INDUSTRY & FILMMAKER EVENTS PROGRAMME
INDUSTRY DAY
19.11.26 | 9 - 5.30 THE POLY | FALMOUTH
Cornwall Film Festival’s Industry Day brings together emerging and established filmmakers with industry organisations, funders, producers and practitioners for a packed programme of conversations, practical insight, bookable 1-to-1 meetings and networking.
Your INDUSTRY DAY PASS+ includes networking brunch and lunch, access to all four sessions and INDUSTRY SURGERIES, plus two festival tickets for £45, £35 for students.
Individual sessions can be booked separately for £15, but INDUSTRY SURGERIES are exclusively available to PASS+ holders. If you're super busy and can't commit to a session or a whole day, join us for a networking lunch.
Places are limited.
#02 SESSION
10-10.50am
MADE IN CORNWALL
Hear from Cornish filmmakers forging careers in the British film industry. How is filmmaking in Cornwall changing? What are the challenges of building a career from the region, and what new opportunities are there to make work and get involved?
Chris Morris, Filmmaker
Denzil Monk, Producer
Laura Giles, Screen Cornwall
HOST: Mia Bays
#02 SESSION
11-11.50am
FUNDING
What’s currently being funded and what’s not? How is the film funding landscape changing, and how can filmmakers stay on top of new opportunities? Hear from funders, producers, filmmakers and industry organisations about developing and financing work.
Jess Wheeler, BFI South West
Demi Taylor, Approaching Lines
Jane Ray, Cat Flap Media
HOST: Clare Tavernor
#03 SESSION
1.30-2.20pm
MAKE IT. MIA BAYS IN DISCUSSION
Oscar-winning Mia Bays, Creative Lead for the new Dogma 25 UK movement, formerly Director of the BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund, Oct 21-Oct 26, discusses current challenges and opportunities for low-budget indie British films. A practical conversation about making ambitious films with the resources you have, and ensuring they find an audience. From creative problem-solving and smart production choices to festivals, distribution, sales and alternative routes to audiences, this session explores how filmmakers can think creatively at every stage of a film’s journey. We’ll look at how constraints can fuel creativity, how to build distribution into your thinking from the outset, and what filmmakers can do to give their work a meaningful life beyond its first screening.
HOST: Louise Fox
#04 SESSION
2.30 - 3.20pm
CAREER SUPPORT
There’s a lot of support available across the UK film industry, but how do you find what’s right for you? Hear from organisations working across talent development, training and career progression, and discover opportunities that could help you take your next step.
Farah Abushwesha, BAFTA Rocliffe
Rachel Castell, BIFA
Laura Giles, Screen Cornwall
HOST: Claire Peate
#05 SESSION
3.30 - 5.30pm
INDUSTRY SURGERIES & NETWORKING
Finish the day by making connections. Bookable small tables. Industry surgeries and meetings with visiting industry professionals and organisations offer the chance to discuss your work, projects, career development and next steps. Alongside these sessions, informal networking will bring filmmakers, speakers and organisations together in a relaxed setting.
Industry Day Pass+ bursaries
We want everyone to feel welcome at Cornwall Film Festival’s Industry Day, and we don’t want cost to be the reason you can’t join us.
We have a limited number of bursaries available to help with ticket and travel costs. If some financial support would make it possible for you to attend, please get in touch. You don’t need to make a complicated application, just tell us a little about yourself and what support would help.
We particularly encourage early-career filmmakers, freelancers and people who have traditionally faced barriers to entering or progressing in the screen industries to contact us. We’d love to have you there. Applications close on November 09, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Apply here >
SPEAKER INDUSTRY PROFILES
Christopher Morris, Director, Film Producer
With over twenty years’ experience at the BBC in documentary filmmaking, Christopher has also worked as an academic, including as Director at the School of Film & Television at Falmouth University, and as a story consultant. He has won numerous awards for his work from BAFTA, RTS and international awarding bodies.
Claire Peate, Industry Day Lead
Scriptwriter and novelist Claire Peate won BAFTA Rocliffe for her first film The Colour Room (Sky Cinema). She has four published novels and is in paid development on two feature films.
