Bournemouth-born success story Not Just Travel named BIFF 2026 lead sponsor Bournemouth International Film Festival is proud to announce notjusttravel.com as lead sponsor of its second edition. Not Just Travel is Bournemouth’s largest travel company. Alongside its consumer brand, its recruitment arm, The Travel Franchise, trains people to become independent travel consultants. Co-founder Steve Witt built the business from its Bournemouth headquarters. Steve is originally from Blandford Forum and studied at Bournemouth University. It’s a natural partnership. Not Just Travel helps people build careers doing what they love, and BIFF does the same for first-time filmmakers and emerging creative talent across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Steve Witt says, “Our business started 25 years ago with two people and one idea, and everything we do is about helping other entrepreneurs turn their own ideas into thriving travel businesses. Steve McCarten has built BIFF with nothing but creativity and determination in just two years. That’s exactly the kind of achievement that deserves recognition, and why we’re glad to support him and his team.” BIFF 2026 takes place on 9–10 October at the Hilton Bournemouth. Get your tickets. Links: notjusttravel.com · Become a BIFF partner.
Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby and producer Victoria Barrell to judge BIFF 2026 documentary award Filmmakers competing in the documentary category at Bournemouth International Film Festival 2026 will have their work judged by two of the UK’s most respected independent sports documentary makers. Simon Lazenby is the lead presenter of Sky Sports’ award-winning Formula One coverage, with 20 years’ experience in front of and behind the camera. He also fronted Sky’s rugby coverage from 2002 to 2012, including two Lions tours. In 2020, Simon and Victoria Barrell co-founded Sylver Entertainment to make documentaries about the humans behind sporting heroes. Their films include The Greatest Game, McEnroe, Schmeichel and Hill. Their latest film, LOMU, is a documentary on the All Black legend Jonah Lomu. It is an international co-production with New Zealand’s Velvet Moss, supported by the UK Global Screen Fund. BIFF audiences can catch its final cinema screening at 5.30pm on Friday 9 October, ahead of its digital release on 19 October. Book your LOMU screening Links: sylverent.co.ukLOMU on Dogwoof
Made in Chelsea director Oli Tridgell to lift the lid on reality TV at BIFF 2026 Ever wondered how the drama of Made in Chelsea actually gets made? Series director Oli Tridgell is coming to Bournemouth International Film Festival for an exclusive fireside chat, and nothing is off-limits. Oli is a Series Director and Series Producer who leads large teams, builds complex multi-camera sequences, and directs intimate single-camera shoots. He has worked across primetime entertainment and documentary. In addition to Made in Chelsea, where he served as series director on both the main series and Made in Chelsea NYC, his credits include Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad and The Real Housewives of London. In a relaxed, intimate conversation, Oli will share how structured reality shows are shaped, what happens behind the camera, and what it takes to build a career directing some of the UK’s most-watched entertainment. It’s a rare chance for aspiring filmmakers, TV fans and anyone curious about the industry to ask questions directly. When: [Saturday 10th October / 1.30PM], Hilton BournemouthTickets: Included with Day Tripper and VIP passes. [Book your tickets now]
Victoria Barrell Joins BIFF2026 Senior Judge Documentary We’re thrilled to welcome Victoria to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our Senior Judge – Documentary! Victoria Barrell is an experienced, strategically focused production executive and co-Founder and Managing Director of award-winning Sylver Entertainment. Based in Dorset, Sylver specialises in theatrical documentaries, premium long-form series and branded content for the international marketplace. A PGA-nominated producer, Victoria is known for securing unparalleled access to the world’s elite sports figures, leveraging an exceptional network of talent relationships spanning directors, producers, editors, and writers to bring landmark stories to the screen. Her critically acclaimed films have screened at festivals worldwide and earned multiple award nominations. Her credits include (Sports EMMY-winning) McEnroe, The Greatest Game, (The Race Media Awards Documentary Winner) HILL, Schmeichel, Butcher: Invisible Wounds, LOMU, Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager (SJA Winner) and The Edge. Link All Posts BIFF Judges Victoria Barrell Joins BIFF2026 September 30, 2026/ Victoria Barrell Joins BIFF2026 Senior Judge Documentary We’re thrilled to welcome Victoria to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our Senior… Read More Dominika Scott-Jones Joins BIFF2026 September 21, 2026/ Dominika Scott-Jones Joins BIFF2026 Senior Judge Scripts We’re thrilled to welcome Dominika to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our Senior… Read More Stephanie Horsman Joins BIFF September 23, 2025/ Stephanie Horsman Senior Film Judge 2025 We’re thrilled to welcome Stephanie Horsman to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our… Read More Load More End of Content.
