Welsh Films to Watch in 2026

(from left to right clockwise) H is for Hawk courtesy of Lionsgate, On the Sea courtesy of Red Union Films, Madfabulous courtesy of Mad as Birds, Rabbit Trap, Learning to Breathe Underwater
6th January 2026

From life in Blaenau Ffestiniog through the eyes of Effi, to an out-of-this-world ‘Roswelsh’ incident in a Welsh seaside town, new stories from Wales are set to hit cinema screens in 2026. 

Go on a journey of self-discovery this year as you connect with characters from Port Talbot’s steel town to hand rakers on the mussel beds of Anglesey. Find feel-good films, eye-opening docs, plus some revenge, mayhem and more – all with Welsh connections from locations, to cast and behind the scenes talent.

Starting off the year with its release on January 23rd is biographical drama H is for Hawk, produced by Cardiff’s John Giwa-Amu (The Man in My Basement). The film tells the true story of Helen Macdonald (Claire Foy), a woman mourning the death of her father (Brendan Gleeson) who finds solace in her friendship with a stubborn goshawk named Mabel.

Joedi Langley, Interim Head of Creative Wales looks back on the Welsh films of 2025 and ahead to their support in 2026:

2025 has been a phenomenal year for Wales-made films, from taking Richard Burton’s origin story to the world in Mr Burton, to The Man in My Basement which was showcased at the Toronto Film Festival and Sundance-nominated feature Brides, to name a few. The next year is also gearing up to be exciting, kicking off with the January release of the beautiful H is for Hawk, alongside the true story of the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, Henry Paget, in Madfabulous and the first Welsh-language feature film Effi o Blaenau co-funded by Creative Wales and S4C, which is currently finalising a festival run. Creative Wales is committed to giving this growing sector the vital support it needs to continue to thrive, through funding and connecting creatives within the industry with programmes to ensure Welsh films are given a platform to be enjoyed by audiences within Wales and around the world.

Also due in 2026 are various place-based films that give audiences insight into life in Wales. We have not one but three titles centred around Ynys Môn (Anglesey). Firstly, On the Sea, which follows Jack and his family as they hand rake the mussel beds. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around Church and fishery, Jack falls in love with itinerant deckhand Daniel. We also have the highly anticipated Madfabulous from North Wales production company Mad as Birds. The film depicts the life of the wonderfully eccentric 5th Marquess Henry Cyril Paget. Filmed on location on Ynys Môn, as well as Caernarfon and Pwllheli, the film stars Welsh actor Callum Scott Howells alongside Rupert Everett and Siobhán McSweeney. It’s directed by Ynys Môn’s own Celyn Jones. Finally, Ynys Môn-shot thriller Black Church Bay from Welsh/Irish director Rhys Marc Jones, starring Welsh actor Tom Cullen. A respected teacher’s life unravels in a remote coastal village, when the sixth form student he’s in a secret relationship with, disappears.

Actor and Director Celyn Jones, who was involved in all three productions, celebrates this moment for Ynys Môn on screen: 

Three films – all Anglesey-based and all different and all intended for the big screen. From Helen Walsh’s gorgeous and moving drama (On the Sea) about love in all its forbidden and celebrated shapes, to the scale, beauty, emotion and heartbreak of my love letter to home (Madfabulous) and the darkly tragic and vital script of Black Church Bay. It’s about moments where people come together to make something. It’s about the human connection in the endeavour of filmmaking. It’s a viable industry that has places for all who want in and we have a seat at that table… Anglesey has a seat! That’s why I will never stop cheering and hustling and making work that has Ynys Môn written through the centre like a stick of rock.

Heading over to Blaenau Ffestiniog, we meet Effi o Blaenau. Featuring Leisa Gwenllian in the title role and directed by Marc Evans (Mr Burton), this is a big screen adaptation of Gary Owen’s modern Welsh classic play Iphigenia in Splott. Grappling with her weekly loop of unemployment, clubbing and hangovers, Effi has a chance encounter in a Llandudno nightclub with injured soldier Lee, briefly opening a door to something better. For a moment, Effi glimpses a life she never imagined. The reality that follows is far tougher.

For the environmental horror fans out there, we have Welsh director Craig Roberts’ highly anticipated The Scurry. Filmed at Dragon Studios in Bridgend, starring Rhys Ifans and Ella Purnell, it’s the story of two pest controllers who encounter an avalanche of deranged squirrels, wreaking revenge on the staff and visitors at an eco-country park. For those who like their frightful films more melodic, there’s Stuffed, an original new musical-horror-romance shot in South Wales starring Jodie Comer as a brooding taxidermist whose secret ambition is to stuff a human specimen. On a more mythical Welsh folklore horror front, we have Rabbit Trap, released on January 30th. Set in the 1970s, it follows a married couple (Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen) who relocate to an isolated Welsh cabin where they accidentally disturb a Tylwyth Teg fairy ring and are visited by a mysterious child who appears to have ill intentions for them.

