Encounters Film Festival

Bristol's harbourside is the setting for Encounters Film Festival, where an international short-film competition spans fiction, documentary, animation and experimental work. The festival's origins lie in the 1995 centenary of cinema, and its programme continues to give short filmmaking a central place alongside features and special events. Talks, masterclasses and filmmaker conversations link the public screenings with the screen industries. Encounters operates as a registered charity and works with Bristol organisations including Watershed and Aardman. The 2027 edition runs for five days, from 29 September to 3 October 2027, in Bristol, United Kingdom.