolutely delighted that our international jury felt the same way in awarding it our top prize for Live Action Fiction.”
The festival also celebrated a major moment for British filmmaking, with Saoirse Ronan winning Best of British (Live Action) for her directorial debut Paper Plane. Praised for its “satisfyingly ambiguous” storytelling and elevated central performances, the film marks a significant step in Ronan’s evolution behind the camera.
PAPER PLANE – Best of British live action
Best of British has a long record of spotting filmmakers before the wider industry catches up. Rafael Manuel won in 2020 with Filipiñana and the feature he built from it took a Special Jury Award at Sundance this year, is currently in consideration for the 2027 Oscars, and will open in UK cinemas this autumn. Isabelle Sieb (2016) went on to Emmy-winning success, whilst Yasmin Afifi (2023) and Esther May Campbell (2008) both took their winning films to BAFTA victory. Animation winners Grant Orchard (2011) and Mikey Please (2014) have both since been Oscar-nominated.
Saoirse Ronan said: “Myself and the Paper Plane team are overjoyed to have not only been included in this year’s incredible selection at Encounters Film Festival, but also to have been highlighted in this way. Bristol is one of my favourite cities in the UK and I’m very grateful that we were given the opportunity to screen our film there.”
A Special Mention in the category went to Eric Jackowitz’s giallo parody The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much, recognised as a playful, tongue‑in‑cheek parody of a classic film genre.
This year’s UK nomination for the European Film Awards (EFA) is Said Zagha’s Coyotes, a Palestine-UK-France-Jordan co-production from a Palestinian-British filmmaker. The film received its world premiere at the Venice Biennale and Zagha was one of three UK-based filmmakers to take part in this summer’s Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, alongside Bristol’s own Nikesh Shukla.
Animation honours were led by Anna Ginsburg, whose film Hag won the Animated Encounters Grand Prix for its confident storytelling and original aesthetic – an “insightful and funny take on women’s aging in contemporary society,” according to the jury. Rory Waudby‑Tolley’s I Have A secured Best of British (Animation) for its touching and relatable portrait of modern life, praised as well‑written, original and unexpectedly moving. AJ Jefferies’ Ducks received a Special Mention for its inventive, hilarious and terrifying blend of comedy and horror. Anna Ginsburg said: “Team HAG are absolutely delighted!!! Wow! What a win!”
In documentary, the Documentary Encounters Grand Prix went to Uncle Filmi by Nazgol Kashani, an animated documentary exploring family, memory and VHS bootlegs in post‑revolutionary Iran. The jury called it “playful, imaginative and deeply resonant,”. Elham Ehsas received a Special Mention for Forgotten Spaceman, a reflective portrait of Abdul Ahad Momand, the first Afghan astronaut, praised for its delicate handling of exile, identity and political history.
Nazgol Kashani said: “We were already excited for Uncle Filmi to have its world premiere at Encounters, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to its journey than receiving this award. We are grateful to the jury for recognising the film, and loved reading their words about it. It made us feel the film had done what we hoped it would.”
THE DEVIL IS IN ME – Audience Award winner
Regional talent was celebrated through the South West Showcase, with Jasmine Blackborow’s Lovely taking the award. Tia Salisbury’s The Devil Is In Me won the Audience Award, making Tia the first South West filmmaker to do so since Esther May Campbell won in September in 2008 on her way to a BAFTA win.
Tia Salisbury said: “We’re bowled over to receive the audience award at Encounters. A big honour to get the audience vote, but extra special to win on home-turf, with a film stuffed full of West-Country talent. Thank you!”
The Children’s Jury Award went to Zoë Whittaker’s Uncle Artoo, and the DepicT! Prize – recognising films under 90 seconds – was awarded to Rob Ling for Sausage Poem.
This year’s edition recorded its highest box office in the festival’s 31-year history. Box office revenue was up 22% on the previous record year, and paid ticket sales were up 67% year on year with unique ticket buyers up 58% and total attendance up a third on last year.
The biggest single event was Underscore 003: SIRĀT LIVE at The Prospect Building, drawing over 600 people. Kangding Ray, whose score is nominated at next month’s World Soundtrack Awards, and director Óliver Laxe performed opposite each other on stage, working in rhythm to remix and extend the film’s score and visuals from the shoot live. The result was a euphoric, heart-pounding reimagining of the world they created together.
Sirat Live (photo by Charley Williams)
The festival also launched screenPLAY, a new family strand designed to heal screen divisions and help families explore what good screen culture looks like together. The programme is built around a simple idea: everything children watch is made by real people who live amongst us, and those are careers they can aspire to. The programme included Kids Shorts screenings where children voted for the Children’s Jury Award, clay animation workshops, Super 8 filmmaking workshops, a Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom screening with Q&A, and a Family Gaming Room curated by the Family Gaming Database.
The 2026 edition concluded with a special closing‑night celebration at Wake the Tiger, bringing filmmakers, partners and industry guests together for an immersive finale to the festival. The festival is supported by BFI Film Audience Network, the University of Bristol, UWE Bristol, Eventive, MUBI, the British Council and Aardman Animations, with partners including Crack Magazine, Warp Records, Simple Things, Invada and others
Find out more about the festival at Encounters.film.