THE FFF
WHY WE’RE one of the UK’s BEST-REVIEWED film festivals.
For short film directors, producers, screenwriters, actors and creative teams, finding the right film festival can make all the difference. A good festival isn’t just a place to collect laurels. It’s a place to meet people, see your work on a proper screen, speak to audiences, connect with other filmmakers, and feel that your film has been treated with care.
That’s exactly why the Folkestone Film Festival was created.
Based in the seaside town of Folkestone in Kent, the FFF is a festival for filmmakers, by filmmakers. Since launching in 2023, it’s grown from a small independent idea into an IMDb-qualifying film festival that awards submissions from around the world. It now screens short films, independent features, trailers, music videos and experimental work across live cinema events and pop-up screenings in Folkestone, with Q&As, and a twice-yearly Gala event and awards ceremony.
At its heart though, the mission remains the same: to champion independent filmmakers, to support diverse voices and to create a friendly, welcoming festival experience for all who attend.
A festival built by filmmakers
The Folkestone Film Festival began in late 2023, when Folkestone-based filmmaker Colin O’Reilly set out to build something different. Like many independent film directors, he had seen how difficult, exclusionary and expensive the festival circuit could be. Too often, you would submit work, pay the fees but then never really know whether your film submission has been watched with care. It was like shouting into a void.
FFF was created as a response to that. From the beginning, the idea was simple: to make a festival that genuinely values those people out there making films. A festival that gives feedback and creates a feeling of community, to both new and established directors, producers, writers and actors.
Colin was joined by a small committee of local creatives, including fellow filmmaker Ben Barton, founder of Kent Kino. Together, they began planning the first live screening events in Folkestone, opening submissions through FilmFreeway and inviting filmmakers to take part in something personal, welcoming and ambitious.
What started as a small local project quickly found an audience.
The first screenings: independent film in unexpected places
In early 2024, Folkestone Film Festival began with a series of pop-up screenings around the town. These early events helped set the tone for what the festival would become: informal, energetic and rooted in the local creative community.
Rather than waiting until everything felt grand or polished, FFF started by getting films in front of audiences. Screenings took place in local venues across Folkestone, including music venues, pubs and even F51, the world’s first multi-storey skatepark.
This gave filmmakers something many festivals fail to offer: a real audience, real discussion and the chance to see their work shared in a live setting.
From the very beginning, the festival welcomed films from around the UK, while also accepting submissions from filmmakers internationally. It encouraged bold ideas, strong production values, experimental approaches and work from directors at different stages of their careers.
The first gala and a growing reputation
By summer 2024, the monthly pop-up screenings had become a success. Filmmakers, writers, producers and actors were attending in person, audiences were growing, and the festival was becoming an important platform for independent short films in Kent.
In July 2024, FFF held its first gala screening and awards ceremony at the Quarterhouse, one of Folkestone’s leading arts venues. The event brought together local and nationwide attendees for a day of screenings, awards and celebration.
It was a major step forward for the festival. What had begun as a grassroots idea had become a live film event with a buzzing atmosphere, momentum for the future and a clear identity.
By the end of 2024, the festival had received more than 600 film submissions from around the world. That growth led to an important decision: FFF would expand into two seasons each year, with spring and autumn events, allowing more films to be screened and celebrated.
Finding a home at the Silver Screen Cinema
As the festival grew, the beautiful Silver Screen cinema became central to the FFF story. This much-loved independent art deco cinema in Folkestone has hosted several of the festival’s Gala events and now sits at the heart of its live screening programme each season.
For filmmakers, this matters. Seeing their work up there on a big cinema screen is a very different experience from watching it on a laptop or phone. The Silver Screen gives selected films a sense of occasion, offering directors the kind of presentation their work deserves.
FFF has also continued to hold smaller pop-up events in bars, galleries, workshops, halls and other local venues. This mix of cinema galas and intimate screenings gives the festival its character: professional but personal, ambitious but approachable.
Season 5: the biggest Folkestone Film Festival yet
By 2026, the Folkestone Film Festival had continued to grow in scale and reputation. Feedback from filmmakers described it as one of the friendliest and most welcoming film festivals in the UK — something the team is especially proud of.
Season 5, held over Easter 2026, became the festival’s biggest season so far. It included more local screenings and a larger programme, culminating in another Gala event at the Silver Screen cinema. Together, this season showcased 40+ short films in a variety of venues, alongside live filmmaker Q&As, discussions and awards.
This kind of live, filmmaker-focused programming is what makes FFF stand out. It’s not simply a submission platform. It’s an active festival with screenings, conversations, audience engagement and a commitment to giving independent films a proper public life. And the resources for filmmakers to continue momentum after the festival is over, with photos, awards, laurels and social media content.
A UK film festival with an international outlook
Although Folkestone Film Festival is proudly rooted in the Garden of England, it has an international reach. Submissions are accepted from filmmakers around the world, and the festival has built a reputation for supporting both local and global independent cinema. Filmmakers flew over from New Zealand to attend the festival, along with others from Spain, Italy and Ireland.
This balance is important. Folkestone is a creative seaside town with a growing cultural identity, but FFF is not just for locals or those in the south east. It’s for anyone looking for a welcoming UK film festival that treats independent work with care.
The festival’s growing reputation has also been recognised more widely. FFF has been recognised by the Global Recognition Awards for its contribution to independent cinema and commitment to inclusive filmmaking, and it’s even in the Top 10 best-reviewed UK film festivals on FilmFreeway and among the Top 150 best-reviewed festivals worldwide. Not bad for a festival just three years old!
A festival run by volunteers
One of the things that makes Folkestone Film Festival special is that it is run entirely by volunteers. Everyone involved gives their time because they believe in independent cinema and want to create opportunities for their fellow filmmakers.
FFF operates as an independent, not-for-profit unincorporated association, and any surplus funds are reinvested into the festival, including venue hire, equipment, marketing, admin costs and future festival activity. This helps keep the focus where it belongs: on the films, the filmmakers and the audiences.
The festival relies on sponsors, submission fees, merchaandise and ticket sales to operate, with no external funding whatsoever. That independence allows FFF to grow carefully while keeping its filmmaker-first spirit.
Season 6: submissions now open
Folkestone Film Festival is now planning Season 6, which is set to be its biggest and most ambitious event yet.
For budding directors searching for short film festival submissions, independent film festivals in the UK, FilmFreeway festivals, student film festivals, IMDb-qualifying festivals or film festivals for emerging filmmakers, FFF offers something clear: a genuine festival, run by filmmakers, with live screenings, real audiences and a welcoming creative community.
Please note: FFF is separate from The Folkestone Documentary Festival
Folkestone Film Festival is an independent festival and is entirely separate from the Folkestone Documentary Festival (which is another great festival run by a fab team who you really should support!)
Submit your film to Folkestone Film Festival NOW
Whether you are a first-time director, an experienced director or producer, a student filmmaker, a screenwriter, an actor, a producer or a creative team looking for a supportive UK film festival, Folkestone Film Festival is built to celebrate your work.
Submit your film through FilmFreeway and become part of a growing festival that champions independent cinema, diverse voices and new ideas — by the sea, on the big screen.
To speak to the team, message us on Facebook or via FilmFreeway.