November 2026 sees the fifth year of Cynon Valley Film Festival. It takes place at Rainmaker Studio in Aberdare, Cynon Valley, South Wales UK.
It's a festival run by a filmmaker with the emphasis on great visuals, great soundtracks and great storytelling. Rainmaker will be home of the Cynon Valley Film Festival on Saturday November 7. Submissions are now open for short films, documentaries and music videos. There will also be awards for best director, best music and a Festival Director's Award.
The goal is to promote the work of independent film makers and embrace cutting edge digital techniques. Traditional film making is most welcome, of course but so are films made on smartphones.

This year, there will also be an award for the best screenplay or script.

Judges
James Woodward - Dunnwood Photography
Nigel Evans - Filmmaker
Antony Jones - Film buff
Patty Papageorgiou - Screenwriter & Script Editor

The 2025 awards went to…

Geraint Rhys Benney - Best Very Short Narrative (Better Than Me)
James Fisher - Best Short Narrative (Bluebell Woods)
Thomasin Toohie - Best Animation (Highway)
Sion Tudor Owen - Best Welsh Film (Swing To Love)
Jake Thompson & Alexander Griffiths - Best Strange Film (Make A Wish)
Bethan Jenkins - The Homegrown Award (Beyond)
Ellie Coverdale - Best Actor (I Made The Invisible Man)
Andrew Creak - Best Producer (Torn)
Jade Davies - Best Screenplay (Echoes Of Her)
The Reeves Brothers - Best Director (Sutures)

The 2024 Awards
Anthony Bunko and Sion Tudor Owen - Promise
Bethan Jenkins - Dim Ond Ti A Mi
The Librarian - Pete Mason
Madoc Roberts - The Spies Who Ruined Our Lives (doc trailer)
JAG Hodges - Control Room
Sarah Malabar - Rhiannon (screenplay)
Andrew Creak - A Postcard From Bill
Luke Walters - I Made The Time Machine


The 2023 Awards

Lowri Palfrey (Best Director - Heri )
Tom Howe (Best Animation - Milk First)
Sion Eifion (Best Welsh Film - The Theory Of Tomorrow)
Rachel Pedley/Avant Cymru (Best Local Film - The Witness)
Ellis Beynon and Tom Watkins (Best Narrative Short - Jack-O)
Mared Rees (Best Welsh Language Film - Our Home The Sea)
Luke Walters (Best Comedy - I Made War Of The Worlds)
Meyrick Tilley (Best Student Film - The Day After)
Matt Allen (Best Narrative Feature - Everything After)
Richard Beecher (Best Documentary - Twm Sion Cati, Polishing The Welsh Stone)
Ruth Jones (Best Experimental Film - Kith)
James Morris and Maria Tilt (Best Music - Ghosts)
Paul Birkett and Andrea Janovowska (Festival Director’s Award - Forgotten In Time)

Thanks to Phil Jones for interviewing and Cecily Roberts for serving the wine.

The 2022 Awards

These are the winners from last year.

Best Welsh Film – Frank (dir. Jesse Briton & Buddug Jones) Wales
Best Cynon Valley Film – Dad: When A Man Loves A Woman (dir. Geraint Benney) Wales
Best International Narrative Short – Heavy Petting (dir. Brendan Prost) Canada
Best Experimental Film – Transmission (dir. Paul Williams) Wales
Best Director – Luke Walters (Wheels) Wales
Best Soundtrack – The Lights Of Dawn (dir. Sadie Duarte, composer Daniel Angelus) Spain
Best Documentary – Don’t Fence Me In (dir. Mary Elaine Evans) USA
Best Student Film – Midas (dir. Ben Meyer, Mav Vitale, Lisa Qingyi Liu) USA
Best Narrative Feature – What’s The Craic? (dir Lauren Hakulinen) France
Best Screenplay – Mersey Boys: A Letter From Al Moran (Dir. Paddy Murphy & Steven Gerard Farrell) Ireland
Festival Director’s Award – thoughtpolice 4891 (dir. Glenn Ibbitson & Melanie Davies)
Best Music Video – Elusive Dreams (dir. Rhys Davies (Furball Films))

Awards & Prizes

The 2025 awards went to…

Geraint Rhys Benney - Best Very Short Narrative (Better Than Me)
James Fisher - Best Short Narrative (Bluebell Woods)
Thomasin Toohie - Best Animation (Highway)
Sion Tudor Owen - Best Welsh Film (Swing To Love)
Jake Thompson & Alexander Griffiths - Best Strange Film (Make A Wish)
Bethan Jenkins - The Homegrown Award (Beyond)
Ellie Coverdale - Best Actor (I Made The Invisible Man)
Andrew Creak - Best Producer (Torn)
Jade Davies - Best Screenplay (Echoes Of Her)
The Reeves Brothers - Best Director (Sutures)