For a family-orientated cinema trip, Out There promises to be a feel-good, comedy, sci-fi as 16-year-old amateur astronomer Maz spots a UFO over her sleepy Welsh seaside town. Dragging along her sceptical best friend Cari, as well as Michael Sheen’s unhinged ufologist, Maz uncovers a truth she’s not prepared to face. Learning to Breathe Underwater is a new comedy drama, co-produced by Cardiff-based One Wave Films (Still Pushing Pineapples), about eight-year-old daydreamer Leo who lives with his eccentric artist father. Leo’s life is suddenly changed overnight however by the arrival of Anya, a spirited Bulgarian au pair.

For documentary lovers, 2026 promises fascinating factual stories from two prominent Welsh producers. Smoking Shores, from Truth Department’s Dewi Gregory and executive producer Michael Sheen, explores one of the UK’s last great steelworks in Port Talbot via a group of local surfers, raising themes of deindustrialisation, decarbonisation and mental health, as well as our symbiotic relationship to nature. Meanwhile, Welsh producer Rob Alexander follows disabled actor/writer David Proud in Proud. He longs for a family, but the fertility techniques he needs to access are designed to engineer “healthy children” and screen out disabled people like him. What does this mean for people like David, potentially facing their own ‘extinction?’

With even more titles to come, such as a punk exploration of the psyche in the thrilling Mission, to a battle against evil for a new mother in Unspeakable, there’s plenty to choose from.

Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales explains why Film Hub Wales’ Made in Wales project supports releases such as these:

We know that it’s important to Welsh cinemas and their audiences to be able to connect with stories that reflect their lives, their communities and their language, as well as films from Welsh storytellers that bring the international world to their doorsteps in Wales. Our aim is to help those stories to reach people, ideally in a collective cinema setting, ensuring that once a film is made, it’s also seen.

Film Hub Wales’ Made in Wales (MIW) project celebrates films with Welsh connections. It offers a host of year-round activities in partnership with Welsh exhibitors, including a film catalogue, which hosts information on over 1000 shorts and feature films. Audiences can keep up to date with news of upcoming Welsh releases and the latest interviews by following Made in Wales on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, the Made in Wales podcast, YouTube and Letterboxd.

MIW is made possible thanks to funding from Creative Wales and the support of BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), awarding National Lottery funding. BFI FAN offers support to exhibitors across the whole of the UK, to boost cultural programming and engage diverse audiences. In Wales, activity is led by Film Hub Wales, managed by Chapter.

Download the Press Release

– ENDS –

Archive, Access Action  
Release Date: Out Now
Welsh Connections: Various
A package of five short films resulting from the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive’s ‘Cymru Anabl’ project (2024). As part of the project, access materials were commissioned for these films, in a small step toward ensuring the wider accessibility of archive film. The films include creative documentaries centred on Deaf and disabled lives, as well as short live-action and animated dramas. ‘Cymru Anabl’ was a project by the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive in partnership with Disability Arts Cymru, Hijinx Theatre Company and TAPE: Community Music and Film, with the support of the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage fund.

H is for Hawk
Release Date: 23 January 2026
Welsh Connections: John Giwa-Amu (producer), Cardiff, Wales (filming location). Financed by Creative Wales with the support of Ffilm Cymru Wales.
Synopsis: Chronicling the true story of Helen Macdonald (Claire Foy), who loses her well-regarded photojournalist father (Brendan Gleeson) to a heart attack, this film sees Helen find unexpected comfort in the feathery company of a stubborn northern goshawk named Mabel. The challenge of training a young goshawk turns out to be her guiding light through the grieving process and her unique bond with Mabel reintroduces her to the beauty of life and the natural world.

Rabbit Trap
Release Date: January 30, 2026
Welsh Connections: Mad as Birds (production company), set in Wales, story about Welsh fairy folk, the Tylwyth Teg.
Synopsis: Set in 1973, Rabbit Trap is the story of married musicians Daphne and Darcy Davenport, who have relocated from London to an isolated cabin in Wales in order to complete their new record. When they accidentally make a field recording of a mystical sound never before heard by human ears, a strange child enters their lives who gradually un-tethers them from reality, and the couple soon find themselves caught between the ancient spirits of the natural world and the lives they once knew.

