Twenty film projects across Wales have been awarded funding as Ffilm Cymru Wales celebrates 20 years of supporting cinemas, film festivals and community screenings.
The development agency for Welsh film has announced support for projects across the country, including initiatives in Cardiff, Barry, Llanelli, Newport, Pembrokeshire and north Wales.
Since 2006, Ffilm Cymru Wales has provided more than £3.3 million in exhibition funding to 372 projects, supporting 70,673 film screenings attended by more than 2.7 million people across Wales.
The funding, made possible through National Lottery support delegated by the Arts Council of Wales, has helped independent cinemas, festivals and community groups bring films to audiences throughout the country.
To mark its 20th anniversary, Ffilm Cymru Wales has introduced a new approach to funding, with three streams designed to reflect the changing needs of the sector: the Cinema Innovation Fund, Film Festivals Fund and Audience Discovery Fund.
A total of 20 projects have received support in the latest round.
Funding for cinemas across Wales
Eight organisations have received support through the Cinema Innovation Fund, which aims to help independent cinemas develop new programmes and attract wider audiences.
In Cardiff, Chapter Arts Centre will deliver an annual cinema engagement programme featuring 200 films, including independent productions, new releases, accessible screenings and Welsh-language discussions.
Memo Arts Centre in Barry will use its funding to deliver Sgrîn Agored, a project working with local schools and communities to provide low-cost cinema opportunities during school holidays.
The programme will encourage audiences of all ages to experience films across the venue’s Sinema 1 and newly opened Sinema 2 screens.
In Blaenau Ffestiniog, CellB will launch a year-long project giving young people the opportunity to programme and showcase films aimed at younger audiences.
Activities will include Welsh-language screenings, filmmaker question-and-answer sessions, climate-focused events and celebrations of Welsh cinema.
Theatr Clwyd in Mold will explore new ways to engage audiences following its three-year, £50 million redevelopment.
Its programme will focus on reaching young people, rural communities, Welsh speakers, audiences with additional needs and those experiencing economic disadvantage.
The Magic Lantern in Tywyn will develop its Croeso Cynnes i Bawb project, offering dementia-friendly screenings, Welsh-language cinema days and LGBTQ+ films.
Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda will deliver a programme covering local history, Welsh-language cinema, outdoor adventure, international films and cultural heritage.
Torch Theatre in Milford Haven will introduce a community-led approach to cinema programming, allowing participants to help select films, shape events and lead discussions.
Meanwhile, The Welfare in Ystradgynlais will support groups that may not otherwise attend the cinema through initiatives including Cinecwtch for mothers and babies, Silver Screenings for older audiences and relaxed screenings for neurodivergent people.
Welsh film festivals receive support
Seven projects have also received funding through the Film Festivals Fund.
Cardiff Animation Festival will deliver a ten-month programme during 2026 and 2027, developing animation audiences among asylum seekers, refugees and rural communities.
Its CAF on Tour programme will also bring Welsh heritage archive animation to communities across Wales.
The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, will pilot a new accessibility initiative at Cineworld Cardiff.
Its Open Doors project aims to remove practical and financial barriers to attending the festival through childcare provision, improved audience support and enhanced accessibility.
The Carmarthen Bay Film Festival will return to the Ffwrnes in Llanelli in May 2027 for a free four-day event.
The festival will screen 150 films across 15 categories, including a new Welsh Language Short Film section.
The Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival will bring five days of Japanese animation to Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, featuring everything from mainstream animated features to classic stop-motion films.
ADRA: Screendance Festival Wales will also receive support for its 2027 event. Following its launch in Newport last year, organiser Kokoro Arts aims to develop the festival into a sustainable national and internationally connected platform for screendance.
Sheba Soul Ensemble will deliver Peripheral Vision, a programme of 13 screenings featuring films by Black and global majority women filmmakers, accompanied by activities and discussions.
WOW Wales One World Film Festival will receive support for its spring 2027 festival and a special EcoSinema event in autumn 2026.
The environmental film event will encourage audiences to explore issues including climate change, food systems, environmental justice and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Community cinema projects backed
A further five projects have received support through the Audience Discovery Fund, which helps organisations develop new ways of bringing films to local communities.
Cardiff Mini Film Festival will present Twisted Tales, an immersive experience combining short films with live performances and atmospheric design.
In Denbighshire, Friends of Earth Ruthin will move its community cinema screenings to a larger venue, showing five films exploring environmental themes, including the climate and nature crises.
Ruthin Community Cinema, through Ruthin Artisan Markets, will also receive support to screen films that are less accessible to rural audiences, including Welsh-language productions, culturally significant films and work by emerging Welsh filmmakers.
Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard will develop its Welcome Wednesday sessions to attract younger audiences and encourage greater collaboration in its cinema programme.
In Llandovery, Hybu Llanymddyfri will test new approaches to community film screenings, exploring who attends, how audiences experience cinema and how local people can become more involved in shaping programmes.
More funding available
Ffilm Cymru Wales has confirmed that its Audience Discovery Fund remains open for applications.
The fund supports organisations and community groups looking to deliver one-off film projects, improve audience experiences, reach new audiences, establish festivals or community cinemas, or undertake research to inform future programming.
The next application deadline is 4 December 2026.
Further information and application details are available through the Ffilm Cymru Wales website.