Demi Taylor, Co-Founder, Approaching Lines Productions
Demi is a writer and award-winning filmmaker, and Director of the London Surf/Film Festival. She produced the multi-award-winning documentary The Big Sea and has written numerous books on surfing and travel.
Denzil Monk, Film Producer, Founder/CEO of Bosena Production Co.
Denzil produced Mark Jenkin’s films Rose of Nevada and Enys Men and heads up Bosena Films in Penzance. A Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Denzil cares deeply about our impacts on people and the planet and believes filmmaking can be a regenerative cultural practice.
Farah Abushwesha, Founder, BAFTA Rocliffe
Farah Abushwesha is a BAFTA-nominated Irish-Libyan producer, writer and founder of BAFTA Rocliffe. She produces distinctive, filmmaker-led stories with strong international potential, championing underrepresented voices across film and television.
Jane Ray, Founder, Cat Flap Media
Jane is an award-winning documentary and factual programme maker. After almost 30 years at the BBC, Jane founded Cat Flap Media in 2015, focusing on production and compliance, and offering consultancy and industry training.
Jess Wheeler, Talent Executive, BFI Hub South West
BFI Hub South West, based in Bristol, supports the region’s filmmaking talent at the start of their careers with a package of production funding, training and mentoring. Jess is an independent producer with a background in stop-motion animation.
Laura Giles, Managing Director, Screen Cornwall
Laura set up Screen Cornwall in 2019 and also works as a producer of short and long-form content through her company Storm Force Films. She is a creative industries representative on Cornwall Council’s Economic Forum.
Louise Fox, Director, Mor Media Charity
Louise leads Mor Media, delivering the annual Cornwall Film Festival as well as a year-round programme bringing film and TV to Cornwall. Mor Media has branched out into production, developing a slate with talent in the county.
Mia Bays, Producer, Creative Lead Dogma UK
With over 30 years of experience, Mia has been an Oscar-winning producer, distributor and passionate advocate for inclusivity and artistic vision in filmmaking. Known for her commitment to championing underrepresented voices, she is Creative Lead for the new Dogma UK movement and formerly Director of the BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund.
Rachael Castell, Learning and Development Producer, BIFA
Rachael is the Producer of BIFA Springboard, the British Independent Film Awards’ pioneering programme designed to support writers, directors and producers to continue and develop their careers after producing a first feature.
Listed alphabetically by first name
FUN STUFF
THE FILM PUB QUIZ
7:30 PM | WEDNESDAY 11.11.26 | THE LOUNGE | FALMOUTH
Calling all movie masterminds. Put your movie knowledge to the test! This event is being run as a fundraiser for The Cornwall Film Festival. Bring friends or join a team. This is a fun evening with music, picture and general knowledge rounds. £2.50 per person or £15 per team of 6
Palacio Lounge | The Moor | Falmouth | TR11 3QA
DROP THE NEEDLE
7:00 - 10 PM | TUESDAY 10.11.26 | UNDERLAND BAR | FALMOUTH
Film Scores Vinyl Night : Bring along a favourite film soundtrack on vinyl and share the music that stayed with you beyond the screen. From iconic scores and cult soundtracks to unexpected discoveries, drop the needle, turn up the volume and celebrate movie music together in a relaxed analogue listening session.
The Chintz Bar & Underland Music
Old Brewery Yard, Falmouth TR11 2BY
WOMEN MAKE FILM MIXER
NETWORKING | COMING SOON
Join filmmakers, storytellers, festival guests and creatives to mix and mingle at CFF WMF 2026 mixers and meetups. Connect, collaborate, and celebrate the filmmaking community.
Moth & Moon Pub | 31 Killigrew St | Falmouth | TR11 3PW
CRAFT SKILL FOCUS 2026:
SOUND
EXPLORING THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SCREEN PRODUCTION
At Cornwall Film Festival 2026, our annual Craft Skill Focus turns up the volume on SOUND & SOUND DESIGN, exploring the creative and technical craft that shapes how we experience stories on screen. From location recording and dialogue to Foley, sound editing, mixing and music, we’ll go behind the scenes with the people who create the sound of cinema through talks, panels, practical sessions, 1-2-1s and networking.
OUR FUNDERS & PARTNERS
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STORIES FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD -