FilmBath Festival has been screening brilliant films in Bath since 1990. Every autumn the festival presents a diverse programme crammed with the films everyone will be talking about. We are passionate about supporting new filmmakers and writers and these awards can be the key stepping stone you need to launch into your filmmaking career!

IMDb New Filmmaker Award
The IMDb New Filmmaker Award is designed to promote emerging talent and is open to anyone who has a short film between 1 and 10 minutes with no previous distribution. Five films will be shortlisted and invited to the Awards Evening within the FilmBath Festival 2025 (October) where a panel of expert judges will be shown the films and select the winner. The winner receives £2,000 to go towards their next film as well as £1,000 worth of hire kit from Visual Impact (UK filmmakers only). Submissions will also be considered for the selection of shorts that will be shown throughout the festival ahead of the features.

IMDb Script to Screen Award
The IMDb Script to Screen Award is designed to promote emerging talent and is open to anyone who has a short film script between 1 and 10 pages. The winner receives £7,000 cash to go towards the making of the winning screenplay, £1,000 worth of hire kit from Visual Impact (UK filmmakers only). Five finalists will be selected and invited to the Awards Evening within the FilmBath Festival 2025 (October) where the scripts will be read in front of a panel of expert judges who select the winner!

Previous judges include:

Col Needham - CEO of IMDb (always!)
Philippa Lowthorpe - director (Three Girls, The Crown, Swallows & Amazons etc)
Otto Bathurst - director (Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders, Robin Hood etc)
Elizabeth Karlsen - producer (Carol, Colette, Made in Dagenham etc)
Jonathan Hyde - actor (Titanic, The Mummy, Jumanji etc)

Films/Scripts must be submitted by the deadline, no late entries will be accepted unless agreed by prior arrangement.
Entering the competition constitutes permission to use the winners’ names and licenses for publicity and promotions without any additional compensation.
FilmBath Festival is open to filmmakers of any nationality from any country.
Films/scripts of any genre will be considered and must be the original work of the person submitting it.
The entered film/script must not have been previously optioned, sold or produced.
Multiple film/ script entries are acceptable, but each entry must be made separately.
The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The decision of the judges will be final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
All entrants acknowledge that the final winner will be expected to use the prize money to make their next film.
No cash alternatives to any of the prizes or additional payments shall be made.
The competition organisers reserve the right to reject any entry for any reason at their absolute discretion.
The organisers reserve the right to amend these rules and regulations at any time by notice on www.filmbath.org.uk.
Entry into FilmBath Festival confirms each entrant’s acceptance of these rules and regulations.

Category Rules

New Filmmaker

The film must be no less than one minute and no more than ten minutes screen time, including credits.
Where the film is based upon another piece of work it is the responsibility of the producer(s) to obtain permission/copyright clearances from the original author. Films based upon another work must be clearly marked as such.
Films must have a production year of 2023 or 2024.

Script to Screen

No substitution or new drafts or corrected pages for screenplay entries will be accepted under any circumstances.
Please upload your screenplay with the title alone; the author’s name must not appear on the title page or anywhere within the body of the uploaded screenplay.
No additional material should be attached/uploaded with the screenplay.

Release for submitted material:

This release is being accepted by you in connection with the material you wish the judges of FilmBath IMDb Award Competitions to review.

The judges agree to make a reasonable good faith effort to protect the confidentiality of any original material contained in the work.

You agree that if selected your film/script will be shown/ read at FilmBath Festival.

You agree that in consideration for their reviewing the submitted screenplay with you, you will not at any time assert or attempt any claim against FilmBath IMDb Script to Screen Award or any of the judges of the competition, sponsors, partners, or any other person connected with the competition with respect to any use of similar material in any project which is developed, produced, distributed, licensed or sold by all the above mentioned parties.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jonathan Skinner

    Great festival, very well organised and highly recommended. The IMDb Script to Screen Award evening had a warm, welcoming atmosphere in an atmospheric venue. Ace team of actors delivering the script readings and a top panel of judges giving insightful feedback. An amazing and generous opportunity for screenwriters from IMDb and FilmBath.

    December 2024
  • Emma Stansfield

    It was such a pleasure to attend the IMDB New Filmmakers awards, as part of the FilmBath Festival. I had a great evening. Such a well organised event and really well thought out programme. FilmBath really champions and celebrates new filmmakers. Thankyou for making me feel so welcome. Definitely recommend submitting your film to this brilliant festival!

    November 2024
  • Sarah Leigh

    Great festival and thank you so much for selecting my script, Call It Out, for the final of the IMDb Script to Screen awards. I had a great time and what a fantastic experience to hear my script read out by such wonderful talent! Thank you!

    November 2024
  • Thank you festival. It was an amazing experience.

    November 2022
  • Ava Bounds

    It was both a surprise and an honour to be part of this competition. I would recommend any new film maker submit to this- give it a go. I’m 14 and didn’t expect to be shortlisted but my film, PLAYERS was. The process was professional and kind. I’ll be submitting next year. You should too!

    November 2020