Rabbit Trap: Crossing the Veil Between Film and Welsh Folklore
Russ Williams is an author who enjoys exploring the often overlooked aspects of Welsh culture. His debut book Where the Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Trip looks at the history and origins of some of the country’s most influential folktales.
When we think of fairies, we tend to think of pleasant, winged little darlings here to make our dreams come true with a wave of their sparkling magic wands. You’d be forgiven for thinking they would make for rather laughable foes in any horror film, yet in Rabbit Trap, the latest feature film to bring Welsh folklore to the big screen, they are anything but. That is because the film draws inspiration from Wales’ answer to the fairy myth; the Tylwyth Teg. And in Welsh fairy tales, people rarely live happily ever after.
This psychological horror, produced by Anglesey-based production company Mad as Birds, follows the story of married couple Darcy (played by Dev Patel) and Daphne (Rosy McEwen), who have relocated from London to a house in rural Wales, seemingly so that professional singer Daphne can focus on her new album. Darcy spends most of his days capturing natural audio clips for Daphne’s new record and it is these field recordings which ultimately invite a malevolent force into their home, which arrives in the form of a nameless child (played by Merthyr Tydfil actor Jade Croot) who just won’t go away. The film stays true to the lore of the Tylwyth Teg, blending different aspects together to portray these Welsh fairies in the way our ancestors would have imagined them; as powerful beings that should be avoided at all cost.
Throughout Wales, Tylwyth Teg take many forms and their nature and motivations vary. Many locales have a story about a ‘Lady of the Lake’; beautiful women who would appear near ponds or lakes and marry a local mortal, an arrangement that inevitably ended in tragedy. Bodies of water were once believed to be places where the veil between our world and that of the fairies was at its thinnest and the film subtly references this. Other tales tell of how the Tylwyth Teg would kidnap human children and replace them with Plant Newid, Wales’ answer to the Changeling, a piece of lore integral to the film’s narrative. Our ancestors would also leave out gifts for the Tylwyth Teg (more often as a peace offering) or would adorn their homes with various charms believed to ward off those benevolent tricksters, something else that is represented well.
Another important bit of lore integral to the plot of Rabbit Trap is the link between the Tylwyth Teg and music.
There are many tales of how the Tylwyth Teg used music to lure people into a trance, such as the story of poor Ned Puw, doomed to play his fiddle for all eternity in the gloomy depths of Tal Clegir Cave. As terrifying as they were, Welsh fairies loved a good party and the ruined state of Pennard Castle on the Gower Peninsula is testament to what happens when humans try to stop them from having a good time. The story goes that the tyrannical lord who once dwelled there denied entrance to a band of fairies who wanted to join his daughter’s wedding party; they responded by conjuring up a sandstorm and engulfing the castle and all those within.
This isn’t the first film to introduce Welsh folklore to the world.
The classic 1985 animated dark fantasy The Black Cauldron borrows heavily from the Mabinogion and was based on a series of books called The Chronicles of Prydain (Prydain being the Welsh word for Britain), which reimagine Welsh mythology with a fresh narrative. The titular cauldron itself is inspired by the Pair Dadeni (Cauldron of Rebirth) from the Second Branch of the Mabinogion, which the Irish used to gain the upper hand in a war against the Welsh.
Then there’s the more recent eco-horror film Gwledd/The Feast (2017), in which the character Cadi is portrayed as a Nature Spirit, punishing the family for their desire to harm the land. The popular ‘Lady of the Lake’ tales I mentioned do indeed end in tragedy, but mostly due to the destructive nature of humans – sometimes one needs to look inward to find the real monster. Then there’s The Green Knight (2021), which also stars Dev Patel. Loosely based on the epic 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it features St. Winifred’s Well (there’s no shortage of holy wells here in Wales) and Cewri (Welsh giants).
References in other films are less obvious and may surprise you, such as Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). Hayao Miyazaki, one of the studio’s founders, grew an affinity for Wales after falling in love with the landscape, language and architecture following a visit here and he based much of the animation on the sights he had seen here. The titular wizard Howl even speaks a bit of Welsh. The film was based on a book by Diana Wynn Jones, which tells the story of a Welshman who becomes a wizard after visiting a magical land.
Rabbit Trap does a great job of bringing the scarier aspects of Welsh folklore to the big screen and proves that stories about Tylwyth Teg aren’t just for children.
Hopefully it will encourage other filmmakers to look to Welsh folklore for inspiration, as there is certainly no shortage of stories to choose from. One of my personal favourites is the tragic tale of doomed lovers Rhys and Meinir, which concerns an old wedding tradition of a game of bridal hide-and-seek that goes terribly wrong. There’s also the legend of Cantref Gwaelod, the ‘Welsh Atlantis’ that was lost to the sea somewhere off Cardigan Bay thanks to the intoxicated gatekeeper, Seithenyn.
Then there’s a whole pantheon of terrifying Welsh monsters, such as the banshee-like Gwrach-y-Rhibyn, a monstrous hag who would appear out of the mist and drain the blood of her victims; the goblin-like Coblynau who terrorised Welsh miners and even followed them to Welsh settlements in America; and the demonic black mastiff Y Gwyllgi with its glowing red eyes, who attacked those foolish enough to travel along lonely country lanes at night. But filmmakers shouldn’t feel restricted to folk horror; just think of the epic fantasies we could adapt from the tales of the Mabinogion; stories of quarrelling dynasties, dragons and powerful wizards.
The Welsh have always been great storytellers; hopefully this is the start of a new trend that will allow us to share them with the world.
Rabbit Trap is coming to cinemas across the UK from January 30, 2026.
The film has various connections to Wales including production company Mad as Birds and Merthyr Tydfil actor Jade Croot. Rabbit Trap was partly filmed in North Wales.
This article was commissioned by Film Hub Wales as part of its Made in Wales project, which celebrates films with Welsh connections, thanks to funding from Creative Wales and the National Lottery via the BFI.
Rabbit Trap: The Whole Story
From Welsh Production company Mad as Birds, slow-burn psychological folk horror Rabbit Trap summons Welsh fairy folk, ‘the Tylwyth Teg’, to cinemas on 30 January 2026.
To support the UK release, we have created a support pack featuring a themed editorial article by author Russ Williams about the Tylwyth Teg and Welsh folklore on screen, programming recommendations and assets which exhibitors can share with audiences to promote the film’s Welsh connections.
H is for Hawk: The Whole Story
Love, loss and the wild. H is for Hawk, an adaptation of best selling 2014 memoir by Helen Macdonald, from Welsh producer John Giwa-Amu, is out 23 January 2026.
To support the UK release, we have created a support pack featuring programming recommendations and assets, which exhibitors can share with audiences to promote the film’s Welsh connections.
Welsh Films to Watch in 2026
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.
– ENDS –
Too Much – Melodrama on Film: a UK-wide season
27th August 2025
The BFI announces TOO MUCH – Melodrama on Film – a new season celebrating the vivid visual language, heightened dramatics and emotional pathos at the heart of film melodrama, inviting film audiences to follow their emotions. United by their emotion driven plots, vivid visual language and self-conscious audience manipulation, these films are designed to make you break down in tears, cause a scene, fall in love, feel something. Presented by the BFI at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX and by the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) using funds from the National Lottery at cinemas and venues across the UK, TOO MUCH will take place from October- December 2025 via programmes of special events, talks and screenings. TOO MUCH will also be available UK-wide online via a curated collection of films available to stream on demand on BFI Player.
The season will explore the world of melodrama through the ages, with films ranging from cult classics to lesser-known international gems. Melodrama is steeped in contradiction. Swooningly romantic, people fall in love at first sight, sacrifice their lives in acts of devotion, find one another across space and time. Simultaneously they are grounded in the trappings of reality: rigid class boundaries, threat of punishment, and fear of scandal loom at every corner. The characters in these films are culturally diverse, from different generations and social backgrounds, but endlessly human and relatable. Their stories shed light on injustice and oppression.
