Encounters Film Festival
📝 Sign up as a festival representative to manage this page!
Encounters Film Festival ran in Bristol from 23 to 27 September 2026, with 142 films in its official selection, drawn from 39 countries. The competition included 71 premieres, of which 17 were world premieres. Live-action, animation and documentary each had their own three-member jury.
Alemberg Ang, Per Fikse and Cynthia Okoye judged Brief Encounters; Rayna Denison, Joanna Hepworth and Grant Orchard judged Animated Encounters; Mandy Chang, Nicholas Jones and Nariman Massoumi judged Documentary Encounters. Their Grand Prix choices ranged from the examination-room tensions of Hyena to Hag’s comic treatment of ageing and Uncle Filmi’s account of family life under Iran’s revolutionary authorities. South West Showcase highlighted work from the region, while the audience and children’s prizes added separate perspectives to the jury results.
