Film Hub Wales (FHW) has allocated almost £170,000 of BFI National Lottery funding to twenty-six independent Welsh cinemas, film festivals and community screens, through thirty-one projects, via three funding strands: Spotlight, the Film Exhibition Fund and Rip it Up.
Funds will make a difference to the lives of local people, who will be able to watch the latest UK independent and international films on their doorsteps, at affordable prices. From environmental films strands curated by young people, to Welsh film seasons celebrating 130 years of cinema in Wales, audiences can socialise and support beloved spaces at the heart of their neighbourhoods.
In South West Wales, a new three year ‘Spotlight’ project led by Wales One World Film Festival (WOW) will build community film screenings in towns and villages such as Lampeter, Hermon, Newport and Newcastle Emlyn where rural audiences face long or impractical public transport journeys to access screen culture.
Amy Daniel, Spotlight Coordinator explains why the funding will be transformational at a local level:
“We will mentor volunteers and ambassadors who will go on to shape and lead cinema provision in their communities, meaning it belongs to them. We’ll also work closely with established venues in the region to exchange knowledge and build cinema going across the bordering counties, supporting access to culture as well as the local economy. It’s rare to secure funding for longer-term projects and this means we can create change.”
Twenty-four projects have been supported through FHW’s Film Exhibition Fund, from the oldest running film society in Abergavenny, to Galeri Caernafon’s new audience strategy which includes a community led Film club (SineGlwb) and Ffilms Er Newid (Films for Change) delivered in collaboration with local groups. In Ystragynlais, The Welfare’s Screen Social strand will break down societal, health, financial and other barriers to attending the cinema and across Wales, Sheba Soul’s Youth Climate Lab will encourage young people to understand the roots of environmental crises through film and design simple, collaborative, community actions in response.
Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales explains why this work is so important:
“As well as bringing the best films to Wales, something that many of our supported projects have in common is that community groups are taking an active role in the delivery of their local cinema activities. Such as the ‘community collaborations’ season at the Torch Theatr which runs throughout Second Hand September and Disability History Month, or Cardiff Animation Festival’s curatorial work with young asylum seeker and refugee families at Oasis Cardiff. Independent cinema is a great tool for local people to get involved in creative activities on their doorsteps. Their voices help to shape the direction of culture in that place and in return cinemas offer crucial social and well-being services that reduce isolation and generate local income.”
Also taking place in 2026 is Rip It Up – a BFI FAN UK-wide season which celebrates the changing face of youth culture and expression on screen, from joy and friendship to heartbreak and rebellion. In Wales, eight partners will deliver projects up to October 2026. At Chapter, Cardiff, there will be three strands including Hei, Mr Urdd! – a selection of films from the Welsh broadcast archive celebrating youth culture, with Welsh language discussion. At Cellb in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Video Hud will ‘turn up the volume,’ exploring Welsh subcultures from the 1990s Cool Cymru movement to today’s emerging DIY creative scenes – combining archive film with new youth-made work, screenings, discussions, live music and participatory activities.
Rosemary Adjoa Dery Watch Africa Film Festival Producer, explains how their ‘Young, Black & Bold’ project will enable young Black Welsh voices to shape the future of film culture:
“Creating spaces where young Black creatives can come together, see themselves reflected on screen, share ideas and explore their creativity is incredibly important. Through this programme, we want to make a bold statement: Black stories, Black voices and Black creativity matter here in Wales. We belong in these cultural spaces, and we should feel empowered to take up space within them. Working alongside like-minded organisations such as Butetown Pavilion and Butetown Carnival allows us to connect different communities, ideas and creative practices, while our partnership with Chapter will build bridges with people who may not have felt that an arts centre was a space for them.”
The projects come at a time when Welsh audiences have an opportunity to make their voices heard, telling the Government’s Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) exactly what impact cinemas have on their lives through the National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you survey, which is open until the 23rd of September 2026.
The projects are supported by Film Hub Wales, which is part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) allocating funds from National Lottery Good Cause funding to ensure the greatest choice of cinema is available to everyone across the UK. Funds in Wales are administered by FHW via Chapter as the Film Hub Lead Organisation.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
Projects Supported
South East Wales
Project: Abergavenny Film Society 2026-2027 Season (FEF)
Organisation: Abergavenny Film Society
Dates: September 2026 – March 2027
The longest continuously running Film Society in Wales – Abergavenny Film Society is a community cinema run by volunteers, for members and non-members, providing 2 screenings fortnightly September 2026 to March 2027. The Society screens UK independent and international feature films with subtitles, as well as shorts.
