Brighton Rocks International Film Festival (BRIFF) welcomes submissions for the 5th year running.​​ ​

BRIFF is a young festival with big ambition – to become the UK’s main festival for indie and underground cinema. The city of Brighton is a mecca for artists and creatives from all walks of life. It is also a state of mind, an attitude, a spirit: one that dares to be itself. If your film embodies our ideals and aspirations, we want to help it get the recognition it deserves! When you submit to Brighton Rocks, we pledge that your film will be reviewed by professionals with TLC. Our primary concern is how best to curate and screen your work.

The 5th Annual Festival is scheduled for 22-24 July 2022. In addition to multiple screenings, attendees will enjoy talks, networking sessions and the chance to socialise with fellow filmmakers in Brighton. Our principal venue, RIALTO, is a former Gothic Chapel in the heart of Brighton that is now a bohemian and stylish theatre. It boasts a 90 seat auditorium, beautiful art deco bar and labyrinth of corridors, making it the perfect place to get your creative juices flowing. We’ll also be screening at FABRICA - a visual arts organisation based in a former Regency church in the heart of Brighton, which has commissioned contemporary visual art installations specific to the building for over 25 years.

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS will be notified throughout the year.
The SCREENING SCHEDULE will be published on 26 June 2022.
WINNERS will be revealed ​at the Festival 22-24 July 2022.

Brighton Rocks' 4th Festival (23-25 July 2021) screened 125 films to an audience of more than 350 attendees.

Please see www.rocksfestivals.com/briff for more information.

FYI, ROCKS FESTIVALS comprises of BRIGHTON ROCKS, LONDON ROCKS (www.filmfreeway.com/lriff) & LOS ANGELES ROCKS (www.filmfreeway.com/losangelesrocks). We will share discount codes for our sister events throughout the year.

FYI, Brighton is a place like no other. It is . . .

• the most popular seaside destination in the UK.
• the setting of some of the UK’s best films, such as Brighton Rock and Quadrophenia.
• home to a thriving music, theatre and arts scene.
• home to the UK’s biggest LGBTQIA+ scene outside of London.
• represented by the UK’s only Green Member of Parliament.

Awards & Prizes

• OFFICIAL SELECTIONS get a FESTIVAL SCREENING at Brighton's RIALTO on 22-24 July 2022.
• There will be RUNNERS-UPS & WINNERS in each submission category:
ANIMATION
COMEDY
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
DRAMA
EXPERIMENTAL FILM
FANTASY/HORROR/SCI-FI
FEATURE FILM (FICTION)
LGBTQ FILM
MICRO-BUDGET FILM
MICRO MOVIE
MUSIC VIDEO
STUDENT FILM
• Additional Awards for:
CINEMATOGRAPHY
DIRECTOR
EDITING
MISE EN SCENE
ORIGINAL SCORE
PERFORMANCE (3 awards)
SCREENPLAY
SOUND DESIGN
VISUAL EFFECTS

WINNERS at the festival 22-24 July 2022.

*NB. Brighton Rocks screens all OFFICIAL SELECTIONS!*

Rules & Terms

BRIGHTON ROCKS accepts narrative, documentary and experimental films, music videos, micro, short and feature films.
Entry fees are non-refundable.
All films must be in English or have English subtitles.
Production must have been completed after 1 January 2018.
There is no limit on the number of submissions.
All films must have an online screener.
Filmmakers retain the rights to their films.
Filmmakers are responsible for acquiring copyrights, licenses and releases for media used in their films.
By submitting their film, filmmakers gives Brighton Rocks the right to post their posters, trailers, website and social media links on our website.
Brighton Rocks reserves the right to move films into categories different from the one(s) submitted to.

RULES REGARDING CATEGORY SUBMISSIONS

"Made in Brighton" - at least 2 scenes must be set/filmed in Brighton. All genres eligible.
"Micro Budget Film" requires a production budget of less than £1000.
"Micro Movies" must have a runtime of less than 4 minutes, including credits.
"Student Films" must have at least 2 crew members in full-time education.​
82 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Niklas Nieminen

    Brighton Rocks, where do I even begin? To summarize it:
    Brighton Rocks Film Festival has the overall feeling of being a cozy, intimate and independent little festival, that exclusive feeling of being part of a small, select group of individuals who get to attend it or know about this underground gem of a festival, YET it is NOT underground, not secret. IT IS however inclusive, friendly, well marketed and, most importantly, very well organized with top notch communication. I find that film festivals tend to be either big, bombastic and well organized but lacking that sense of community and intimacy or have that sense of community and intimacy but lack all forms of communication and organization. Brighton Rocks have a delightful mixture of somehow pulling off both sides of the spectrum. Run by passionate souls, attended by passionate souls. They also managed to have among the most interesting guest speakers I've seen in several years on a film festival, Ben Wheatly and William Nicholson. Well played.
    DO NOT MISS THIS ONE, PEOPLE!

    July 2022
    Helpful
  • Mark Hewitt

    This year was my second visit to BRIFF. Everything that everyone says is true. The festival itself offers a friendly, supportive, informal atmosphere and Brighton Rocks - like its sister festivals in Hastings and London - really demonstrates a genuine appreciation of the quirky, the offbeat and the experimental. It's been a pleasure and an honour to see my little micro movies screened in Brighton and Hastings.

    July 2022
    Helpful
  • Andrew McCann

    Can not recommend this festival enough, nothing but positivity and support from James and the team. A great diverse selection of films and an incredible Q&A with Ben Wheatley and Gareth Tunley made for an amazing weekend.

    July 2022
    Helpful
  • Lou Gerring

    Great to be part of the Rocks family this year. Lovely people with a diverse selection of films.

    August 2022
    Helpful
  • Helen Kilbride

    A wonderful festival organised by wonderful people who love film and filmmakers. Sara, Tim and the team were always on hand and greeted you with a warm welcome. A good selection of films throughout the festival expanded my interest and it's always a different experience to watch films live with cast and crew. The two locations at Rialto and Fabrica are perfect for an art house festival and Brighton is a great place. I hope to return to BRiFF next year.

    August 2022
    Helpful