About Us

The Spirit of Independence film festival is a unique celebration of raw, passionate independent films made from all corners of the world. We want to put a spotlight on brave and bold filmmaking regardless of genre, country of origin, theme or budget.

The Spirit of Independence Film Festival is a BIFA and IMDb qualifying festival and is a member of the BFI Film Audience Network.

The festival is also a founding member of the Association of Independent Film Festivals (AIFF), a network of like-minded festivals that look to provide an open and transparent process for filmmakers and a welcoming experience for our audience.

Our goal is simple - to provide a platform for these films to get out there and to inspire filmmakers of the future to see what can be accomplished. At our 2022 event we were delighted to welcome Bernard Rose, legendary director of 'Candyman' to open the festival with the European premiere of his latest film, 'Traveling Light'.

The event also features several industry-based talks, networking events, Q and As and panel discussions.

We have also launched a further strand of the festival - the Emerging Spirit Script to Screen competition, a screenplay competition designed to make a filmmaking team's short film idea, a reality.

Together with our partners, we will provide the competition winner with a package of resources that will support them to turn their script into a short film during 2023. The finished short will also be guaranteed a screening at the Spirit of Independence film festival on 30th September 2023. Last year's winner 'Dead Skin' is currently on the festival circuit.