Mansfield Town Film Festival

Mansfield Town Film Festival ⚒️The Home of Working Class Talent
🏆BIFA Qualifying Festival
🎬OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS NOW
🗓️Next Deadline: May 31st

🌈 LINE-UP ANNOUNCED:Join us this Pride Month for the FINAL event in our Reel Futures season - a powerful celebration of ...
29/05/2026

🌈 LINE-UP ANNOUNCED:

Join us this Pride Month for the FINAL event in our Reel Futures season - a powerful celebration of identity, love, resilience and self-expression through independent cinema.

This has been one of our most ambitious and rewarding projects we’ve ever delivered at MTFF, bringing festival-quality film into the heart of our towns college, while creating space for new audiences, conversations and voices to be seen and heard.

For our closing event, we’re spotlighting LGBTQIA+ Voices, a bold, funny, emotional and deeply human collection of short films from across the UK and beyond.🌍✨

🎥Theo’s Friend
⚽A young footballer challenges expectations by embracing his identity.

🎥It Gets Better
🏳️‍⚧️A raw and hopeful exploration of the realities facing young trans people in the UK.

🎥The Shade of Chlorine
💫Desire, ambition and connection collide inside a luxurious villa.

🎥Queen Size
🛏️A chance encounter quietly changes the course of someone’s future.

🎥Do You Want To
😂A funny, awkward and heartfelt LGBTQIA+ romcom set entirely in bed.

🎥Captured For Life
❤️A remarkable real-life love story born during World War Two.

🎥Wild Oats
🐐Teenage longing, celebrity crushes and absolute farm chaos.

🎤Plus a LIVE filmmaker Q&A with creatives joining us in-person and remotely.

These are stories about:
✨identity
❤️belonging
🌈queer joy
💥resilience
🎭connection
🌍and being unapologetically yourself

📍Create Theatre, Mansfield
🕟Doors: 4:30PM
🎬Films begin: 5PM
🎟Tickets available now

https://www.ticketsource.com/create/reel-futures-lgbtqia-voices/e-bpjmmb

Come celebrate Pride Month with us through the power of film!❤️

🚨 3 DAYS LEFT 🚨Our Regular Submissions Deadline closes this Sunday, May 31st. You’ll still be able to submit your film a...
28/05/2026

🚨 3 DAYS LEFT 🚨

Our Regular Submissions Deadline closes this Sunday, May 31st.

You’ll still be able to submit your film after, however, our submission fees will increase.

For now, here’s a reminder to get your films to us by May 31st and take advantage of our Regular Deadline submission fees:

Narrative Shorts - £20
Student Films - £15
Music Videos - £5
VR Shorts - £15

Check out our FilmFreeway page here for more information:

https://filmfreeway.com/MansfieldTownFilmFestival

We can’t wait to see what you’ve made! 🎬🍿🤩

Although there are possibly infinite reasons to submit your film to MTFF, we chose 5 to share with you 🎬💙Whether you’ve ...
27/05/2026

Although there are possibly infinite reasons to submit your film to MTFF, we chose 5 to share with you 🎬💙

Whether you’ve got a narrative short, documentary, animation, music video or VR short - there’s a place for you at MTFF!

With categories that celebrate Women’s Voices, LGBTQIA+ Voices, Disabled and Neurodiverse Voices and Working Class Voices, we’re proud to let every film shine within our carefully curated programmes.

Programming is what we pride ourselves on, and we love taking our audiences on an unforgettable cinematic journey at MTFF.

Could your film be projected on Mansfield Palace Theatre’s iconic screen this year?

Check out our Film Freeway page for more information through the link below:

https://filmfreeway.com/MansfieldTownFilmFestival

25/05/2026

We’re back this year, and better than ever! 🤩🎬💙

Have you been planning to share your film with us at MTFF this year? 🤔

Our regular deadline is coming up on Sunday May 31st, which means this is the last week to take advantage of our £20 submission fees before they go up.

While only our narrative shorts will have the chance to become eligible for BIFA consideration, we appreciate all innovative forms of filmmaking.

That’s why we’re also encouraging music video submissions with a £5 entry fee, as well as VR shorts for £15.

If you’re passionate about your film and looking for a receptive audience, check out our Film Freeway page through the link below:

https://filmfreeway.com/MansfieldTownFilmFestival

Mansfield Town Film Festival is currently seeking a Trustee for Cultural Fundraising to join our Board as we enter a sig...
21/05/2026

Mansfield Town Film Festival is currently seeking a Trustee for Cultural Fundraising to join our Board as we enter a significant new phase of growth.

In just three years, MTFF has grown into Nottinghamshire’s largest film festival and recently became officially British Independent Film Awards-qualifying for British Short Films, a major milestone for a grassroots festival founded in Mansfield with a mission to champion working-class and underrepresented voices.

As the organisation continues to develop, we are now looking for an individual with experience in fundraising, philanthropy, sponsorship or strategic cultural development to help support the next stage of our journey.

This is an opportunity to play a meaningful role within a rapidly growing cultural organisation at a pivotal moment - helping shape long-term sustainability, develop strategic partnerships, and support the continued growth of film culture and creative opportunity within Mansfield and the wider East Midlands.

