Three days and nights of film, music, talks and more.

Aerial, in partnership with Inward Eye Film Festival and Zeffirellis Cinema, is bringing together cultural stars in Ambleside for a long weekend of film, performance, music and talks. Aerial and Inward Eye will present an exciting programme of work over the three days, inspired by the natural world, including premieres and one-off events. www.aerialfestival.com.

The Inward Eye film festival takes its name from the Lakes most famous Romantic Poet, William Wordsworth. In his poem ‘Daffodils', his phrase the 'Inward Eye', alludes to the power of imagination and memory. It is in this spirit that Inward Eye was founded in the hope of sustaining arts within the North East and promoting independent filmmaking.

Held at Ambleside's Zeffirellis Cinema, the festival also contains a flashback element, so keeping with the cinematic history that Zeffirellis holds dear. Actor Brian Cox (Succession) is the festival's patron, having visited the cinema in 2017.

The festival is intimate and has a free flowing ethic, with music and networking events in the evening held at Zeffirellis bar.

IEFF invites one and all to submit films to this year’s short film competition! This year’s theme is 'mixed media'. All submissions are open to interpretation.

The film community in Ambleside is strong and welcoming, and would love to invite you to showcase your films at this unique event held in the inspirational and stunning surroundings of the Lake District.

Onward, Upward AND Inward!

Inward Eye Film Festival Team

Awards & Prizes

- Jury Award
- Audience Award

Rules & Terms

The following rules constitute the conditions under which films, videos, and other materials may be submitted to the Inward Eye Film Festival. All submissions are subject to these rules.

•All films that are not in English must have English language subtitles.
•Entry fees must be paid in full at time of submission. Fees must be paid in GBP currency. No cash payments are accepted. All entry fees are non-refundable.
• Each Category does specify a maximum length - these should be abided by.
•Multiple entries from the same submitter are accepted. A separate submission and a separate entry fee must accompany each entry.
•Only submissions with completed submission fields and entry fees will be considered. Submissions received without a completed submission, an entry fee, or a screener will not be accepted.
•Postal submissions accepted, please contact inwardeyeff@gmail.com for more details
•Notice of receipt of submissions will be posted via submitter’s FilmFreeway account. It is the submitter’s responsibility to track the status of their submission. Submissions are generally updated to- “In Consideration” within 2-4 weeks of receipt.
•The releases for all content including, but not limited to, music and talent must be obtained by the filmmaker. The Inward Eye Film Festival is not liable for any copyright infringement or unauthorized usage. Any film accepted into the Inward Eye Film Festival may be subjected to a pre-screen for any possible infringements.

If your film is selected to screen at the Inward Eye Film festival, the following conditions also apply:
•You will need to provide a digital HD fine cut / DCP of your film without any interactive menus, bars or tone.
•While taking upmost care, Inward Eye Film Festival is not liable for any damage to submitted materials.