A festival for contemporary filmmakers, producers, writers, performers and film industry pros to interact with the next wave of British talent, Picturehouse Create aims to unite the country's creative community.
The programme blends the art and craft of filmmaking with the business skills necessary to make it happen – and offers a launchpad for new voices with its annual short film competition.
Access to all Picturehouse Create events will be exclusively for passholders (no individual event tickets will be sold – except for the public screening of short films).
Passes are on sale now, at the Early Bird Price of £125. After 15 March, Pass prices will be £200.
The number of passes sold is capped to protect the intimate nature of the event - book early to avoid disappointment!
Our second edition commences on 15 April with an opening night screening of Rebuilding, with director Max Walker-Silverman (A Love Song) in attendance. Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025, Rebuilding stars Josh O'Connor in a ruminative, moving portrait of resilience and human connection, filmed against the rapturous backdrop of southern Colorado. The film will be released by Picturehouse Entertainment in UK cinemas on 17 April 2026.
On 18 April the festival closes with a special screening of Rose of Nevada, followed by a Q&A with director Mark Jenkin and producer Denzil Monk hosted by filmmaker Ben Sharrock. Rose of Nevada follows Jenkin's BAFTA award-winning debut Bait (2019) and Enys Men (2022), and stars George MacKay and Callum Turner. The film will be released in UK and Irish cinemas by the BFI on 24 April 2026.
|
|
|
True to the festival's ethos of championing homegrown talent, we're also looking back at two great British films of the last decade. On 16 April, celebrate God's Own Country with a screening introduced by filmmaker Francis Lee. On 17 April, Censor marks its fifth anniversary with a screening and Q&A, with filmmaker Prano Bailey-Bond in attendance alongside the film's cast and crew.
Highlights of the programme also include a day of events focused on the horror genre, including a panel featuring Bailey-Bond and filmmaker Alice Lowe, chaired by The Evolution of Horror's Mike Muncer.
Also on offer is a masterclass on screenwriting hosted by Script Apart's Al Horner; a discussion on film festivals hosted by Mark Brennan of Festival Formula, featuring representatives from Edinburgh International Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival and the BFI; and the return of daily networking brunches and the incredibly popular Agents' Speed Meeting event.
Alongside events presented by BIFA, NFTS, and more, industry leaders and talent continue to be added to the programme, featuring executives from agencies Sara Putt and Casarotto, Film4 and BFI among others.
In 2025, Harris Dickinson presented a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love (2002), followed by an in-depth conversation about how that film has influenced his own work, including moving from acting in such acclaimed titles as Scrapper, Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl and directing his first feature, Urchin.
We were also joined by director James Griffiths and actors and co-writers Tim Key and Tom Basden for a preview screening of The Ballad of Wallis Island, and Scotland-born filmmaker John Maclean (Slow West) and cinematographer Robbie Ryan for a preview of Tornado.
Acclaimed costume designer Sandy Powell also joined us for a retrospective on Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine (1998) with a screening followed by an in-depth conversation about her career highlights, which also includes working on award-winning films such as Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Carol, The Favourite and Shakespeare in Love.
Other sessions that took place during the event included a short film competition screening; speed meetings with leading talent agents; 'boot camp' short, practical masterclasses on topics ranging from audience development to film finance to working with virtual reality; a panel examining producers' lessons learned; a talk on how to navigate careers that cross multiple sectors (theatre, film, TV and advertising); a live pitching panel with instant feedback from industry experts; and intimate networking brunches and lively happy hours.
A full list of last year's speakers and attendees can be found at picturehouses.com/createschedule.
Keep an eye out for 2026 programme announcements, coming very soon.
Celebrate the future of film with the Picturehouse Create Short Film Showcase, bringing the finalists for our short film competition together on the big screen.
Up to ten shortlisted films will screen in the festival showcase on its closing night, Saturday 18 April - on Picturehouse Central's famous Screen 1. This year, our Jury Prize is supported once again by Company 3, generously donating a $10,000 prize in the form of in-kind services for color and sound post-production (terms and conditions apply) alongside a newly-introduced £1,000 cash prize courtesy of Picturehouse. The winner of the Audience Award, voted for by attendees at the showcase, will now also receive a £500 cash prize!
Submissions are now open, and close Monday 16 March. Submissions are free for Picturehouse Create passholders, and £25 for non-passholders.
Picturehouse Create 2026 is supported by Kia, Netflix, MUBI and National Film and Television School.
Industry partners include BIFA, Company 3, Dark Matter, Faber & Faber, Festival Formula, Radiance, Screen International, and Soho House.