Dominika Scott-Jones Joins BIFF2026 Senior Judge Scripts We’re thrilled to welcome Dominika to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our Senior Judge – Scripts! D. Scott-Jones is a Scriptwriter and Development Executive creating visceral sci-fi and supernatural thrillers. She transforms mythic and dystopian settings into commercial stories that champion underrepresented voices and female strength. Her journey is rooted in systemic defiance – from working-class cleaning positions to earning a Master’s degree in Scriptwriting, delivering a Development Lab with OutWrd, and leading a workshop on collaboration at the London Screenwriters’ Festival. With eight co-written projects to her name, D. Scott-Jones proves that creative partnerships build stronger stories. She also curates diverse talent through her 12-week Development Lab, guiding genre writers from initial concept, through pitch and into production. Linkedin All Posts BIFF Judges Alice D. Cooper Joins BIFF – Copy September 21, 2026/ Dominika Scott-Jones Joins BIFF2026 Senior Judge Scripts We’re thrilled to welcome Dominika to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our Senior… Read More Stephanie Horsman Joins BIFF September 23, 2025/ Stephanie Horsman Senior Film Judge 2025 We’re thrilled to welcome Stephanie Horsman to the Bournemouth International Film Festival as our… Read More Alice D. Cooper Joins BIFF July 2, 2025/ Alice D. Cooper Joins BIFF Senior Film Judge 2025 We’re thrilled to welcome Alice D. Cooper to the Bournemouth International Film… Read More Load More End of Content.
BIFF 2026 Returns to Bournemouth This October Bournemouth International Film Festival returns this October, bringing two days of independent cinema, filmmaker conversations and industry events to the town. Taking place on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October 2026, the festival will once again be centred at Hilton Bournemouth. Audiences will be able to explore a programme spanning short films, feature films, documentaries and animation, with work from both the UK and the international filmmaking community. BIFF was created to bring audiences and filmmakers together. While the festival provides an important platform for independent work, it is not an event exclusively for people working within the screen industries. It is also for anyone who enjoys discovering new stories and experiencing films beyond the usual cinema programme. Many of the films being screened have been made without the backing or marketing reach of a major studio. For audiences, that creates an opportunity to encounter distinctive voices, unfamiliar perspectives and films they may not otherwise have the chance to see on a big screen. The 2026 festival will build on BIFF’s inaugural event in 2025, which welcomed filmmakers, screenwriters, industry professionals and film lovers to Bournemouth for a packed programme of screenings and talks. This year’s festival theme is Social Realism, recognising cinema’s ability to explore real lives, communities and the social pressures shaping the world around us. The theme will run through selected areas of the programme while sitting alongside films from a wide range of genres and filmmaking traditions. Across the two days, visitors will be able to move between screenings and industry sessions, hear from people working across film and television, and meet some of the filmmakers behind the selected work. The festival will culminate in its Black-Tie Awards Night, celebrating achievement across filmmaking, performance and screenwriting. Having the festival based at Hilton Bournemouth allows BIFF to bring much of that experience together under one roof. Screening spaces, talks, hospitality and the awards ceremony can all form part of the same event, creating an atmosphere in which audiences and filmmakers continue their conversations long after a screening has ended. That sense of connection is central to the festival. Independent films are often discussed in terms of budgets, distribution and the challenges of reaching an audience. BIFF begins from a simpler idea: films are made to be seen, shared and talked about. For Bournemouth, the festival is also an opportunity to welcome visiting filmmakers and audiences while celebrating the area’s own growing screen culture. With internationally recognised creative courses, an active filmmaking community and a long association with the arts, the town provides a natural home for an outward-looking film festival. A full-day ticket costs £24.99, offering access to a day of screenings and events running from approximately 10.30am until 9.30pm on Friday and 10.30am until 11.30pm on Saturday. With multiple films and sessions taking place throughout the day, audiences can build their own festival experience around the stories and subjects that interest them most. Further programme announcements, filmmaker spotlights and details of this year’s industry sessions will be released in the run-up to the festival. Bournemouth International Film Festival takes place on 9 and 10 October 2026 at Hilton Bournemouth and surrounding venues. Tickets are available now at www.eventzilla.net/e/biff-2026-2138678738.
