A wide range of new Welsh films are set to reach cinema screens in 2026, showcasing stories from communities across Wales and highlighting the strength and diversity of the nation’s film industry.
From life in Blaenau Ffestiniog through the eyes of Effi, to an out of this world Roswelsh incident in a seaside town, Film Hub Wales says audiences can expect dramas, documentaries, horrors and family friendly films with strong Welsh connections both on screen and behind the scenes.
The year begins with the release of H is for Hawk on January 23. The biographical drama is produced by Cardiff based John Giwa Amu and tells the true story of Helen Macdonald, played by Claire Foy, who finds comfort in training a goshawk following the death of her father, played by Brendan Gleeson.
Looking back on Welsh film success and ahead to 2026, Joedi Langley, Interim Head of Creative Wales, said:
“2025 has been a phenomenal year for Wales-made films, from taking Richard Burton’s origin story to the world in Mr Burton, to The Man in My Basement which was showcased at the Toronto Film Festival and Sundance-nominated feature Brides, to name a few. The next year is also gearing up to be exciting, kicking off with the January release of the beautiful H is for Hawk, alongside the true story of the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, Henry Paget, in Madfabulous and the first Welsh-language feature film Effi o Blaenau co-funded by Creative Wales and S4C, which is currently finalising a festival run. Creative Wales is committed to giving this growing sector the vital support it needs to continue to thrive, through funding and connecting creatives within the industry with programmes to ensure Welsh films are given a platform to be enjoyed by audiences within Wales and around the world.”
Several films due in 2026 place a strong focus on Ynys Môn. On the Sea follows life on the mussel beds of Anglesey and explores love and family tensions in a close knit fishing community. Madfabulous tells the story of the eccentric 5th Marquess of Anglesey, Henry Cyril Paget, and stars Callum Scott Howells alongside Rupert Everett and Siobhán McSweeney. Thriller Black Church Bay, filmed on Anglesey, sees a teacher’s life unravel in a remote coastal village.
Actor and director Celyn Jones, who was involved in all three Anglesey based productions, said:
“Three films – all Anglesey-based and all different and all intended for the big screen. From Helen Walsh’s gorgeous and moving drama (On the Sea) about love in all its forbidden and celebrated shapes, to the scale, beauty, emotion and heartbreak of my love letter to home (Madfabulous) and the darkly tragic and vital script of Black Church Bay. It’s about moments where people come together to make something. It’s about the human connection in the endeavour of filmmaking. It’s a viable industry that has places for all who want in and we have a seat at that table… Anglesey has a seat! That’s why I will never stop cheering and hustling and making work that has Ynys Môn written through the centre like a stick of rock.”
Welsh language cinema also features strongly with Effi o Blaenau, directed by Marc Evans and starring Leisa Gwenllian. The film is a big screen adaptation of Gary Owen’s play Iphigenia in Splott and follows a young woman navigating unemployment, unexpected pregnancy and difficult life choices.
Fans of horror and genre films can look forward to several Welsh produced titles, including environmental horror The Scurry, filmed at Dragon Studios in Bridgend and starring Rhys Ifans, musical horror romance Stuffed starring Jodie Comer, and folklore inspired Rabbit Trap, set in 1970s Wales and released on January 30.
Family audiences will be catered for with Out There, a feel good sci fi comedy featuring Michael Sheen, and Learning to Breathe Underwater, a comedy drama about a young boy coping with loss and change.
Documentary films arriving in 2026 include Smoking Shores, focusing on the surfing community of Port Talbot, and Proud, which follows disabled actor and writer David Proud as he explores fertility, family and disability.
Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales, explained why the Made in Wales project supports these releases, saying:
“We know that it’s important to Welsh cinemas and their audiences to be able to connect with stories that reflect their lives, their communities and their language, as well as films from Welsh storytellers that bring the international world to their doorsteps in Wales. Our aim is to help those stories to reach people, ideally in a collective cinema setting, ensuring that once a film is made, it’s also seen.”
Film Hub Wales’ Made in Wales project celebrates films with Welsh connections and supports year round activity with cinemas across the country. The project is made possible through funding from Creative Wales and support from the BFI Film Audience Network, delivered in Wales by Film Hub Wales and managed by Chapter.
A full list of Welsh films due for release in 2026 includes titles such as Madfabulous, On the Sea, Effi o Blaenau, Out There, The Scurry, Stuffed, Rabbit Trap, Proud, Smoking Shores, Mission and Unspeakable, with more releases expected to be announced throughout the year.