Project: Community Film Programme (FEF)
Organisation: Volcano Theatre (Swansea)
Dates: May 2026 – March 2027
Volcano Theatre in Swansea will develop a new independent community cinema offer, including a Chinese film club in partnership with Chinese in Wales Association, as well as partnerships with Swansea Disability Forum and Swansea City of Sanctuary. By removing barriers to access and engaging with young film enthusiasts, as well as implementing training opportunities with the local University student film club, they aim to reach a larger and more diverse audience.
Project: Africine Cardiff (FEF)
Organisation: Watch Africa, Cardiff
Dates: October 2026 – 31st March 2027
Building on over 10 years of delivery, Watch Africa festival will focus on audience development at three 3 venues in South, East and West Cardiff: Chapter, Grange Pavilion and Oasis. The festival will work closely with wider arts and creative organisations connected to Black communities e.g. Reel Futures, AFJ Cardiff and Jukebox to screen African and diaspora films across a range of genres, including fiction, documentary, and short films, alongside Q&A sessions, panel discussions, and community events. They will expand and develop connections with African communities in Cardiff as well as working closely with Universities (USW, Cardiff Met and Cardiff Uni) and offering panel discussions as well as opportunities for students to programme, produce, and coordinate events.
Project: The Spirit of ’51, Power to the People!, Hei Mr Urdd! (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Chapter Arts Centre, (Cardiff)
Dates: June – August 2026
Rip It Up at Chapter covers three major strands – The Spirit of ’51, charting the 75 year history of youth culture in the UK with films to activate people’s memories and reflections; Power to the People! – a programme of films chosen and championed by young people with film notes and discussions from their perspectives and Hei, Mr Urdd! – a selection of films from the Welsh broadcast archive celebrating Welsh youth culture, with Welsh language discussion.
Project: Riverfront Rip it UP (Rip it Up)
Organisation: The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre, (Newport)
Dates: June – October 2026
The Riverfront will celebrate what it means to be young in Newport with screenings of Ish (2026), Human Traffic (1999), Pride (2014) and Rocks (2021) that will appeal to the local youth culture and music scene. Alongside the films will be music videos from local bands amplifying the voices of Newport creatives from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Project: Young, Black & Bold
Organisation: Watch Africa Film Festival (WAFF), (Cardiff)
Dates: August – October 2026
Young, Black & Bold is a bold, youth-led film and culture programme based in Cardiff, centring Black British stories of rebellion, identity and joy. Through screenings of Rocks, Young Soul Rebels and Babylon, alongside a Black Youth Film Programmers scheme, the project nurtures emerging creatives aged 19–25 across South Wales. From live music, food and markets to spoken word and design competitions, the programme builds a vibrant platform for expression and skills development. Culminating in a final event in October, showcasing films and other artistry in celebration of Black History Month, WAFF will create space for young Black Welsh voices to shape the future of film culture in Wales.
South Wales
Project: Wild about Film (FEF)
Organisation: Awel Aman Tawe / Hwb y Gors, (Amman Valley)
Dates: May 2026 – January 2027
A new, low carbon community venue in the Amman Valley which aims to build a welcoming grassroots film culture that inspires positive environmental action and community connections. Their programme, Wild About Film, is a year-long monthly screening programme of environmental films with curated discussions. They are exploring a series of films directed at young audiences 12 years plus, as well as ad hoc films including the National Emergency Briefing. Through a new volunteer programming committee, they will support hands on engagement in the community, while also encouraging audiences to take action against the climate crisis.
Project: Screen Social & Independent Programme development (FEF)
Organisation: The Welfare, (Ystradgynlais)
Dates: June 2026 – March 2027
The Welfare are exploring three film strands through this project – their general film programme, Screen Social and Cinemore. The general cinema programme focuses on British (including Welsh) titles and independent US titles that appeal to over 40s, alongside holiday screenings of family films. The Screen Social programme offers high quality independent, British (including Welsh), classic, documentary and international titles, whilst also breaking down barriers to attendance for audiences that find it more different to attend due to social, health, financial or other barriers. Cinemore films are documentaries, international or issue-based films connected to visibility events and often have added extras such as speakers, environmental events or socials attached.
