Worcester International Film Festival is officially here.
From 22–26 September 2026, Worcester becomes a hub for independent cinema, bringing together filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals for five days of screenings, talks, workshops, networking and special events.
And this year is our biggest yet.
Across eight venues, WFF 2026 will showcase 260 films, alongside filmmaker Q&As, preview screenings, industry events, special presentations and our annual Awards Ceremony.
Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker, work in the industry, want to discover something completely new or simply love watching films, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of Worcester International Film Festival 2026.
What You’ll Find in This Guide
- What Worcester International Film Festival is all about
- What being BIFA-qualifying means
- How to attend and plan your visit
- What’s happening across all five days
- Some of our 2026 highlights
- How to make the most of your time at the festival
What Is Worcester International Film Festival?
Worcester International Film Festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking, bringing films and filmmakers from across the UK and around the world into the heart of Worcester.
At the centre of the festival is our Official Selection, which this year includes 260 films spanning shorts, features, documentaries, animation, student filmmaking, experimental work and much more.
But WFF isn’t just about sitting in a cinema.
Across the five days, you’ll also find filmmaker Q&As, practical workshops, industry talks, networking opportunities, socials, special presentations and events designed to bring audiences and filmmakers together.
It’s an opportunity to discover something you might never otherwise see on the big screen – and, often, meet the people who made it straight afterwards.
We’re BIFA-Qualifying – But What Does That Mean?
Worcester International Film Festival is a BIFA-qualifying festival and the only BIFA-recognised film festival in the West Midlands.
For filmmakers, screening at a qualifying festival can form part of a film’s route towards eligibility for the British Independent Film Awards, subject to BIFA’s eligibility criteria.
For audiences, it means the festival offers an opportunity to discover independent filmmaking on the festival circuit right here in Worcester.
And with 260 films in this year’s programme, there’s plenty to discover.
Not sure what BIFA qualification actually means for filmmakers?
Read our full guide to BIFA-qualifying status
How to Attend WFF 2026
You don’t need to be a filmmaker or have an industry badge to come to Worcester International Film Festival.
The festival is open to everyone.
You can build your experience around what interests you – whether that’s spending the week discovering independent shorts, coming along for a particular feature, attending an industry event or joining us for one of our special presentations.
The easiest way to get started is to explore the 2026 Festival Schedule, where you can see what’s happening each day and begin planning your visit.
With so much taking place simultaneously across the festival, we’d recommend having a look before you arrive and booking the events you particularly don’t want to miss.
What’s Happening at WFF 2026?
So, where do you start?
Here are just some of the events happening across this year’s five-day festival.
Tuesday 22 September
Opening Night Preview Screening – Out There
📍 ODEON Worcester
🕕 6:00pm
WFF 2026 begins on the big screen with our Opening Night Preview Screening of Out There.
Opening night is the moment the festival officially comes to life, bringing together audiences, filmmakers and the WFF team to kick off five days of independent cinema in Worcester.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to start your festival, start here.
Wednesday 23 September
Best of BIFA: Genre-bending Shorts
📍 ODEON Worcester, Screen 7
🕞 3:30pm
Discover a selection of British independent filmmaking with our special Best of BIFA: Genre-bending Shorts screening.
Expect films that play with convention, cross genres and approach storytelling a little differently.
As WFF celebrates becoming BIFA-qualifying itself, it’s a fitting addition to this year’s programme – and a chance to discover even more independent filmmaking on the big screen.
But that’s only one part of Wednesday.
Explore the day’s Official Selection screenings, Q&As and events in the full festival schedule.
Thursday 24 September
Show Me The Money! – How to Access the UK’s Film Tax Credits
📍 Worcester Whitehouse Hotel
🕐 1:00pm
Making a great film is one challenge. Working out how to finance it is another.
Show Me The Money! takes a practical look at how filmmakers can access the UK’s film tax credits.
For producers, filmmakers and anyone developing their next project, it’s an opportunity to learn more about an area of filmmaking that can make a very real difference to getting work made.
Thursday also brings another full day of Official Selection screenings and opportunities to hear directly from the filmmakers behind them.
Friday 25 September
STEMFI48 Showcase + Panel
📍 ODEON Worcester, Screen 7
🕒 3:00pm
On Friday, the STEMFI48 Showcase comes to the big screen at WFF.
Alongside the showcase itself, audiences will be able to hear more about the work and ideas behind it during a panel discussion.
It’s a chance to watch the work, meet the thinking behind it and be part of the conversation afterwards.
And once again, that’s far from everything happening on Friday.
With screenings, filmmaker Q&As and more taking place throughout the day, make sure you leave some room in your schedule to discover something you weren’t originally planning to see.
Saturday 26 September
Our final day is a big one.
UK Premiere – Legend of the White Dragon
📍 ODEON Worcester, Screen 7
🕟 4:30pm
Join us for the UK Premiere and Exclusive Feature Presentation of Legend of the White Dragon.
Taking place on the final afternoon of WFF 2026, just hours before our Awards Ceremony, the screening is set to be one of the major events of this year’s festival.
If you’ve been looking for a big-screen way to round off your week, this is it.
Worcester International Film Festival Awards Ceremony
Saturday night brings WFF 2026 to a close with our annual Awards Ceremony.
This year, films in our Official Selection are competing across 25 awards, recognising everything from the films themselves to directing, performance, cinematography, editing, screenplay, costume, sound design, production design and more.
Our wider 2026 jury includes talent from across film and television, with Daisy Ridley and Jessica Henwick joining us as Guest Judges.
After five days of screenings, it’s our opportunity to celebrate the filmmakers and craftspeople behind this year’s Official Selection – and reveal the winners of WFF 2026.
260 Films. Where Do You Start?
We know.
260 is a lot of films.
The good news is that you don’t need to see everything to have a great festival.
Have a look through the programme and start with whatever catches your attention. Maybe it’s a genre you already love. Maybe it’s a filmmaker you’ve never heard of. Maybe you pick something entirely because the poster looks interesting.
Short film blocks are also a great way to discover several filmmakers in one sitting, while our feature programme gives you the opportunity to spend a little longer with stories from across the UK and around the world.
And don’t overlook the Q&As.
One of the best things about watching independent film at a festival is being able to hear from the people who actually made it. A film can take on an entirely different meaning once you’ve heard where an idea came from, how something was shot or what it took to get the project onto the screen.
What Else Is There, Besides Screenings?
You could spend five days at WFF watching films and have a brilliant time.
But we’d encourage you to explore beyond the cinema screen too.
Our programme brings together workshops, industry talks, panels, networking, film socials and special events alongside the Official Selection.
If you’re a filmmaker, these are opportunities to learn something practical, ask questions and meet other people working in the industry.
If you’re simply someone who loves film, they’re a chance to see a little more of what happens behind the camera.
And some of the best parts of a film festival aren’t necessarily scheduled.
They’re the conversations before a screening starts, meeting a filmmaker whose work you’ve just watched, discovering something because somebody in the queue recommended it, or ending up at an event you hadn’t originally planned to attend.
Make the Most of WFF 2026
If it’s your first Worcester International Film Festival, our biggest piece of advice is simple:
Plan the things you absolutely don’t want to miss, but leave yourself some space to discover something new.
Watch a short film from a filmmaker you’ve never heard of. Stay for the Q&A. Go to a workshop. Speak to the person sitting next to you. Come along to a social.
And if you’re a filmmaker yourself, talk about your work. You never know who you’re going to meet over the next five days.
WFF is as much about the community that forms around the films as it is about what’s happening on screen.
Ready to Join Us?
Worcester International Film Festival 2026 takes place 22–26 September across eight venues in Worcester.
Five days.
260 films.
25 awards.
Filmmaker Q&As, industry events, workshops, networking, preview screenings, special presentations and a city full of independent film.
And as of today, it’s officially underway.
Explore the programme, build your schedule and come and join us.
VIEW THE 2026 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
We’ll see you at the festival.
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