Black Church Bay
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Rhys Marc Jones (writer-director), Tom Cullen, Julian Lewis Jones, Celyn Jones (cast), filmed in Anglesey. Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: a mystery-thriller, about a teacher whose world unravels after an intimate encounter with a younger man, exploring the lengths someone will go to in order to hide their true self.

Effi o Blaenau
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Marc Evans (director), Branwen Cennard (producer), Gary Owen (writer), Leisa Gwenllian, Tom Rhys Harries, Sion Eifion, Owen Alun, Nel Rhys Lewis, Mared Llywelyn, Carys Gwilym (cast), filmed entirely in Wales. Financed by Creative Wales and S4C. Welsh language.
Synopsis:  Unemployed Effi has a chance encounter in a Llandudno nightclub with injured soldier Lee, briefly opening a door to a better life. The reality that follows however is far tougher. As she faces the future as a single mother-to be, Effi’s story exposes a stark social crisis: a system with too few maternity wards, too few midwives and too many impossible choices made out of necessity rather than care.

Madfabulous
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Celyn Jones (director), Lisa Baker (screenwriter), Callum Scott Howells (cast), Mad as Birds (production company). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: When Henry Cyril Paget inherits a vast fortune, his extravagant lifestyle and eccentric conduct lead to financial ruin, culminating in his impoverished death in France at 29, having squandered his immense wealth.

On the Sea
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Celyn Jones (actor), filmed in Anglesey, set in North Wales fishing community.
Synopsis: Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life. He works as a Hand Raker on the mussel beds in North Wales alongside his younger brother, Dyfan, and Dyfan’s three sons. Jack has always assumed that his own boy, Tom, will join the family business on leaving school but Tom’s resistance to follow in his footsteps creates familial tension. Tensions are further inflamed by the arrival of an itinerant deckhand, Daniel, who makes known his feelings for Jack. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around Church and fishery, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma.

Learning to Breathe Underwater
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Nan Davies (co-producer, One Wave Films). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: From the co-producers of recent success Kneecap, the film follows an eight-year-old boy (newcomer Ezra Carlisle) as he navigates life after the death of his mother while his father swings between manic creativity and debilitating anxiety. The arrival of a Bulgarian au pair (played by Maria Bakalova), brings unexpected changes to the household.

Mission
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Lowri Roberts (producer). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: Mission is a punk exploration of the psyche which follows alienated Dylan (George MacKay) as he throws off the shackles of his solitary life in an attempt to experience the highs and lows of existence at its most extreme, embarking on a thrilling journey of self-discovery that proves both inspiring and terrifying.

Out There
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Simon Ryninks (director), Katie Dolan (producer), Aneurin Barnard, Michael Sheen, Iwan Rheon, Tom Moya, Nerys Amber Stocks, Remy Beasley, Matthew Aubrey (cast), filmed in Cardiff, Porthcawl, Merthyr Mawr, Aberystwyth. Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: After 16-year-old astronomy enthusiast Maz witnesses a UFO above her Welsh seaside town, she teams up with her sceptical best mate and an outcast conspiracy theorist to launch an investigation that will put her relationships, and her life, in danger. Full of heartfelt drama and comedic turns, Out There is a feel-good film about belief, finding meaning and coming to terms with loss.

Proud
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Rob Alexander (producer). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: This feature documentary follows disabled actor/writer David Proud. He has always longed for a family – but the fertility techniques he needs to access are designed to engineer “healthy children” and screen out disabled people like him.

Smoking Shores
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Dewi Gregory (producer), Truth Department (production company), Michael Sheen (executive producer), Port Talbot (filming location). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: an immersive non-linear documentary following a closed group of local surfers through the extraordinary landscape of Welsh steel town Port Talbot.

Stuffed
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Filmed in South Wales. Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: Araminta (Jodie Comer) is a taxidermist with a secret ambition is to stuff a human specimen. When she meets the lonely Bernie (Harry Melling), they form a pact that evolves into an unlikely romance.

The Scurry
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Craig Roberts (director), Cliff Edge Pictures (production company), Rhys Ifans (cast), filmed at Dragon Studios, Bridgend.
Synopsis: The Scurry follows two pest controllers who are called to an eco-café in a country park to investigate what begins as a routine vermin problem. As nightfall approaches an avalanche of deranged squirrels descend, wreaking revenge and mayhem on the staff and visitors in the park. With many fatalities, the survivors take shelter in the café as a freak storm takes out the power and communications, leaving them isolated and under attack.

Unspeakable
Release Date: 2026
Welsh Connections: Elwen Rowlands (producer), Little Door (production company). Financed by the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery (delegated via Arts Council of Wales) and Creative Wales.
Synopsis: A new mother’s shame over feeling no connection to her baby attracts an ancient evil, forcing her into a desperate battle to save her child.