Whilst expansive in its reach and impact across all genres of cinema, melodrama has long been associated with its rare embrace of women’s inner lives and concerns. This expansive drama is employed to express longing, rage and desire in characters facing motherhood, infidelity, exploitation and scandal. The legacy of early ‘women’s pictures’, created for female audiences with their favourite female stars, echoes across generations and around the world. As in life, these women do not always triumph. Imperfectly feminist yet endlessly empathetic, their sensationalist struggles carry searing social commentary beneath the glossy veneer of attention-grabbing colours, lurid plotlines and sentiment.
Accessible but ripe for dissection and reappraisal, while melodrama may lack the recognition of a genre like horror or action, TOO MUCH aims to illuminate melodrama as a key cinematic form, banish the stigma attached to the term, and spotlight how it has created masterpieces of world cinema.
From the early days of cinema and the evolution of the ‘women’s pictures’ of the 1930s and female film stars such as Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck and Claudette Colbert, cult classics and underseen gems, through to work from some of contemporary cinema’s biggest names such as Todd Haynes FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002), Pedro Almodóvar VOLVER (2006), Lars von Trier BREAKING THE WAVES (1996) as well as masterpieces of world cinema. The season will feature screenings of 7 TH HEAVEN (1927, Frank Borzage), IMITATION OF LIFE (1934, John M. Stahl), STELLA DALLAS (1937, King Vidor), NOW VOYAGER (1942, Irving Rapper) BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945, David Lean), THE LIFE OF OHARU (1952, Kenji Mizoguchi) ÉL (1953, Luis Buñuel), JOHNNY GUITAR (1954, Nicholas Ray), LOLA MONTES (1955, Max Ophüls), STELLA (1955, Michael Cacoyannis) THE CLOUD-CAPPED STAR (1960, Ritwik Ghatak) THE ARCH (1968, T’ang Tsu Shuen), THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT (1972, Rainer Werner Fassbinder), THE SILENCES OF THE PALACE (1994, Moufida Tatli) and many more.
A centrepiece of TOO MUCH will be Douglas Sirk’s colourful, high-octane love story ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) which will return to cinemas UK-wide on 24 October, courtesy of Park Circus. Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson entrance as the star-crossed lovers at the centre of Sirk’s transgressive, saturated portrait of 1950s Eisenhower-era Americana, class friction and moral values.
Ruby McGuigan, BFI Programme Development Manager and TOO MUCH BFI Southbank season curator, said:
“A story’s emotional heart is what brings us back to it time and time again and allows it to translate across generations and cultures. Melodrama – an embrace of emotion above all – is the lifeblood of great cinema, across decades and geographic borders. Melodrama has always revelled in the squashing of emotions too volatile for everyday life, and the inevitable explosion under pressure. As a young woman discovering these films, I felt understood. Perhaps I wasn’t insane, or ‘too much’. Perhaps life is just overwhelming sometimes. In recent years we’ve finally seeing women’s emotional worlds take centre stage in literature, music and television – there’s a legacy of this in cinema which I believe is often overlooked. I’m so excited to share and discuss with audiences how these films make us feel today, and how these bold stories of melodrama’s heroines have driven some of world cinema’s timeless masterpieces. Don’t forget to pack your tissues.”
The season will be programmed around key themes, Love featuring star-crossed lovers, sacrificial acts of devotion, connections across space and time and melodrama as romance incarnate, Obsession brimming with tales of unrequited love, impossible desires and toxic jealousy, Duty stories of maternal sacrifice, marital constraints and dreams denied simmering beneath the serene surface of family life. Defiance showcasing rebellion in all its forms, both righteous and frivolous, regardless of the consequences, Scandal featuring tales of melodrama’s tragic heroines, who fall victim to its judgmental gaze. Melodrama’s most expressionistic, sumptuous films will also screen at BFI IMAX.