We would particularly welcome interest from individuals with experience across:

• Arts and cultural fundraising
• Trusts and foundations
• Corporate partnerships and sponsorship
• Charity governance
• Regional cultural development
• Creative industries strategy

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who shares our belief that ambitious cultural activity, creative opportunity and nationally recognised artistic platforms should exist in towns like Mansfield.

You'd be joining an engaged, passionate and dedicated team of Trustees, helmed by me as Chair of Trustees.

Our team includes:

Peter Scully - Trustee for Marketing and Engagement
Richard Leonard - Trustee for Programming and Partnerships
Martin Croft - Trustee for Brand Development
Lesley Dunlop - Trustee for Governance and Finance
Richard Tempest-Mitchell - Trustee for Civic Partnerships and Education

Further details can be found via Arts Jobs, or feel free to contact me directly for an informal conversation.

More information: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/jobs/search/77845

Read our 2023-25 Impact Report:https://www.mansfieldtownfilmfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MTFF-Impact-Report-V5.pdf

Please share this opportunity with your contacts and networks!

Today, we’re celebrating five BIFA award-winning films that spotlight working class stories 🎉🤩Now we are BIFA qualifying...
20/05/2026

Today, we’re celebrating five BIFA award-winning films that spotlight working class stories 🎉🤩

Now we are BIFA qualifying, we are prouder than ever not only to champion working class voices, but to provide a pathway to the BIFAs.

As a BIFA qualifying Section B festival, successfully screened narrative shorts at MTFF (if also screened at another qualifying Section B festival) will be eligible for consideration for a BIFA award.

We’re still reeling from our qualifying status, which we’re proud to hold so soon in our journey as a young festival…

But as much as we are excited to see where our journey takes us as we develop, we also can’t wait to see where our qualifying status could take our future MTFF alumni! 💙🎬

Who knows? Maybe a BIFA is in store 👀🏆

Send us your project by May 31st to meet our Regular Submission Deadline below via FilmFreeway:

https://filmfreeway.com/MansfieldTownFilmFestival

20/05/2026

We made the front page of our local paper! 📰🎬

19/05/2026

You may have just missed Cannes, but MTFF is bringing an evening of award winning film to your doorstep this Wednesday 🤩🎬🥂

Ahead of our Reel Futures - Award Winners screening, we’ve been asking our alumni directors to share advice to working class filmmakers.

Here, Alexis Bicât (Director of Romchyk) shares a few words…

Based on real-life events of 8 year old Roman Oleksiv, Romchyk told the story of a young dancer who pursues his dream of ballroom dancing following a deadly missile attack.

Romchyk’s heartfelt tale of resilience in the face of devastating circumstances was a memorable highlight of MTFF25, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Book your ticket now to secure your space at the screening and the following filmmaker Q&A, where you’ll directly be able to ask Alexis more questions about the film and for filmmaking advice.

Get your tickets for tomorrow’s screening here:
https://www.ticketsource.com/create/reel-futures-award-winners/e-kkmrpo

📍Create Theatre, West Notts College
🗓️ Wednesday May 20th
⏰ 4.30pm - 7.30pm

15/05/2026

Last weekend was a really lovely reminder of why film festivals matter 🎬

On Friday, myself and one of our brilliant MTFF screeners Holly headed over to Birmingham for the Opening Gala of the 20th edition of Flatpack Festival, an incredible milestone for one of the UK’s most respected independent festivals.

The opening film, Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp, directed by Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter Carmen Chaplin, was genuinely fantastic.

A beautifully made documentary exploring Chaplin’s heritage, family history and lasting legacy through a really personal lens.

Then the very next morning, I was up in Sheffield for the very first Working Class Film Festival at Showroom Cinema, where I was lucky enough to host a filmmaker Q&A with some amazing creatives.

Huge congratulations to Elle Short and the whole team for pulling together such a brilliant first edition.

From the programming to the atmosphere, it felt like a festival built with real care, purpose and passion for working-class storytelling.❤️

Seeing the duality between the two festivals was really special.

One in its 20th year. One in its 1st.

As someone building Mansfield Town Film Festival, it was both inspiring and grounding at the same time, a reminder that every established festival once started with a small idea, a passionate team, and a belief that stories matter.

Long may both continue!🎥✨

14/05/2026

Derry Shillito shares some excellent advice for emerging working class filmmakers 👀🎬

‘Aren’t We Havin’ A Good Time’ (Directed by Derry Shillito) left every audience member with a tear in their eye at MTFF25.

We decided that the film is so powerful, we had to share it twice — watch the full short (alongside other excellent films) at our Reel Futures - Award Winners screening at West Notts College on the 20th of May.

The screening will also be proceeded by a filmmaker Q&A, where you’ll be able to directly ask the people behind the camera about how they made their films and about their career journeys.

Tickets are available here:

https://www.ticketsource.com/create/reel-futures-award-winners/e-kkmrpo

📍 Create Theatre, West Notts College
🗓️ 4.30pm on Wednesday 20th May

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+447519606413

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