Trustees cancel film festival’s 30th anniversary as funding dries up

A LONG-running Bristol film festival has been cancelled this year, with organisers citing a lack of funding.

Encounter Film Festival was due to celebrate its 30th anniversary in September this year but trustees say several vital streams of revenue have been cut and it can no longer afford to go ahead.

They said it faces a “situation beyond our control”. Encounters previously received funding from Europe, which has dried up since the UK left the European Union, while changes to how the British Film Industry shares out its funding means Encounters no longer qualifies.

The board of trustees went on to add that the organisation is also no longer getting funds from Bristol City Council, which has also recently reviewed its support for arts and culture institutions in the city.

With the loss of all of these streams of revenue, Encounters trustees say there are “inadequate funds” available to run the festival.

They released a statement, saying: “So, it is with a heavy heart that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2024 iteration of Encounters Film Festival which would have been the 30th edition of Encounters Film Festival.

“We are deeply sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this creates for everyone who is

connected to and participating in the festival.

“We will be writing to and refunding everyone who has made submissions, please bear with us while we work to carry this out.

“We are in the process of working with our Board and stakeholders to reflect on what happens next for Encounters.

“We appreciate your patience while we work on this, and we will let you know what decisions are made in due course.

“We thank you for your support during this time.”