Founded in 2001, WOW Wales One World Film Festival is Wales’ longest-running film festival and a proudly IMDb-qualifying event. For 25 years, WOW has brought the very best of international cinema to screens across Wales—sharing bold, beautiful, and thought-provoking films that connect people and places around the world.

Every March, WOW presents a rich programme of feature films, documentaries, and shorts - many as Welsh or UK premieres - at venues including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Pontio Bangor, and beyond. From deeply personal storytelling to urgent political cinema, WOW celebrates powerful, eye-opening films that open windows onto the world.

The festival has welcomed renowned filmmakers such as Patricio Guzmán, Helen Iles, Ken Loach, and Mark Cousins. Since 2023, WOW has been 100% female-led, with at least half of the annual programme directed by women—reflecting our core commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity.

In 2021, WOW expanded its long-running Green Screen strand into Ecosinema; a space for films and conversations about climate, land, justice, and resilience. This environmental strand includes screenings, Q&As, and collaborations with grassroots partners, using cinema to explore how we live with and care for the planet.

We are looking for films that spark dialogue, invite reflection, and resonate with today’s audiences; stories that challenge, inspire, and help us imagine new ways of seeing the world.

Submissions for WOW 2027 (March 13-26) are now open.

Awards & Prizes

Audience Awards for:

1) Best Welsh Short Film
2) Best Feature Fiction Film
3) Best Feature Documentary Film

Rules & Terms

Submission Guidelines:

1. All films must be submitted via online screener hosted by FilmFreeway, Vimeo, Cinando, or other online video platforms.

2. Only complete entries (including fee payment and screener) will be considered.

3. All films selected for WOW Wales One World Film Festival’s in-cinema screenings will be screened on DCP unless otherwise arranged by the submitter and the festival's programming team.

Eligibility:

1. WOW Wales One World Film Festival's submissions are open to films of any genre, techniques, production type, and budget as long as they are completed (premiere) after the 1st of September 2025 (18 months before the event date).

4. All entries must be subtitled in English. Dialogue lists are not accepted.

5. The accepted running times for Feature Documentaries & Fiction Films is a minimum of 50 minutes. Environmental Feature Films need to be a minimum of 45 minutes.

6. The accepted running times for Short Films is a maximum of 20 minutes.

7. Feature films in consideration for the festival’s programme should be Welsh premieres at the time of the festival.

Data Protection:

8. Film and personal details are available to WOW Wales One World Film Festival and will not be shared with other organisations outside the festival.

9. The Festival reserves the right to keep the submitter's data in order to communicate and share information on film-related events and news. The participants can always opt-out by sending an email to info@wowfilmfestival.com.

10. The Festival accepts full responsibility for protecting the copyrights for the period of time that the films are in the Festival’s possession and will act to ensure that no theft or breach of copyright will occur.

11. The festival does NOT pay screening fees for films submitted via FilmFreeway.

Agreement:

12. In the event of disagreement concerning the interpretation of the regulations, the interpretation of the festival will take precedence.

13. The festival reserves the right to alter the above regulations without prior notice.

14. The applicant confirms that they have obtained all necessary rights for both visual and audio content, ensuring that the exhibition will not infringe upon any rights, including but not limited to music, images, and content.

15. Submissions cannot be withdrawn from the Festival once they have been selected and the applicants have been notified, except at the sole discretion of the Festival.

16. By proceeding with your submission, you agree to the above regulations, allowing your application to be processed. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in disqualification of the submission.

Attending the Festival:

17. The WOW Wales One World Film Festival encourages all selected filmmakers to attend the festival and offers complimentary tickets to several screenings and events for crew members of the selected films to attend the festival.

For any further inquiries, please contact: info@wowfilmfestival.com
7 Reviews
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  • Amelia Lloyd

    A delightful festival to attend - I can't speak highly enough of the quality of the Q&A, and the questions/time put into the screening. A thoughtful selection of shorts curated for the Made in Wales programme, and a joy to be a part of. Diolch enfawr Annita & team!

    April 2026
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  • Gary Janks

    Great festival, thanks for selecting and valuing my movie, Wild Coast Warriors. I hope it inspires your festival organizers and your audience to fight for climate justice and the preservation of all life on the planet!

    April 2025
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  • Roshi Nasehi

    Such a nice festival! Annita made me feel very welcome and communication prior to the event was very smooth and clear. The WOW team curated a really bold, international programme and we were delighted that our short, The Paper Bag, was selected for the Made In Wales short film showcase, alongside such strong work. I only wish I could have spent more time there but we send everyone in the company thanks and continued and evolving success.

    April 2025
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  • Karar Hayder Abed

    thanks for the good people of wow wales one world film festival

    April 2025
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  • Margaret Kane-Rowe

    Such a lovely supportive festival. Thank you for including our film in your brilliant line-up.

    April 2023
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