ABOUT NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON

Our friendly and welcoming art-house festival based in London is genuinely passionate about promoting the highest calibre of independent cinema around today. New Renaissance has been described as “One of the UK’s top film festivals,” alongside Raindance and Aesthetica (London METRO, O1.08.16), appeared in reputable publications such as Vogue, GQ and iD magazine, and we are a registered IMDB film festival.

Filmmakers are a discerning audience and the 100+ five star reviews from filmmakers around the world is proof of our commitment and respect for the hard work and care that goes into making a film. Since 2021, we have been awarding cash prizes to support talented up-and-coming filmmakers we believe in thanks to a generous sponsor (see below).

SUCCESS STORIES

We have premiered and screened films that went on to win an Oscar (The Silent Child, 2017) or later received a major distribution deal (A Bird Flew, 2022; Avi, 2022; Roy, 2022; A Living Dog, 2021; Into The Mirror, 2019; You Go To My Head, 2019; and Phantompain, 2018) to name just a few.

TOP RANKING

Since September 2016, NRFF has been ranked in the top 100 best reviewed film festivals on FilmFreeway (#11, October 2021), out of 12,000+ worldwide.

Despite the festival's relatively small size, there are each year many gems to be found among the many short and feature films in the programme. Furthermore, many filmmakers and actors are traditionally present - and a lot of productive networking takes place.

OUR CURATION: ARTISTICALLY-DRIVEN FILMS, INSPIRING STORIES

Film is a unique medium, and NRFF’s mission is to support and champion inspiring, independent artists and storytellers. This includes experimental work, emotional drama, music, dance, and emerging talent (see below).

Our festival is built around ARTISTS and their STORIES. By doing so, we aim to establish an international COMMUNITY of inspiring storytellers. We are not interested in following current fashions or being politically divisive. We seek out stories that are genuinely imaginative, emotional and life-affirming. At the heart of what we do is our passion to tell great stories.

Curating a festival is never easy but we strive to put together a great programme each year in an environment that is warm, inclusive and truly dignified. You can visit last year's programme online at ww.nrff.co.uk to get a feel for the quality of curation we are known for.

NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON 2023

2023 will be our eighth year in London, a city known for its diversity and innovation in the creative arts. For 3 days in September, we will screen around 100 outstanding films in the heart of London. The programme will include narrative shorts, features, documentaries, animations, dance and music videos, a NETWORKING party and AWARDS CEREMONY.

Running alongside the festival will be a SCREENWRITING COMPETITION, a series of MASTERCLASSES by film industry experts, a filmmaker's PANEL DISCUSSION, Filmmaker Q&A's, and other networking opportunities.

EMERGING TALENT AWARDS

Apart from a high number of UK and International films, NRFF London has a category for EMERGING TALENT (talented Gen Z, debut or early stage filmmakers embarking on their careers in the film industry). Those selected can win CASH PRIZES. We found a sponsor for this in 2021 and 2022 and are happy to announce that they will continue supporting these cash prizes for emerging talent in 2023.

Please read our Rules & Terms before making your submission.

Key Dates:

Submissions for 2023 will be open. The festival will take place in mid to late September 2023, and all contestants will be notified at least 4-6 weeks prior to the event.

SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT FILM COMMUNITY

It is our passion to not only provide a stage for our filmmakers but also to strengthen the INDEPENDENT film community, by building an engaged audience through social media - especially Instagram and Facebook. We actively encourage directors, screenwriters, producers and actors to network during the festival and after the event. By doing so, new artistic collaborations have occurred.

NEW RENAISSANCE ALUMNI

Former New Renaissance attendees and or winners include: Oscar winning couple Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child); Oscar winning actress Whoopi Goldberg (Palace); BAFTA and Emmy winning actress Anna Friel (The Sea); Great Expectations and Top Boy director Brady Hood (Sweet Maddie Stone); Oscar winning writer/director James Lucas (Paint The Dragon's Eyes); BAFTA winning actress Sophia Myles (All That Glitters); BAFTA winning actor George MacKay (Infinite); Ivor Novello winning musician Gary Kemp (InSolo); BAFTA winning and double Emmy nominated documentary director Zoe Dobson (The Cunning Man); BAFTA winning animator Catriona Black (You Are At The Bottom Of My Mind); Emmy winning actress Tatiana Mislany (Souls of Totality); Oscar nominated cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (A Million Eyes); BAFTA nominated director Shona Auerbach (Rudy); Actor Tom Cullen (Souls of Totality); BAFTA nominated actress Celine Buckens (Prangover); Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox (The Ghost); Chicago actor Darren Day (Rudy); Rag Doll actor Ali Cook (The Cunning Man); Olivier Award nominated actress Amy Lennox (Near); student Oscar winner Tristan Holmes (The Fragile King); and student Oscar winner Ariel Heller (Mammoth).