The full UK-wide line-up of screenings, events and touring programmes will be announced soon via bfi.org.uk/too-much
BFI Southbank will play host to a major season from 20 October – 30 December, focusing on the strong cross cultural appeal of melodrama, including titles from Greece, Egypt, China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Argentina, Russia curated under the five thematic pillars of Love, Obsession, Duty, Defiance and Scandal. BFI IMAX, the UK’s biggest screen, will play host to some of melodrama’s most expressive films, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (1993 Chen Kaige), DEVDAS (2002, Sanjay Leela Bhansali) and WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956, Douglas Sirk). Special events celebrating the expansive melodrama genre will include a keynote introduction with leading academic and author Laura Mulvey and a special day of playful panels and presentations – Melo-dramarama, an immersive day delving into the labyrinth of themes, tropes and quirks of melodrama beyond women on screen, from its embrace by queer audiences to male weepies and soap operas.
Audiences will also be able to stream films from the season at home on BFI Player, with a selection of 20+ curated titles set to include, BODY AND SOUL (1925, Oscar Micheaux), CRAIG’S WIFE (1936, Dorothy Arzner), THE RECKLESS MOMENT (1949, Max Ophüls), VICTIMS OF SIN (1951, Emilio Fernández), CAIRO STATION (1958, Youssef Chahine), RED ANGEL (1966, Yasuzo Masumura), MORGIANA (1972, Juraj Herz), BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005, Ang Lee), PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019, Céline Sciamma) and THE DAMNED DON’T CRY (2022, Fyzal Boulifa).
Find your Local Film Club: A Guide to Wales’ Community and Pop-Up Screens
August 2025
Would you love to have a cinema right on your doorstep? Well you might be closer to one than you think! Wales is bursting with over 120 community screens and pop-up cinemas.
For many film lovers, driving over half an hour to their nearest cinema is the norm and we do it because films were meant to be watched on a big screen, right? For some audiences, this just isn’t possible for many reasons and the joy of having their own local community screen means they can access films more regularly. It also gives them the chance to learn the skill of choosing films, setting up their own events, or building a regular film club.
We have all sorts of community screens in Wales. From Miners Halls, to village movie nights, established film societies to pop-up films in libraries or town halls. Some screen every month and others run special themed films from time to time.
If you missed our previous blogs on festivals a
nd cinemas in Wales, then you might not be familiar with who we are at Film Hub Wales. So just before we get stuck into Wales’ community cinemas – a reminder that our job is to support Welsh ‘exhibitors’ of all shapes and sizes to bring the best UK independent and international films to Welsh communities year-round. We fund, train and advise, offering them support where needed.
So, what do community cinemas offer? Well, we’re glad you asked! The great thing about them is that they’re usually run by volunteers who love film. So, if you do too, you’re going to meet a lot of likeminded people and hopefully make some friends while you’re at it. They often have top facilities, from screen to sound, to make your experience the best it can be.Take Dinas Powys Community Cinema in Murchfield for example. They screen on the second Saturday of every month and have invested regularly in their facilities from a fixed retractable screen, to ceiling-mounted projector, new control box with two Blu-ray/DVD players, acoustic ceiling panels to eliminate the echo, blackout blinds, and an improved speaker system! Are you as impressed as we are?
If you’re looking for the best indie films from across the world, Abergavenny Film Society is the one for you. We heard on the grapevine that it’s the longest running film society in Wales. Get your membership quickly though, they’re always selling out! Another club known for its top film selections is Fishguard Film Society, where the community film panel help to select films at their Pembrokeshire base, the gorgeous Theatr Gwaun.
At Film Hub Wales, we’ve been working with TAPE Community Music and Film for the last few years to help establish new community screens across the North as part of our Spotlight project. One of the sites, Llangoed Village Hall (Sinema Llangoed), has transformed into a state-of-the-art cinema with 4K laser Epson projector, a new stereo sound system, and a large-format cinema screen – oh and the best Welsh-language, UK indie and international films!
If you’re in the North East of Wales, one not to miss is Halkyn Mountain Community Cinema, with its beautiful mountainous backdrop in Flintshire. Set-up in 2015, they show a film every two months in Halkyn Parish Hall / Library with hot drinks, popcorn and biscuits. Or you’re in Carmarthenshire, Sinema Sadwrn in Llansadwrn regularly show films on the last Friday of each month – from classics to comedies, dramas to foreign language films, animations and documentaries, there’s plenty to choose from. They describe their events as friendly occasions with the pub next door for a pre/post film drink and chat.
