Film Hub Wales (FHW) has allocated almost £170,000 of BFI National Lottery funding to twenty-six independent Welsh cinemas, film festivals and community screens, through thirty-one projects, via three funding strands: Spotlight, the Film Exhibition Fund and Rip it Up.
Funds will make a difference to the lives of local people, who will be able to watch the latest UK independent and international films on their doorsteps, at affordable prices. From environmental films strands curated by young people, to Welsh film seasons celebrating 130 years of cinema in Wales, audiences can socialise and support beloved spaces at the heart of their neighbourhoods.
In South West Wales, a new three year ‘Spotlight’ project led by Wales One World Film Festival (WOW) will build community film screenings in towns and villages such as Lampeter, Hermon, Newport and Newcastle Emlyn where rural audiences face long or impractical public transport journeys to access screen culture.
Amy Daniel, Spotlight Coordinator explains why the funding will be transformational at a local level:
“We will mentor volunteers and ambassadors who will go on to shape and lead cinema provision in their communities, meaning it belongs to them. We’ll also work closely with established venues in the region to exchange knowledge and build cinema going across the bordering counties, supporting access to culture as well as the local economy. It’s rare to secure funding for longer-term projects and this means we can create change.”
Twenty-four projects have been supported through FHW’s Film Exhibition Fund, from the oldest running film society in Abergavenny, to Galeri Caernafon’s new audience strategy which includes a community led Film club (SineGlwb) and Ffilms Er Newid (Films for Change) delivered in collaboration with local groups. In Ystragynlais, The Welfare’s Screen Social strand will break down societal, health, financial and other barriers to attending the cinema and across Wales, Sheba Soul’s Youth Climate Lab will encourage young people to understand the roots of environmental crises through film and design simple, collaborative, community actions in response.
Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales explains why this work is so important:
“As well as bringing the best films to Wales, something that many of our supported projects have in common is that community groups are taking an active role in the delivery of their local cinema activities. Such as the ‘community collaborations’ season at the Torch Theatr which runs throughout Second Hand September and Disability History Month, or Cardiff Animation Festival’s curatorial work with young asylum seeker and refugee families at Oasis Cardiff. Independent cinema is a great tool for local people to get involved in creative activities on their doorsteps. Their voices help to shape the direction of culture in that place and in return cinemas offer crucial social and well-being services that reduce isolation and generate local income.”
Also taking place in 2026 is Rip It Up – a BFI FAN UK-wide season which celebrates the changing face of youth culture and expression on screen, from joy and friendship to heartbreak and rebellion. In Wales, eight partners will deliver projects up to October 2026. At Chapter, Cardiff, there will be three strands including Hei, Mr Urdd! – a selection of films from the Welsh broadcast archive celebrating youth culture, with Welsh language discussion. At Cellb in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Video Hud will ‘turn up the volume,’ exploring Welsh subcultures from the 1990s Cool Cymru movement to today’s emerging DIY creative scenes – combining archive film with new youth-made work, screenings, discussions, live music and participatory activities.
Rosemary Adjoa Dery Watch Africa Film Festival Producer, explains how their ‘Young, Black & Bold’ project will enable young Black Welsh voices to shape the future of film culture:
“Creating spaces where young Black creatives can come together, see themselves reflected on screen, share ideas and explore their creativity is incredibly important. Through this programme, we want to make a bold statement: Black stories, Black voices and Black creativity matter here in Wales. We belong in these cultural spaces, and we should feel empowered to take up space within them. Working alongside like-minded organisations such as Butetown Pavilion and Butetown Carnival allows us to connect different communities, ideas and creative practices, while our partnership with Chapter will build bridges with people who may not have felt that an arts centre was a space for them.”
