Emphasis on Homegrown in The Year's Ealing Film Festival
Over 300 entries of 'significantly higher quality'
The first day of the festival features 17 short films from local film makers. Picture:EFF
September 30, 2026
Ealing Film Festival will return this autumn with a four-day celebration of independent cinema, industry craft and emerging talent.
ActOne Cinema in Acton and Ealing Picturehouse host the event’s seventh edition from 15–18 October. What began as a lockdown-era online showcase in 2020 has now become one of West London’s most important platforms for short filmmaking, drawing hundreds of submissions from across the UK and around the world.
This year’s programme blends screenings, panels, masterclasses and awards, with a particular emphasis on homegrown talent. The festival opens on Thursday 15 October at ActOne Cinema with two simultaneous Homegrown screenings featuring 17 short films from Ealing and neighbouring boroughs. The evening will culminate in the presentation of the Homegrown Award and an interview with the winning filmmaker.
The following day, Ealing Picturehouse hosts a Film Schools Showcase, spotlighting student work from across the country, followed by a mixed selection of shorts and an Influencing Your Film panel with Lucas Pelizaro, Amber Doig-Thorne and Jack Howard. The festival’s commitment to nurturing new voices is woven throughout the programme, offering young filmmakers a chance to meet industry professionals and connect with audiences.
Saturday 17 October brings a full day of screenings across four curated blocks, alongside a Women in Film and Television panel featuring Katie Bailiff and Susan Simnett, chaired by broadcaster and writer Sharon Marshall.
Later that evening, television writer and producer Charlie Brooker will join Andrew Sumner for a special Q&A — one of the festival’s headline events. The day concludes with the festival’s awards ceremony, recognising achievements across 11 categories, from Comedy and Narrative Drama to Animation, Green Planet, Experimental and the newly introduced Short Cuts category for films of around three minutes.
On Sunday 18 October, audiences can revisit all the festival’s award-winning films before attending a masterclass with Michael Pitts, the Emmy Award-winning natural history and underwater cinematographer known for his work with Sir David Attenborough. It’s a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the field’s most respected practitioners.
The festival’s growing reputation was underscored earlier this week when three filmmakers from the Homegrown programme met Prince William during his visit to ActOne Cinema, where the festival trailer was screened as part of the engagement.
This year also marks the introduction of a Best British Film award, designed to celebrate work that reflects the diversity, character and inclusivity of modern Britain. The overall winner will receive the Ealing Film Festival Grand Prix, supported by industry partners including Ealing Studios, Twickenham Film Studios, Marlow Studios and The Farm Post, with prizes aimed at providing practical career development.
Festival Director and Co-Founder Annemarie Flanagan said the team received 313 entries from 20 countries, describing the quality as “significantly higher than in previous years” and the selection process “exciting and extremely challenging.” Reaching the seventh year, she said, is an important milestone: “We are proud to provide a platform where filmmakers can share their work, meet audiences and build valuable connections within the industry.”
Co-Founder Alan Granley reflected on the festival’s evolution from an online launch to a multi-venue event: “Ealing has filmmaking in its DNA. We are proud to celebrate that heritage while giving bold new voices a serious platform and helping talented filmmakers take the next step in their careers.”
The festival’s online showcase will run from 18 October to 21 November, allowing audiences to vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Tickets and full programme details are available at ealingfilmfestival.com.
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