We’re also lucky to have the support of not one but two touring providers. Flicks in the Sticks and Moviola. Flicks, which transforms village halls and community spaces into pop-up cinemas is run by Arts Alive around Shropshire, Herefordshire and the Welsh border / mid-Wales. Moviola offers programming and film booking service for community venues as well as touring schemes across the UK, with concentration in the South East of Wales. Both organisations work with all sorts of operators in these regions.
If you’re looking for special events that take you into Wales’ castles, clubs and community centres, then you definitely want to seek out Darkened Rooms. Also one not to miss is Cinema Golau – a platform for emerging Black and Ethnic Minority filmmakers, which brings international Black independent films to a host of local Welsh venues.
With over 120 community providers to choose from, there are so many recommendations we could give you. With that in mind, we’ve put together a full list and a map to help find your local club or event. We’ll be highlighting them our socials, as well as where you can find your nearest festival and full-time cinema. Just a note – we’re not affiliated with all of the sites listed and are not responsible for their activities. Please check their local websites for more information about their current screenings. Many community cinemas take a break over summer and come back with their autumn programme from September onwards.
If you run a community screen and you’re not listed below, this may be because you’re listed as a cinema or mixed arts space but if would like to be added (or you would like to be removed from this list), please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.
Welsh exhibitors can also become a member of Film Hub Wales for free and apply for audience development funding as well as accessing training, networking and advice.
Please check the cinema websites for the latest information.
*Organisations may be based outside of Wales and deliver across various Welsh locations.
Hub Members attend Film Festivals in Texas and Sydney
Hub Members attend 2024’s SXSW and Sydney Film Festival with help from training bursary
SXSW festival celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture, helping creative people achieve their goals, and takes place in Austin, Texas every March. Hub member Robert Corcoran from 73 Degree Films attended 2024’s SXSW Festival to build on his relationships in the industry and attend the premier of Welsh film Timestalker. Akulah Agbami from Sheba Soul Ensemble wanted to attend the 2025 Sydney Film Festival to explore films and open new dialogues and awarenesses with indigenous Australian and Maori women film-makers whose films aren’t very accessible outside of Australia.
“Geographical barriers are clear as many of these filmmakers (travelling to SXSW from all over the world) will not have considered submitting their work to a Welsh (or perhaps even a European) festival previously, therefore meeting someone such as myself, to explain the benefits can set them at ease.” – Rob
Working on behalf of FOCUS Festival, Rob felt his time at SXSW was extremely valuable to grow his network as well as speaking to filmmakers to “convince them of the benefits of submitting their work to a Welsh festival.” Attending the premier of Timestalker also gave Rob an insight into the appetite for Welsh film overseas, providing ideas on how to connect with international audiences. Rob feels his attendance at SXSW resulted in a marked increase in US submissions to FOCUS Wales 2025. “Additionally I managed to meet with key people at the festival to kickstart conversations around how to continue the work and increase ties further.”
Akulah, who is the Director at Sheba Soul Ensemble, who have hosted intimate and inclusive events to celebrate Black women’s film history on screen, wanted to find out how to source films from indigenous Australian and Maori women film-makers. Akulah noted that no First Nations people attended any of the screenings and found the event still has some work to do to represent this community. With this in mind, she still came away incredibly inspired, and delighted to access several brilliant films by Black women directors, managing to watch 11 films and one short with one animation that she hopes to bring to Wales that will appeal to 16-25s and an older queer audience.
“The first time I had the ‘banquet buffet’ film festival experience was whilst working in Sydney for a year after university… But so many things I had forgotten. Like how hauntingly exquisite the State Theatre in Sydney is…For the 72nd SFF edition, I experienced 11 films and a whole lot more.” – Akulah
Rob and Akulah were able to attend these Film Festival’s with the support of Film Hub Wales via our Bursary scheme. If you want to attend a meeting, course or event that would benefit your organisation and develop audiences, but the costs are prohibitive, you can submit an application for support here.
Welsh Film Preview Events
Our Preview Days include screenings of upcoming Welsh-made, Welsh-language and Welsh archive film releases designed to support the wider programming and reach of films with Welsh connections.
The events are exclusively for members of Film Hub Wales and members of Film Hubs around the UK and we supply all attendees with film information packs and offer networking at different member venues across the country. Film Hub Wales can also offer funding towards minimum guarantees, marketing and/or a contribution towards event costs where talent is available.
Upcoming Events…
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The A – Z of Welsh Cinemas Where to Watch Film on a Big Screen in Wales
June 2025
You might be surprised to hear that we have a host of established cinemas in Wales, 80 in fact. Now these come in different shapes and sizes. Some are mixed arts centres offering multi-disciplinary programmes, others are full time independent or commercial cinemas that specialise in film and some have occasional programmes.
We’ve not even got to the community screens yet; there are many more of these to mention (and we’ll come back to that in our next blog) but today we’re expressly talking theatrical.
So, where to begin. Let’s start by explaining that it’s our job at Film Hub Wales to support Welsh cinemas to bring the best UK independent and international films to Welsh communities year-round. We fund, train and advise film exhibitors, offering support where needed. We know a film won’t be seen just because it’s good enough and that’s where cinemas come in. Their job is to think about the audience. Who would enjoy this film, how can they be reached and what impact could the film have on local people.
Welsh cinemas are known for being at the heart of their communities, their eclectic buildings and rich histories. They generally offer much more than movies alone.
Take the Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, Mid-West Wales, for instance. Having first screened a silent news reel in 1900 as the town’s Assembly Room, the building has evolved into a much-loved, unique, full-time cinema with house band, secret garden, and cocktail bar. Not only that – they also lead events in the rural community such as opening on Christmas day for local people living alone and create employment opportunities for young people in the town (we’re told their team love it so much, they often don’t want to leave!).
On to the North West of Wales, if you find yourself in Blaenau Ffestiniog, you have to pay a visit to CellB. Based in a converted police station, with two screens and a stunning backdrop of slate mountains, this place is bursting with charisma. Led by Gwallgofiaid, a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides creative training for young people, the site has a hostel, regular gigs and a wood fired pizza oven..
Over in the North East of Wales, we have to mention the impressive renovations at Theatr Clwyd, known as the largest touring theatre provider in Wales. You’ll want to hang out and take in the panoramic views of the town from their new glass-front building, visit their restaurant run by acclaimed chef Bryn Williams and of course, watch a film in their purpose-built cinema opening from July 2025.
We could keep going with this all day… If you’re in South Wales a cinema you can’t miss is The Savoy Theatre in Monmouth.
The oldest working theatre site in Wales, this beautiful grade 2 listed building looks like the cinema that dreams are made of.. Or if you find yourself in Cardiff, there’s Chapter Arts Centre, which has a huge year-round programme of indie film as well as experimental performances, exhibitions and café bar.
Over in West of Wales, there’s Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard. It’s an independent community theatre, supported by a passionate team of volunteers, with cinema, bar and café with a vast selection of events, with the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast just a stone’s throw away.
You could basically map out a journey around Wales, with a cinema on each stop. Sound good? To help with this we’ve put together a full list and a map to help you see where each cinema is. We’ll be highlighting them on our socials, as well as where you can find your nearest festival, film club or community screen.
If you run a cinema and you’re not listed below, this may be because you’re listed as a community screen but if would like to be added (or you would like to be removed from this list), please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you. Welsh cinemas can also become a member of Film Hub Wales for free and apply for audience development funding as well as accessing training, networking and advice.
Monico Movies to screen its final film in July 2025
After 10 hugely successful years, the final curtain will soon fall on much loved community cinema Monico Movies.
In 2015, a group of local movie enthusiasts were invited by filmmakers Viv and Harley Jones to discuss the idea of opening a community cinema, screening a variety of films. Rhiwbina Community Cinema – a not for profit, volunteer led cinema – was born. It was named Monico Movies as a tribute to the much missed local cinema ‘The Monico’ which opened in Rhiwbina in 1936 and closed in 2003.
Monico Movies started from scratch with no equipment. However, screening films was initially made possible through the loan of equipment from Film Hub Wales and, after the first year as a community cinema group, funding was secured from the Big Lottery to buy a projector and screen.
