Headline Supporters

Bath Film Festival has been screening brilliant films since 1990.

Every autumn the festival presents a

diverse programme crammed with

the films everyone will

be talking about.

We are passionate about supporting new filmmakers and writers and

these awards can be the key

stepping stone you need to

launch into your filmmaking career!

SUBMISSIONS

OPEN UNTIL

AUGUST 14TH

OPENING

December 18th, 2024

EARLY BIRD

April 1st, 2025

REGULAR

June 1st, 2025

LATE

August 14th, 2025

NOTIFICATION

September 1st, 2025

EVENT DATE:

17-25 OCTOBER, 2025

ABOUT THE

BATH FILM

FESTIVAL

If you like great films, then welcome home:

this is the place for you.

During the festival, the beautifully inventive city of Bath in South West England is filled with film fans coming together for an indulgent programme of previews, special events, Q&As, documentary features, industry days, shorts and of course the IMDb Awards.

At Bath Film Festival there is a buzz, a hum, and a rustle of expectation, a sense of adventure and of community.

It is a festival that gives you novelty, unexpected meetings with friends, discussions and debates – a chance to immerse yourself in film and emerge enlightened as a true film fan.

Every year, audiences revel in the special atmosphere of the festival – packed yet quiet auditoriums – special guests, live events, and surprises.

Bath Film Festival is the product of the work of dozens of people who have given their time for the love of the movies, not because it’s their job.

The Programming Committee spend an entire year sifting through all the recent art house films, feature docs, locally made features, specialised and independent British film and films from around the world – as well as countless shorts – to bring you the most carefully curated programme of films which would otherwise pass Bath by.

Our Film Festival programme is the envy of others, for the simple reasons that we only show films we believe in and distributors trust us with top-drawer previews.

The F-Rating, a Fairtrade-like stamp applied to all films directed and/or written by women, is one of the most radical challenges to male dominance in cinema. Others talk, we act.

Our IMDb Awards are universally admired and support emerging talent financially and with exhibition.

Our goal is to continue to change the face of film in Bath and challenge notions of what a great regional film festival looks like. By championing and showcasing diversity on screen and behind the camera, we are also continuing to inspire other exhibitors to programme more diverse films, both in the UK and beyond.

CATEGORIES & FEES

The IMDb New Filmmaker Award is designed to promote emerging talent and is open to anyone who has a short film between 1 and 10 minutes and with no previous distribution.

Five films will be shortlisted and invited to the Awards Evening on 22 October 2025 where a panel of expert judges will be shown the films and select the winner.

The winner receives £2,000 to go towards their next film as well as £1,000 worth of hire kit from Visual Impact (UK filmmakers only).

Submissions will also be considered for the selection of shorts that will be shown throughout the festival ahead of the features.

Early Bird Deadline:

Standard: £20 | Student: £15

Regular Deadline:

Standard: £25 | Student: £20

Late Deadline:

Standard: £35 | Student: £30

The IMDb Script to Screen Award is designed to promote emerging talent and is open to anyone who has a short film script between 1 and 10 pages.

The winner receives £7,000 cash to go towards the making of the winning screenplay, £1,000 worth of hire kit from Visual Impact (UK filmmakers only).

Five finalists will be selected and invited to the Awards Evening on 22 October 2025 where the scripts will be read in front of a panel of expert judges who select the winner!

Early Bird Deadline:

Standard: £20 | Student: £15

Regular Deadline:

Standard: £25 | Student: £20

Late Deadline:

Standard: £35 | Student: £30

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Jasmine Barker

CONTACT & SOCIALS

RULES & TERMS

Films/Scripts must be submitted by the deadline, no late entries will be accepted unless agreed by prior arrangement.

Entering the competition constitutes permission to use the winners’ names and licenses for publicity and promotions without any additional compensation.

FilmBath Festival is open to filmmakers of any nationality from any country.
Films/scripts of any genre will be considered and must be the original work of the person submitting it.

The entered film/script must not have been previously optioned, sold or produced.
Multiple film/ script entries are acceptable, but each entry must be made separately.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The decision of the judges will be final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.

All entrants acknowledge that the final winner will be expected to use the prize money to make their next film.

No cash alternatives to any of the prizes or additional payments shall be made.

The competition organisers reserve the right to reject any entry for any reason at their absolute discretion.

The organisers reserve the right to amend these rules and regulations at any time by notice on www.filmbath.org.uk.

Entry into FilmBath Festival confirms each entrant’s acceptance of these rules and regulations.

NEW FILMMAKER AWARD

The film must be no less than one minute and no more than ten minutes screen time, including credits.

Where the film is based upon another piece of work it is the responsibility of the producer(s) to obtain permission/copyright clearances from the original author. Films based upon another work must be clearly marked as such.

Films must have a production year of 2023 or 2024.

SCRIPT TO SCREEN

No substitution or new drafts or corrected pages for screenplay entries will be accepted under any circumstances.

Please upload your screenplay with the title alone; the author’s name must not appear on the title page or anywhere within the body of the uploaded screenplay.
No additional material should be attached/uploaded with the screenplay.

Release for submitted material:

This release is being accepted by you in connection with the material you wish the judges of FilmBath IMDb Award Competitions to review.

The judges agree to make a reasonable good faith effort to protect the confidentiality of any original material contained in the work.

You agree that if selected your film/script will be shown/ read at FilmBath Festival.

You agree that in consideration for their reviewing the submitted screenplay with you, you will not at any time assert or attempt any claim against FilmBath IMDb Script to Screen Award or any of the judges of the competition, sponsors, partners, or any other person connected with the competition with respect to any use of similar material in any project which is developed, produced, distributed, licensed or sold by all the above mentioned parties.