Blog: Film festivals

The fun bit:

We're the UK's largest Celebration of Diverse Stories and Underrepresented Filmmakers. Join us or submit to our 5th celebratory edition.

The next BIFA Qualifying Sunrise Film Festival takes place from 20 to 23 August 2026 in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Our 5th edition sees us accepting submissions for new categories, from music videos to Virtual Reality (VR) projects.


The serious bit:

Sunrise Film Festival, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK, was founded in 2021 and is run voluntarily by passionate independent film enthusiasts and filmmakers to provide an important accessible platform for filmmakers like themselves every August.

We're passionate about creating a platform for filmmakers who are yet to be discovered (or picked up by the bigger film festival circuit), whilst making film accessible and proudly showcasing independent film to new audiences across overlooked communities.

Since 2021, we have screened just over 600 independent films as part of our official selection to our live audiences and have presented 65 awards at our festival award ceremonies since inception.

We're also a BFI Film Audience Network-backed film festival and a BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) qualifying festival for British Short Films (Section B*).

Why Sunrise Film Festival?

As Suffolk's biggest film festival, we're passionate about creating an inclusive platform for filmmakers here in East Anglia.

We've proudly been the bright and colourful film festival since 2021, loved by filmmakers for the friendly grassroots feel. We're a small team, but our festival pacts impact, showcasing film in one of the most deprived communities in England, and we've awarded as well as showcased some impactful stories along the way.

We value and proudly promote films from any filmmaker, creative, or producer to the general public, including receiving submissions from first-time filmmakers, female/non-binary filmmakers, neurodiverse filmmakers, stories from the LGBTQIA+ community, people with lived experience, as well as films focusing on social and environmental issues.

If you need help with entering your short film into Sunrise Film Festival via Festhome, have questions about submitting, or need support with a waiver code (subject to eligibility), you can email us at info@sunrisefilmfestival.co.uk or DM us on Instagram @sunrisefilmfest.

*Rules & eligibility on Section B at BIFA can be found by visiting https://www.bifa.film/about/rules-and-eligibility/