Monico Movies hosted its first screening, The Grand Budapest Hotel, in October 2015 at Canolfan Beulah. Since then, shows have been held on the 2nd Saturday of each month for ten years. More than 200 films have been screened, attracting a loyal audience, with up to 80 people attending
each month. Five local shops – Serenade, Victoria Fearn Gallery, Ginger Whites, Deri Stores and the Honey Pot – have also supported Monico Movies, by selling tickets. This continued support by the audience and ticket outlets has ensured the community cinema’s ongoing success.
In volunteering to plan and host an annual film programme, the dedicated crew have contributed time and skills, including web and poster design, social media publicity, film research, administration and projection. The volunteer group curated a varied programme across a range of different film genres. These included world cinema, independent films, old favourites, forgotten classics and new releases. One memorable highlight was screening Buster Keaton’s silent movie, The General, with live piano accompaniment. Monico Movies has also been proud to showcase local film makers.
Monico Movies revived the tradition of a regular, local cinema experience for the community in Rhiwbina. Having achieved the milestone of 10 years, the group members have decided the time is right to retire – to hang up the film reels, put away the usherette’s tray and dim the lights one last time.
The final Monico Movies show will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday 12th July 2025, when the Welsh made film ‘Mr Burton’, about the early life of actor Richard Burton, will be screened and the audience of Monico Movies will celebrate their love of cinema one last time.
Contact: Harley Jones
From Animation to the Great Outdoors: Discover Wales’ 40 Film Festivals
May 2025
Did you know that Wales is home to 40 festivals of all shapes and sizes? Many of these are dedicated to film, or have regular film offers. Whether you’re an emerging filmmaker looking for a place to launch your next short, or you’re an avid cinema goer seeking out the best new films, our Welsh festivals have you covered.
At Film Hub Wales, we work with film festivals, helping them to bring the best UK independent and international films to Welsh communities year-round. Festivals play a crucial role in film chain. They showcase new talent, often helping them to secure sales agents and distribution deals – reaching new audiences at home and across the world. They’re also known for special events, unique and bold film choices that audiences might not see elsewhere and a place for industry and the public to come together.
So what festivals are waiting to be discovered on your doorstep in Wales? Well, there are at least 40 (that we know of) and this doesn’t include the many more touring events that pop-up in cinemas during the year and wider arts festivals that occasionally screen films. 34 of these are specifically Welsh events and 6 are UK or international events that tour to Wales.
Many of the festivals have unique themes (20 that we count) such as the SeeMôr Film Festival which explores all things coast and sea in Anglesey, there’s Cardiff Animation Festival and Kotatsu Japanese Animation festival, or for the thrill seekers there’s Abertoir International Horror Festival – which is about to celebrate its 20th year in 2025.
Various festivals offer dedicated support for new talent such as Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, Cardiff Mini Film Festival and Focus Wales. For young audiences there’s Wicked Wales and The Children’s International Film Festival of Wales. Phew, we can keep going? For the best new local and global films there’s Wales One World, for a taste of Africa there’s the Watch-Africa Film Festival, Hijinx Unity Festival celebrates disabled, learning disabled and/or autistic artists and our largest film festival in Wales, Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is home to the largest short film prize in the world. We’re spoilt for choice, right?
As well as a great place to discover new films, if you’re starting out in the film industry and looking for volunteering opportunities, festivals are a brilliant place to learn new skills and make contacts.
Around 50% of the festivals currently take place in the South East of Wales, with the other 50% in North, East and West of the country. Many offer online events alongside their in-person programmes, as we know getting there can be a challenge.
To help with this we’ve put together a full list and a map to help you see exactly where and when each festival takes place. We’ll also be highlighting upcoming festivals monthly on our socials, in case you need a reminder, as well as where you can find your nearest cinema, film club or community screen.
If you run a film festival and you’re not listed below and would like to be added (or you would like to be removed from this list), please get in touch with us. Film Festivals in Wales can also become a member of Film Hub Wales for free and apply for audience development funding as well as accessing training, networking and advice.