The 2024 awards went to…

Madoc Roberts (Best Documentary)
Sarah Mallabar (Best Screenplay - Rhiannon)
Luke Walters (Best Director - I Made The Time Machine)
Andrew Creak (Best Local Film - Postcard From Bill)
Bethan Jenkins (Best Welsh Film - Dim Ond Ti A Mi)
Pete Mason (Best Animation - The Librarian)
Anthony Bunko & Sion Tudor Owen (Best Film - Promise)
Dylan Matthews (Best Actor - Control Room)

The 2023 Awards

Lowri Palfrey (Best Director - Heri )
Tom Howe (Best Animation - Milk First)
Sion Eifion (Best Welsh Film - The Theory Of Tomorrow)
Rachel Pedley/Avant Cymru (Best Local Film - The Witness)
Ellis Beynon and Tom Watkins (Best Narrative Short - Jack-O)
Mared Rees (Best Welsh Language Film - Our Home The Sea)
Luke Walters (Best Comedy - I Made War Of The Worlds)
Meyrick Tilley (Best Student Film - The Day After)
Matt Allen (Best Narrative Feature - Everything After)
Richard Beecher (Best Documentary - Twm Sion Cati, Polishing The Welsh Stone)
Ruth Jones (Best Experimental Film - Kith)
James Morris and Maria Tilt (Best Music - Ghosts)
Paul Birkett and Andrea Janovowska (Festival Director’s Award - Forgotten In Time)

In 2022 awards went to:

Best Welsh Film – Frank (dir. Jesse Briton & Buddug Jones) Wales
Best Cynon Valley Film – Dad: When A Man Loves A Woman (dir. Geraint Benney) Wales
Best International Narrative Short – Heavy Petting (dir. Brendan Prost) Canada
Best Experimental Film – Transmission (dir. Paul Williams) Wales
Best Director – Luke Walters (Wheels) Wales
Best Soundtrack – The Lights Of Dawn (dir. Sadie Duarte, composer Daniel Angelus) Spain
Best Documentary – Don’t Fence Me In (dir. Mary Elaine Evans) USA
Best Student Film – Midas (dir. Ben Meyer, Mav Vitale, Lisa Qingyi Liu) USA
Best Narrative Feature – What’s The Craic? (dir Lauren Hakulinen) France
Best Screenplay – Mersey Boys: A Letter From Al Moran (Dir. Paddy Murphy & Steven Gerard Farrell) Ireland
Festival Director’s Award – thoughtpolice 4891 (dir. Glenn Ibbitson & Melanie Davies)
Best Music Video – Elusive Dreams (dir. Rhys Davies (Furball Films))

Best Narrative Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Experimental Film
Best Welsh Film
Best Documentary
Best Music
Best Animation
Best Comedy
Best Welsh Language Film
Best Local Film
Best Director
Best Student Film
Festival Director's Award

Rules & Terms

Cynon Valley Film Festival 2026 considers short films 45 minutes or less. Works in progress are accepted.

One entry per submission fee.

There is no premiere requirement, though it will be taken into consideration.

Films can not be publicly available prior to the festival dates.

Entries must be in English or subtitled/dubbed in English.

It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to clear all rights before your film screens at the festival. I shall indemnify and hold harmless Cynon Valley Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to solicitor's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

By submitting you agree to grant the festival the right to use film images promotional purposes.

Fees: Submission fees are not refundable. The festival does not pay screening fees.
20 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Christian Britten

    Lovely festival set in foot of the valleys of Wales, ran by group of very passionate film lovers.

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Sion Tudor Owen

    Thrilled to support a Welsh film festival with a broad outlook on film and those filmmakers striving to share their vision.Swing to love wins best Welsh short 👍👍

    November 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Great to have you with us, Sion. Remarkable film and fab interview an participation - your insights are gold dust. Watch out for the helicopter. Hope to see you next year! Nige

  • Haydn Wakeling

    Thank you for awarding Control Room as Best Narrative Short. We had an enjoyable experience and look forward to submitting with you in the future.

    December 2024
    Helpful
  • Andrew Creak

    Amazing festival, proud to have won an award during the evening, hopefully will have more films to submit here again in future!

    November 2024
    Helpful
  • Matt Allen

    Nigel and his team were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and clearly passionate about ours and everyone else's work. Everyone took the time to chat and make sure we knew what was going on throughout the evening, as well as keeping everyone comfortable and engaged. Thank you for your support, and we can't wait to be back at CVFF next year!

    December 2023
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Matt! What can I say? It was an absolute pleasure to have you and the rest of the guys with the festival. Thanks for making the effort and thanks especially for your fine work. Peter was captivating and authentic and the audience was mesmerised. We were there in the kitchen with him. It is weird when the film character is actually present. A great Q&A. Apologies for not having the capacity to screen all you entries in full. Congratulations on winning an award. Hope to see you again soon. Nige