Project: Green Film festival/Celebrating 130 years of cinema in Wales (FEF)
Organisation: Pontardawe Arts Centre
Dates: August 2026 – November 2026
Pontardawe Arts Centre are introducing two strands in 202/27 to engage new audiences:
A Green Film Festival strand will feature seven films with two screenings per film over seven days. Exploring themes of sustainability, nature, community, and our relationship with the environment through engaging screenings and audience discussions. A 130 Years of Welsh Cinema season will feature six films screening multiple times. The programme will connect audiences with Wales’s cinematic heritage, highlight the evolution of Welsh stories on screen, and create accessible opportunities for people to discover, celebrate, and engage with film culture in their local community.
South West Wales
Project: Community Collaborations (FEF)
Organisation: The Torch Theatre, (Milford Haven)
Dates: September 2026 – March 2027
The Torch Theatr offer a year-round programme of independent film, including a series of screenings and events celebrating diversity within their communities. From Second Hand September to Disability History Month, all screenings will feature independent films made by and featuring people with lived experience of those communities. They will work with different partner organisations from across Pembrokeshire to ensure the films are representative and work to build the wider programme for film in the venue.
Project: Developing Our Core Offer (FEF)
Organisation: Theatr Gwaun, (Fishguard)
Dates: May 2026 to March 2027
In 2026-27 Theatr Gwaun continue to offer an ambitious and compelling year-round slate of British independent and International film (alongside mainstream titles). Woven into the weekly/monthly planning will be two strands of activity to engage and develop younger audiences (POINT Presents and Kids Club), further develop daytime audiences via Monday Morning screenings and sustain accessible screenings via Welcome Wednesday (subtitled and/or relaxed) evening screenings.
Project: Festival of Welsh Film (FEF)
Organisation: Theatr Gwaun, (Fishguard)
Dates: 23-25 October 2026
Celebrating130 Years of Cinema in Wales, Theatr Gwaun are launching their first Welsh Film Festival, with plans to turn into an annual event. Taking audiences on a historical Welsh film journey, the programme will include Welsh feature films, classics selected by local audiences, archive/retrospectives, local short films and special events.
Project: Haverfordwest Film Society (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Haverfordwest Film Society (Haverfordwest)
Dates: 15 September 2026 – 27 October 2026
From their base at the Merlin Theatre in Pembrokeshire College, they will screen two films from the Rip it Up menu: Quadrophenia (1979) and Pride (2014), with guest speakers to be announced. They will offer discounts or free entry for students.
West Wales
Project: Abertoir – Year Long Activity (FEF)
Organisation: Abertoir Horror Festival (Aberystwyth)
Dates: October 2026 – March 2027
After recently celebrating 20 years of hosting a large-scale event every November, for this year only, the festival will concentrate on bringing its dedication and passion to a year-long strand of activity encompassing many of the aspects that has made it so well-known and loved over the past two decades. From silent film with live accompaniment, to an off-site event, previews and collaborations such as with young audience members of Aberystwyth University’s Horror Society.
Project: Lantern Loves (FEF)
Organisation: Magic Lantern Cinema (Tywyn)
Dates: September 2026 – March 2027
The Magic ‘Lantern Loves’ programme is a series of 26 indie films designed to build the audience, with a focus on families and young people. There will be special events, film club conversations and environmental themes. As well as family classics with creative activities at just £1 per ticket, there will be pay what you can screenings of archive Welsh short films to tie into the Lantern’s 125-year celebrations. The project aims to connect the venue, team and eclectic, non-mainstream programme to audiences, encouraging families of all shapes and sizes to share cinema experiences at BIFA’s first ever UK Cinema of the Year!
Mid Wales
Project: British, Indie and World Cinema 26/27 (FEF)
Organisation: Wyeside Arts Centre (Builth Wells)
Dates: May 2026 – March 2027
Wyeside Arts Centre will offer a diverse film programme, bringing British, independent and world cinema to their audience, including inclusive and accessible screenings. Their programme considers the local community, offering weekly subtitled screenings, monthly relaxed screenings (for those with autism and learning/sensory needs) and ‘tea & biscuit matinees’ allowing audiences to socialise, with a specific focus on older and socially isolated audiences.
Project: Ffilm Llanfyllin (FEF)
Organisation: Ffilm Llanfyllin / Arts Connection (Powys)
Dates: September 2026 – March 2027
Working with Arts Connection, Ffilm Llanfyllin is a local community cinema supported by a dedicated team of volunteers. Films are screened bi-weekly at the Old New Inn from September to May, offering a carefully curated mix of mostly independent films chosen with the audience in mind. In 2026 this will include Welsh films as part of the 130 years of cinema in Wales celebrations and screenings delivered in partnership with local groups such as Dolen Ffermio (land use and rural livelihoods), the Women’s Institute and BRACE (climate action).
Project: Welsh Film Programme 2026-27 (FEF)
Organisation: Sinema Sadwrn, (Llansadwrn, Carmarthenshire)
Dates: September 2026 – March 2027
As part of their Cinema Saturday programme at Llansadwrn Library, Sinema Sadwrn will screen eight films including two independent films from Wales: ‘Effi o Blaenau’ and ‘Madfabulous’. After screenings, audiences can stay and chat in relaxed environment with the community.
North West Wales
Project: Ffilmiau Pawb – Sinema Cellb 10 (FEF)
Organisation: Cellb (Blaenau Ffestiniog)
Dates: May 2026 – February 2027
Ffilmiau Pawb -Sinema Cellb 10 is an enhanced, year-long cinema programme to celebrate Cellb’s 10th anniversary in May 27, expanding their inclusive film offerings, in particular for their regular audiences – teens, pensioners, families and world films, with one screening per month for each group. This project builds upon the success of their ongoing “Ffilmiau i Bawb” pilot by increasing the scale and scope of activities leading up to their anniversary.
Project: Galeri’s Cinema Audience Development Strategy (FEF)
Organisation: Galeri, (Caernarfon)
Dates: June 2026 – March 2027
Taking a deep dive into understanding their cinema audiences, Galeri want their programme to better reflect the community they serve and to open new doors for those who have been historically underrepresented. They aim to reimagine a more diverse, ambitious programme alongside their core mainstream offer. Through activities such as a new community led Film club (SineGlwb) and a Ffilms Er Newid (Films for Change) collaboration with local community groups and Galeri Cymunedol – Community screenings for families, relaxed screenings and wraparound activities. They aim to build a clearer understanding of what their audiences value.
Project: 130 Years of Welsh Film (into 125 years of Neuadd Dwyfor) (FEF)
Organisation: Neaudd Dwyfor, (Pwllheli)
Dates: May 2026 – March 2027
To celebrate 130 years of cinema in Wales, and leading into Neuadd Dwyfor’s 125th anniversary as a working cinema, this project will present an eleven-month programme of Welsh film heritage and contemporary Welsh filmmaking. Alongside curated screenings, the programme will be supported by talks, panel discussions, guest speakers and Q&A events, creating opportunities for audiences in a rural area to engage more deeply with Welsh stories on screen. Contemporary Welsh cinema, cult classics, acclaimed Welsh language films and key works from Wales’s screen heritage will offering audiences a representative picture of Welsh filmmaking past and present. The project will celebrate Welsh lives, culture and identity as represented on screen, recognising cinema’s role in reflecting and shaping national and community stories.
Project: Solstice Sea Swim Sinema Festival (FEF)
Organisation: Llangoed Village Hall Community Cinema, (Ynys Môn)
Dates: 19 – 21 June 2026
Llangoed Village Hall Community Cinema held a Solstice Sea Swim Sinema Festival from 19-21 June 2026, exploring the transformative power of both film and swimming for mental health. Based on the coast of Yns Mon (Anglesey), the events resonate with the local landscape and culture, with walks, swimming and social wellness events sitting alongside shorts, independent features and classics.
Project: Video Hud (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Cellb, (Blaenau Ffestiniog)
Dates: September – October 2026
Video Hud: Welsh Youth Culture is a programme that started at CellB exploring Welsh subcultures from the 1990s Cool Cymru movement to today’s emerging DIY creative scenes. Building on a BFI Southbank pilot curated by young programmers Gwenno and Cian, the project combines archive film (Video Hud) with new youth-made work including Glasbren. Through screenings, discussions, live music and participatory activity, the programme (led by the Video Hud team: Yannick, Jake, Gwenno & Cian) platforms authentic Welsh youth voices often underrepresented on screen, connecting past and present expressions of rebellion, identity and creativity while engaging new audiences across North Wales. CellB are TURNING UP THE VOLUME!