WAIVER POLICY

We know all too well that most filmmakers have to work with a tight budget. Unfortunately, however, WE CANNOT WAIVE THE SUBMISSION FEE as we are a self-funding festival.

Don't forget to join our MAILING LIST for the latest updates and follow us on social media for interesting posts.

Awards & Prizes

CASH AWARDS!!!
For our sixth and seventh edition we had a sponsor for CASH prizes for the Best Emerging Talent Awards. We will repeat this for NRFF 2023
First Place: £1000, Second Place £500, and 4 additional £250 prizes.

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FILM AWARDS:

Best Film of Festival, Humanity Award, Best Feature Film, Best Emerging Talent Award l, Best International Short, Best UK Short, Best Animation Short, Best Documentary, Best Music Video, Best Dance Film, Best Young Talent Short, Best 3 Minute Short, Official Selection laurel, Best Director, Best Female Filmmaker, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Film, Best Music Score + many more.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION:

Best Feature Screenplay, Best Short Screenplay, Best 3 Minute Screenplay, and Best Short Screenplay written by Young Talent, Finalist + others.

Rules & Terms

(1) New Renaissance Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilise an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. (2) The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorised to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
(3) All entries should be in English or with English subtitles.
(4) All scripts must be original screenplays, for which the applicant(s) hold the copyright. Where the screenplay is based on another piece of work it is the responsibility of the screenwriter to obtain written permission/copyright clearances from the original author or publisher.
(5) The judges reserve the right not to enter into any correspondence after the announcement of the winner.
(6) To qualify for a cash prize the winner must satisfy all the terms of their category, and attend the festival in person to receive the award.
(7) The judges reserve the right not to award a cash prize if there is no clear winner in the category, the winner is not in attendance at the festival, or if the sponsor cannot honour their financial pledge. The Applicant shall hold harmless New Renaissance Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses which may be incurred in such circumstances.
(8) If award winners are not in attendance the festival will not ship out trophies or certificates after the event.
(9) The applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless New Renaissance Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, cash prizes advertised, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.
(10) We know all too well that most filmmakers have to work with a tight budget. Unfortunately however, WE CANNOT WAIVE THE SUBMISSION FEE.
(11) Due to Covid we may have to replace the live screenings with an online festival. We will try to avoid this if possible. The festival will organise this to its best abilites, but the festival cannot be held accountable for any technical difficulties that may occur during or as a result of the online screening.
(12) PLEASE NOTE THAT SUBMISSION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE, DEADLINES, PROGRAMS, VENUES AND DATES MAY CHANGE. ALL RESPONSES TO FILMMAKERS WILL BE BY EMAIL.

111 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Niall Duffy

    Thrilled to have been awarded Best Historic Film for my film ‘The Rock in the Sea’ at NRFF London this year. It was a privilege to be a part of this artistically driven event and accept this award.

    October 2022
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  • Goldfinch Entertainment

    Proud to have our film A Bird Flew In in selection at this great festival! Thanks for the Best in Fest award!

    October 2022
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  • Güni Koçak

    THE NRFF is an amazing festival! So welcoming for emerging and experienced filmmakers alike. Thank you for selecting GREEN LANES as part of this year's selection and given us an Honourable Mention in the UK short film drama category! Again thank you so much Massi and Jan!

    October 2022
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  • Seán Healy

    Thank you so much Massi and Jan for believing in our short film and for choosing us for the Humanity award. Our experience of this festival has been absolutely amazing. The calibre of all of the entries has blown me away and inspired me to a new level of creativity, confidence and belief in our passion for making films. To be counted alongside such talented film makers has truly meant the world to me. Massi and Jan’s honest and gentle approach really puts everyone present at such ease without any pretence, creating a truly wonderful environment for people to enjoy each others talents and thrive. There’s not enough stars, so here’s another one! ⭐️

    October 2022
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  • Nick Willis

    NRFF is such a fantastic festival for emerging and established filmmakers. I felt extremely valued and appreciated, when 'Speak for Herself' was my first film, alongside all these other incredible filmmakers. Especially as there were opportunities to do Q&As about your film and take part in networking. Massi and Jan obviously care deeply about the festival and the programme really reflects that - such a variety of films that are so enriching to watch. We're extremely proud and thankful to have won Best Student Short for 'Speak For Herself'. The atmosphere at the Awards Ceremony was electric and everyone was so supportive of each other and it felt like we were all equals. An amazing festival which I would definitely recommend to others!

    October 2022
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