Notes on definitions

Welsh Connections refers to films with one or more of the following:

  • Involving Welsh film talent (director/ producer/ writer/ principal cast),
  • Made by production companies or filmmakers active in Wales (including those made with Welsh agency or Government funding),
  • Set in Wales, or that deal with Welsh stories, events or people (real or fictional),
  • Made in the Welsh language,
  • International stories from Welsh talent.

About Film Hub Wales
Film Hub Wales (FHW) celebrates cinema. We support organisations that screen film, from film festivals, to societies and mixed arts centres. Working with over 300 Welsh exhibitors, we aim to bring the best UK and international film to all audiences across Wales and the UK. Since Film Hub Wales set up in 2013, we’ve supported over 347 exciting cinema projects, reaching over 589,000 audience members.

We’re part of a UK wide network of eight hubs which forms the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Audience Network (FAN), made possible thanks to National Lottery funding. Film Hub Wales is managed by Chapter. We also lead Made in Wales, a project celebrating films with Welsh connections. We were also proud to lead on the UK inclusive cinema strategy on behalf of BFI FAN 2017-23.
Film Hub Wales: Website, X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram

Made in Wales: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Made in Wales podcast, YouTube, Letterboxd.

About the BFI Film Audience Network
Supported by National Lottery funding, the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), is central to the BFI’s aim to ensure the greatest choice of film is available for everyone. Established in 2012 to build wider and more diverse UK cinema audiences for British and international film, FAN is a unique, UK-wide collaboration made up of eight Hubs managed by leading film organisations and venues strategically placed around the country. FAN also supports talent development with BFI NETWORK Talent Executives in each of the English Hubs, with a mission to discover and support talented writers, directors and producers at the start of their careers.

BFI FAN Film Hubs are:

  • Film Hub Midlands is led by Broadway, Nottingham working in partnership with the Birmingham-based Flatpack
  • Film Hub North is led collectively by Showroom Workstation, Sheffield and HOME Manchester
  • Film Hub South East is led by the Independent Cinema Office
  • Film Hub South West is led by Watershed in Bristol
  • Film Hub Scotland is led by Glasgow Film Theatre
  • Film Hub Northern Ireland is led by Queen’s University Belfast
  • Film Hub Wales is led by Chapter in Cardiff
  • Film Hub London is led by Film London

Website

About the BFI 
We are a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. Our mission is: 

  • To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers 
  • To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive 
  • To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue 
  • To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding 
  • To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries 

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. 
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.
Website, Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram

About Chapter
Chapter is an international centre for contemporary arts and culture, rooted in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. Established by artists Christine Kinsey and Bryan Jones and writer Mik Flood in 1971 to celebrate experimentation and radical thought, it’s been a catalyst for creativity and critical thinking ever since.

Chapter is a hub for the production and presentation of world-class, inventive and compelling work. Their gallery commissions and produces exhibitions of the very best in national and international art. Their theatre spaces are a platform for experimental and thought-provoking plays, dance, music, live art plus so much more. Their cinemas offer independent and challenging films alongside a range of unique festivals and events, and they bring more films, to more people, in more places through Film Hub Wales.

Alongside the core programme, they’re also home to more than 50 artists and creative companies who are based in their studios. From award-winning animators and film production companies to artists, designers and photographers, and bespoke art framers, print and recording studios, the creative community are at the heart of everything they do.

Their programme and community come together in an award-winning Caffi Bar that seats around 120 people and is a great place to meet up with friends, find a quiet spot to work away from home, or tuck into freshly prepared, locally sourced food and drink.

Outdoors, Chapter are proud to work with Canton Community Gardeners who nurture their green spaces and share their knowledge through outreach work with schools and local communities. They also look after their beautiful bees!

Many people visit to attend the range of exciting classes, workshops and events that are brought to you by different local businesses every day. Try your hand at printmaking, Lindy Hop, Tae Kwando, ballet, tap, music for babies, youth orchestra and so much more, in the inclusive atmosphere of Chapter’s relaxed venue. They also offer a range of unique, low-cost spaces for hire if you’re looking for an unusual film location, accessible venue for a conference or meeting, or somewhere to celebrate a special occasion.

Everyone’s welcome! Croeso i bawb!

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About Creative Wales
Creative Wales is a Welsh Government internal agency that supports the development of the fast-growing creative industry in Wales. We focus on developing and promoting growth across the Screen, Digital, Music and Publishing sectors, positioning Wales as one of the best places in the world for creative businesses to thrive.

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