Project: Chwala fo! (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Neaudd Dwyfor, (Pwllheli)
Dates: September – October 2026
Chwala fo! is a youth led project working with three different youth organisations in Pwllheli to programme and host three bespoke screenings that explore youth culture throughout Wales and the UK. Curated by young people, with bespoke artwork and merchandise created with professional artists and a unique playlist and DJ set to accompany each film – all the activity will be document through moving image and photography.
Project: Rebels (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Dragon Theatre, (Barmouth)
Dates: June – October 2026
Films, creative activities and shared memories focussed on youth culture, rebellion and revolt. Screenings will include a reminiscence Q&A discussion, a creative workshop for young people designing football shirts, a vintage scooter stopover and a Jamaican food night in partnership with Sheba Soul Ensemble.
Across Wales
Project: Japanese Animation Festival 2026 (FEF)
Organisation: Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival (Cardiff and Aberystwyth)
Dates: September 2026 – November 2026
Reaching its 15th anniversary in 2026, Kotatsu screen Japanese animated feature films over 5 days at Welsh venues including Chapter and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, plus an exchange screening with the University of South Wales and Tokyo Zokei University. Events include Jero 11, a UK-based guitarist and shamisen player, who will perform a fusion of heavy metal mixed with traditional Japanese instruments and Japanese folklore-themed films such as ‘Dojoji’. They also offer relaxed spaces for young families through a partnership with ToyBox Project, who provide toys and games for a free family activity corner, as well as a marketplace, Manga Café and raffle.
Project: FLY! Into this entangled world (FEF)
Organisation: Sheba Soul Ensemble CIC (Bangor, Aberystwyth and Barmouth)
Dates: June 2026 – March 2027
Sheba Soul’s programme of four films—Polluters and Plunderers, Women Hold Up the Sky, A Whisper in the Woods, and A Path to Climate Justice will travel to three venues across Wales, exploring environmental responsibility, social justice, and collective action. By combining investigative storytelling, lived experiences, and reflective engagement with nature, the programme invites audiences to better understand both the roots of environmental crises and the possibilities for meaningful change. Participatory activities such as A ‘Story Circle for the Earth’ will enable participants to share personal experiences, memories, or hopes related to nature and environmental change. A Youth Climate Lab will encourage young people to collaboratively design simple community actions such as neighbourhood greening or waste-reduction ideas. Interactive community mapping sessions will allow participants to collectively identify local environmental concerns and opportunities for action.
Project: CAF Year Round 2026/27 (FEF)
Organisation: Cardiff Animation Festival (Various)
Dates: August 2026 – March 2027
An eight-month programme of independent, Welsh, Welsh language and international animation, combining touring screenings, accessible events, community co-curation, Welsh screen heritage, and added value activity in Cardiff, across Wales and online.
The programme will bring contemporary Welsh shorts alongside rarely screened Welsh animation heritage to communities with limited local animation provision through CAF on Tour; whilst working with Oasis Cardiff, Deaf Ffilm Clwb and venue partners to reduce barriers relating to cost, language, geography, accessibility and sense of belonging. The expanded programme for 2026/27 will focus on developing audiences who face the greatest barriers to access – working with more venues, new partners including screen academics, and offering more events throughout the year, with an expanded dual touring model combining heritage features with the latest Welsh animated shorts.
Project: Iris on the Move 2027 (FEF)
Organisation: Iris prize (Various)
Dates: February 2027 – March 2027
A curated selection of short films from the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, including highlights from the Best British and International competitions and panel sessions. They will also curate a programme to celebrate and highlight Iris’ contribution to Welsh screen culture over the past 20 years with the theme that Iris 20 is “for everyone”. The programmes will be delivered in partnership with local venues and community organisations, with screenings taking place in towns and cities across Wales, including Bangor, Caernarfon, Aberystwyth, Swansea, Pontardawe, Cardiff, and Wrexham. The aim is to grow the audience for LGBTQ+ stories, celebrating diversity, fostering community dialogue by supporting the participating venues with outreach and marketing to engage new audiences.
Project: FLY! Over the Rip-ples (Rip it Up)
Organisation: Sheba Soul Ensemble (Bangor, Aberystwyth and Barmouth)
Dates: July – October 2026
Young members of the Sheba Soul team will curate and lead the delivery of three events at the Dragon Theatre (Barmouth), Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Pontio (Bangor) with creative wraparound activities alongside screenings of This is England and Young Soul Rebels. Audiences can expect dancing, debates and a fish & chip supper!
