Ealing Film Festival

Ealing Film Festival is now open for submissions

Entries are now open for our 2022 festival, and we can’t wait to see your films.

Last year exceeded all our expectations. Our first festival in 2020 was held online because of the pandemic, so we couldn’t wait to hold a ‘real’ event.

Last December, our volunteers turned a bare church hall into a big-screen cinema worthy of the wonderful films you sent us.

Over two days, we pretty much filled the place. To our delight, many of our filmmakers showed up in person, from all over the UK and Europe, including one who came all the way from Los Angeles.

It was great to see everyone together under one roof, talking about their films and sharing their ideas. This is what film festivals are all about.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to all our filmmakers. You sent us an amazing 269 films from 36 countries on six continents. That’s nearly twice as many entries as we received in 2020.

Truly, we have become an international festival.

The award for best film of 2021 went to Finding Tyler, a documentary from the United States being given its UK premiere. It tells the true story of a young man who becomes a fugitive and disappears, and his family’s struggle to discover what happened to him.

Two outstanding entries shared the top award in the narrative category. We were touched by The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot, made by a group of actors from Shropshire with learning difficulties, who express their creativity through film.

We were also impressed by the storytelling in Ido, a film from Iraq about the prejudice faced by refugees. Two very different films, but each demonstrating the power of cinema.

The People’s Choice Award – decided by a public vote – went to Mia El Chaar for her film Breach. She is a student at MetFilm School in Ealing.

We set up Ealing Film Festival to showcase the talents of a diverse group of filmmakers seeking a platform for their work. We’ve come a long way in two short years, thanks to your fantastic support. And we have exciting plans for the future.

Our town has a long association with the film and television industry. Our festival’s venue is close to the famous Ealing Studios, the oldest in the world still in regular use.

We are proud of our history. Now our festival is shining a spotlight on new talent, from a new generation.

We hope that people of all ages, and every social and cultural background, will join our growing community of filmmakers in 2022.

Enter through FilmFreeway.

#EFF2022

Our 2021 season saw 269 films entered
from 36 countries and 6 continents.
ONE festival…
Ealing Film Festival 2021

Ealing Film Festival-Supporting the next generation of filmmakers