For more information, please contact:
Toki Allison, BFI FAN Access Officer, on 07866 451949 / [email protected]
Ten Great Films from Wales that you might not have watched yet!
You might be familiar with staples like Hedd Wyn and Solomon & Gaenor, or cult classics Twin Town and Human Traffic…
With Wales celebrating 130 years since its first known cinema screenings in 1896, we’re taking a look at some of the great Welsh films that you might not have watched yet:
The Future of Welsh Film: Podcast and Video Blogs
Wales celebrates 130 years of cinema in 2026.
The big screen has been home to the pioneering films of William Haggar and Arthur Cheetham from the early 1900s, right through to the latest releases like Effi o Blaenau and Madfabulous.
We’re running celebratory activities throughout the year, including a very special Made in Wales podcast and a series of video blogs from Welsh film festivals and cinemas about their hopes for the future of Welsh film…
Press/film exhibitors can contact us for downloadable versions of all assets.
Wales’ Cinema Treasures
Wales celebrates 130 years of cinema in 2026.
In 1896, the first known cinema screenings took place in Wales. The big screen has been home to the pioneering films of William Haggar and Arthur Cheetham from the early 1900s, right through to the latest releases like Effi o Blaenau and Madfabulous.
We’re running celebratory activities throughout the year, including this series of video blogs from Wales’ ‘cinema treasures’. Experience a guided tour of some of Wales’ great cinemas, from the newly renovated, to time-honoured classics that keep the art of film alive in Wales.
Press/film exhibitors can contact us for downloadable versions.
‘This is Welsh Film’ – Wales Celebrates 130 Years of Cinema
14th April 2026
Welsh cinemas are celebrating a significant anniversary this spring, with the first known film screenings taking place in Cardiff 130-years ago, in April 1896.
Wales’ big screens have been home to the pioneering Welsh films of William Haggar and Arthur Cheetham from the early 1900s, right through to the latest anticipated releases of 2026, such as Effi o Blaenau and Madfabulous.
To mark the occasion, Film Hub Wales is running activities throughout the year, including sharing the results of an industry wide survey which lays out the Welsh screen industries’ hopes for the future of Welsh film and a similarly themed Made in Wales podcast. There will also be a series of ‘cinema treasure’ blogs, giving audiences a look at historic and newly renovated venues and a list of some of the key Welsh titles from the last 13 decades, which will be available to screen in cinemas for a ‘This is Welsh Film’ season.
Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales, explains the significance of the anniversary:
“Cinema has evolved over the last 130 years, reflecting changes in society, new ways of storytelling and embracing digital technologies. It has remained a constant source of escapism, entertainment and connection. There are many ‘cinema treasures’ for audiences to discover in Wales, from The Monmouth Savoy to Brynamman Hall and more. We want to make 2026 a year of cinema, to thank them for their significant contributions to our communities, whilst also recognising the role of Welsh film itself and our hopes for the future of on-screen stories from Wales. In our recent industry survey, 97% of Welsh filmmakers told us that it was important to them that their film was seen on a big screen, so we can’t underestimate the value of cinema to production, as well as audiences.”
So where did it all begin? American Birt Acres first screened films privately for the Cardiff photographic society before going on to exhibit his films to audiences in Cathays Park, just pipping the renowned Lumiere Brothers to the post, as they brought their famous Cinematographe to Cardiff’s Empire Music Hall in May 1896. In June, Acres then shot the first film in Wales – a Royal Visit of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) to Cardiff.
Film Hub Wales’ ‘This is Welsh Film’ 130-year film package includes over 70 films reaching right back to 1898, including one of the most remarkable cinematic films of that time called “Conway Castle – Panoramic View of Conway on the L & N.W Railway”, courtesy of the Screen and Sound Archive at the National Library of Wales. Known as a sub-genre of film called ‘phantom train ride’, the locomotive was filmed from a truck as it ran through the tunnel, out into a spectacular panoramic vista of the Castle. Other films from across the decades include the first Welsh talkie ‘Y Chwarelwr’, and favourites such as The Proud Valley, Rhosyn a Rhith (Coming up Roses), Submarine, Gwledd and many more.
Film Hub Wales’ industry survey also revealed that 87% of respondents feel that there not enough films made in Welsh and there are not enough films about life in Wales, making it even more crucial to take a look back at some of the most influential films to be made in Wales, whilst also preserving Welsh screen culture.
