Film Festivals in the Midlands
Quite simply, here is our ongoing and updated list of Film Festivals in the Midlands (2025/6 edition):
THE MIDLANDS MOVIES AWARDS - Midlands region
27 June 2026 (submissions open October)
https://filmfreeway.com/MidlandsMoviesAwards
SHORT IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL - Solihull
17th November 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/ShortIsBeautiful
WOLVERHAMPTON FILM FESTIVAL - Wolverhampton
May 2026 (dates TBC)
https://filmfreeway.com/Wolverhamptonfilmfestival
CINE-EXCESS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
20th - 26th October 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/Cine-Excess
THE STRATFORD ON AVON FILM FESTIVAL - Stratford on Avon
16th - 17th August 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/StratfordonAvonFilmFestival
THE POCKET FILM FESTIVAL - Stafford
19th - 28th September 2025
https://www.unseencinema.co.uk
COVENTRY PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL - Coventry
24th - 26th April 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/CoventryPhoenixFilmFestival
WIRKSWORTH HORROR FILM FESTIVAL - Wirksworth
2026 Dates TBC
https://www.wfcn.co/festival/whff
SHARED VISIONS FILM FESTIVAL (previous Nottingham International Festival) - Nottingham
19th - 21st April 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/sharedvisions
LEICESTER FILM FESTIVAL - Leicester City
16th November 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/LeicesterCityFilmFestival
BORDERLINES FILM FESTIVAL - Herefordshire/Shropshire rural film festival
6th - 21st March 2026
http://www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk
BIG PICTURE FESTIVAL - Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire
28th - 31st August 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/BigPictureFestival
BIRMINGHAM FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
14th - 23rd November 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/festival/Birminghamfilmfestival
MANSFIELD TOWN FILM FESTIVAL - Mansfield, Notts
July 2026 (dates TBC)
https://filmfreeway.com/MansfieldTownFilmFestival
BUXTON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL - Buxton, Derbys.
July 2026 (dates TBC)
https://buxtonfilm.org.uk/short-film-exhibition/
BALSALL HEATH FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
16th - 31st July 2025
https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/projects/balsall-heath-film-festival
BIRMINGHAM INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
July 2026 (dates TBC)
http://birminghamindianfilmfestival.co.uk
THE UK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL - events in Leicester, Coventry & London
May 2026 (dates TBC)
SHOUT FESTIVAL - Birmingham
2026 dates TBC
PARACINEMA – Derby
May 2026 (dates TBC)
https://twitter.com/ParacinemaDerby
MAYHEM HORROR FILM FEST - Broadway, Nottingham
16th - 19th October 2025
http://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com
FLATPACK FEST - Birmingham
May 2026 (dates TBC)
http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk
MARCELLO ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
23rd - 24th August 2025 2025
https://www.marcellofilmfestival.co.uk
https://filmfreeway.com/MARCELLO
THE SMOKIES - Staffordshire
20th September 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/thesmokiesuk
BEESTON FILM FESTIVAL - Beeston, Nottingham
23rd - 26th April 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/BeestonFilmFestival
REPTON FILMFEST - Repton, Derbyshire
2026 Dates TBC
https://filmfreeway.com/TheReptonFestival
WIRKSWORTH FILM FEST - Derbyshire
12th - 21st September 2025
https://www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk
THE SHORT STACK FILM FESTIVAL - Broadway, Nottingham
Bi-monthly local short film screenings
https://www.facebook.com/groups/841340665914084
NORTHAMPTON FILM FESTIVAL - Northampton
27th Feb - 8th March 2026
http://www.northamptonfilmfestival.co.uk/
https://filmfreeway.com/northamptonfilmfestivaluk
WORCESTER FILM FESTIVAL - ODEON, Worcester
24th - 27th September 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/WorcesterFilmFestival
THE SHORT CINEMA - Leicester
2026 Dates TBC
https://filmfreeway.com/TheShortCinema
INDIE-LINCS - Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (University of Lincoln)
5th - 7th February 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/INDIELINCS
DEAFFEST UK International Deaf Film & Arts - Wolverhampton
8th - 10th May 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/Deaffest2026
BLACK COUNTRY HORROR SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL - Stourbridge
15th November 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/TheBlackCountryHorrorShortsFilmFestival
DERBY FILM FESTIVAL - Derby
2026 Dates TBC
https://filmfreeway.com/DerbyFilmFestival-889247
BIRMINGHAM ANIME FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
17th August 2025
EARTH STORIES FILM FESTIVAL - Staffordshire
2026 Dates TBC
https://filmfreeway.com/EarthStories-1
GRINDHOUSE PLANET FILM FESTIVAL - Leicester
15th November 2025
https://filmfreeway.com/GrindhousePlanetFilmFestival
DARKNESS IN THE FIELDS FILM FESTIVAL - Derby
21st March 2026
https://filmfreeway.com/DarknessintheFieldsFilmFestival
FORWARD FILM FESTIVAL - Birmingham
2026 Dates TBC
https://www.forwardfilmfestival.com
BIRMINGHAM HORROR FILM FESTIVAL & CONVENTION - Birmingham
11th-12th October 2025
www.birminghamhorrorfilmfestival.com
FILMGAGE FESTIVAL - Birmingham
October - December 2025
Other useful Film Festival information can be found at these links:
http://film-directory.britishcouncil.org/festivals-directory