Annie Grundy from Wales’ beloved cinema the Magic Lantern, which recently made Time Out’s top 100 cinemas in the world list, as well as winning the BIFA’s 2025 cinema of the year award, adds:
“Happy 130th Birthday to Welsh cinema – what an exciting year! We are also celebrating 125 years of films playing at the Magic Lantern – originally the ‘Assembly Rooms’ in Tywyn, Gwynedd. Our 125 film programme launched on 8th March with a talk about the history of the venue from the team’s very own Chris Richards. Like many of the fabulous cinemas in Wales, we look forward to digging into ‘This is Welsh Film’ and treating our audience to some screenings of the greatest films from the archive. It’s so important for our communities to see their culture and heritage on the big screen.”
Audiences can watch the ‘This is Welsh film’ season trailer now, as well as ‘cinema treasures’ videos and blogs from film exhibitors about their hopes for the future of Welsh film. They can also take a quick tour of The History of Welsh Cinema in this short resource created for the season, read the full Future of Welsh Film industry survey results, and follow Film Hub Wales for news of upcoming screenings.
Download the Press Release
WOW Wales One World Film Festival attends ICO: Developing your Sponsorship Strategy
Annita Nitsaidou from WOW was able to attend the Independent Cinema Office’s training course in London with help from our training bursary.
This short course from BFI FAN, provided practical steps to help festivals and exhibitors build a sponsorship strategy that can effectively build new financial partnerships. This in-person day was the third part of this course, with the previous two sessions being online.
“Attending the Independent Cinema Office’s Developing your Sponsorship Strategy training has shifted how I think about sponsorship: away from ‘help us fund things’ and towards ‘join us in making something meaningful happen.’”
Annita said that through the course she “learned how to clearly articulate WOW’s mission and audience impact in a way that resonates with external partners.” The course provided Annita with structure and guidance when thinking about approaching sponsorship opportunities for WOW festival’s specific rural audience. She came out more confident and strategically minded and is already implementing a new way of thinking surrounding her pitch materials.
The in-person day also provided Annita with an invaluable opportunity to network with other FAN members across the UK where she shared notes and honest ideas and feedback. Annita said “Overall, I returned to work with a sharper, values-led sponsorship approach that feels both more confident and more accountable to our communities.”
Read more about WOW.
Annita was able to attend this training course 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 request a bursary here.
BFI announces first details of increased £33.5m investment in Audience Development
11th March 2026
The BFI today announces the first details of the £33.5m pledged to Audiences over the next three years in the BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2026-2029, representing a 20% increase from 2023-2026, to support the UK exhibition and distribution sectors. £10.8m is awarded to the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) enabling 10 UK-wide strategic partners to deliver audience facing work, and £3m for the Open Cinemas fund which powers ESCAPES and has successfully attracted new audiences to independent cinemas across the UK through free regular screenings. A further £19.7m is allocated to the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund to support a broad range of activity from distributors, exhibitors and festivals working across independent film and immersive, which is currently open for applications and initial awards will be announced in the coming months. This activity, supported by ‘good cause’ National Lottery funding, sees the BFI continue to invest and grow the activity it supports UK-wide to increase cinema audiences for UK independent and international film.
ESCAPES initiative renewed for three years following successful pilot which saw over 215,000 tickets claimed across 223 independent cinemas since 2024.
ESCAPES is the groundbreaking audience development initiative supported by BFI National Lottery funding which will receive £3m investment over the next three years. Hosting free and accessible cinema screenings at over 120 independent cinemas across the UK each month, ESCAPES engages UK distributors and exhibitors to expand audiences for independent film in cinemas.
Entertainment specialists elevenfiftyfive will continue to deliver ESCAPES which has seen over 215,000 tickets claimed for screenings in 223 locations since launching in February 2024. Audience feedback has reported that 33% of ESCAPES customers were new to the cinemas they visited, with 82% likely to return to the cinema they visited for a paid visit and 84% of those planning to return, pledging to revisit within three months. ESCAPES will continue to grow the number of participating sites and screen a broad spectrum of films – from new releases such as February’s screenings of BAFTA-nominated prison thriller Wasteman, to cult classics, such as iconic French rom-com Amelie which screens in March as part of National Lottery Open Week ahead of its 25th anniversary re-release.
EIGHT UK-wide BFI Film Audience Network Hubs receive £10.8m over three years, representing 9% increase on previous 3-year period.
The 10 UK-wide strategic partners managing BFI FAN activity in eight Hubs across the nations and English regions have been renewed and will collectively receive £10.8m over the next three years, representing a 9% increase on the previous 3-year period from 2023-2026. Over that period, FAN has funded over 1000 audience facing projects in over 1500 locations across the UK.
Activity has included local and specialist film festivals, rural touring schemes, and a diverse range of projects delivered in communities across the UK, including the Cine North initiative which provides access to screen culture in 35 villages across Northern England, the Abertoir Horror Festival in Aberystwyth and the Rainbow Film Festival which screens films by and for the Bangladeshi communities of East London. The BFI FAN Hubs will also continue to provide a talent development offer for early career filmmaking talent in the English regions as part of BFI NETWORK, with details published in the coming months.
The 10 strategic partners renewed to manage BFI FAN activity in the nations and English regions are:
- Film London in London
- Broadway in Nottingham in partnership with Flatpack in Birmingham in the Midlands
- Showroom in Sheffield in partnership with HOME in Manchester in the North
- Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast in Northern Ireland
- Glasgow Film Theatre in Scotland
- The Independent Cinema Office in the South East
- Watershed in Bristol in the South West
- Chapter in Cardiff in Wales
SPOTLIGHT programme will invest in newly identified culturally underserved areas to improve access to screenings of independent film.
Each BFI FAN hub will continue to deliver the SPOTLIGHT programme in newly identified areas across the UK, boosting audience choice and improving access to independent film where there is currently very limited public access to film screenings. The SPOTLIGHT areas set to receive support for 2026-2029 are:
- Film Hub London: Redbridge & Enfield (previous SPOTLIGHT area of Barking & Dagenham will also continue for a further year)
- Film Hub Midlands: Ashfield, Bolsover, Chesterfield and Mansfield, in partnership with Flatpack Festival
- Film Hub North: Hull, in partnership with Hull Independent Cinema, plus Blackburn with Darwen, Rochdale and Oldham
- Film Hub Northern Ireland: Derry/Londonderry and surrounds, in partnership with Nerve Centre
- Film Hub Scotland: Fife & Clackmannanshire, in partnership with OnFife
- Film Hub South East: Luton
- Film Hub South West: Cornwall with a focus on the East, North and Camborne, in partnership with Creative Kernow
- Film Hub Wales: South West Wales, in partnership with WOW Wales on World Film Festival
This hyper-local approach to audience development was initiated in 2023 and creates new opportunities for communities to enjoy access to screen culture where previously there was little or none. The programme has facilitated the development of several new community cinemas, including Sinema Llangoed on The Isle of Anglesey/ Ynys Môn, and supported the launch of new festivals, such as the Peterborough Bengali Film Festival. The recent PictureEast and Elgin Film Festivals showcased the work of Spotlight partners in Newham, Barking & Dagenham, and Moray Firth respectively and are intended to provide a future legacy for audiences.
In addition to delivering SPOTLIGHT, FAN will continue to invest in local exhibitors and deliver professional development opportunities to its members. Over £3.3m of National Lottery funding has been ringfenced over 3 years for Hubs to support a wide range of audience facing exhibition activity across the UK and many of these opportunities are now open via individual Hub websites. FAN will also be offering courses on marketing, audience development, programming, and technical skills to support skills development across the FAN membership. The second edition of the UK-wide exhibitor conference, BFI FAN CON, will take place at Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, from 7-9 September, aimed at connecting the full spectrum of film exhibitors – from small community cinemas and touring collectives to large multi-screen independent cinemas and landmark film festivals. Offering networking opportunities and panel discussions with sector experts, the conference provides an opportunity to discover fresh ideas for reaching and engaging audiences.
Ben Luxford, Director of UK Audiences at the BFI, said:
“With the 20% increase in investment in audiences for 2026-2029, we are committed to building cinema audiences and securing a sustainable, vibrant future for the sector. Our UK-wide audience development strategy is three-fold to ensure maximum public benefit: The BFI Film Audience Network to deliver funding and leadership at a local level; the BFI Audience Projects Fund to enable events of national scale; and ESCAPES which ensures there is a regular, accessible offer for the public that also helps us respond to our industry’s need to grow new audiences for independent film. As always this funding is delivered in partnership with organisations committed to audience development across the UK and we’re continually grateful to them for their continued energy and engagement. See you at the cinema.”
Continuing to support this UK-wide structure also responds to a consistent message heard throughout the extensive consultation with public and industry undertaken to develop the strategy: that every part of the country has a different set of needs, opportunities and challenges around screen culture, and local organisations are best placed to respond to these. Further UK-wide partners will be announced in the coming weeks, as recipients of National Lottery funding to support skills and education activity which will complement this work. Alongside BFI FAN, support of the exhibition and distribution sector is available via the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund which is currently open for applications.
A collaboration of ten leading venues or film organisations representing the UK nations and regions, the BFI Film Audience Network supports a stronger and more connected approach to growing audiences for UK and international film on the big screen. FAN has over 1,700 members comprising cinemas, festivals, mixed-arts venues, community cinema and film archives, which can access training, funding, programming support and network opportunities.
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…
No upcoming events.
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.
