About Manchester Film Festival

Manchester Film Festival is a year-round platform dedicated to discovering, celebrating, and championing independent cinema from the UK and around the world. Each March, the festival brings filmmakers, industry professionals, and film lovers together across Manchester for a programme of bold features, sharp shorts, documentaries, and special events — all backed by BAFTA and BIFA qualifying status.

Our platform is built for everyone who makes and loves film. Filmmakers can submit their work through FilmFreeway, run crowdfunding campaigns to fund their projects, and manage their accreditations and festival passes. Audiences can browse the full programme, book tickets with seat selection, purchase passes, and shop festival merchandise. Industry guests — jurors, press, and delegates — get access to a dedicated networking portal, industry events, and accreditation badges.

The platform is built and maintained by the Manchester Film Festival team, a small group of programmers, producers, and technologists based in the North West of England. We work year-round to keep the festival running smoothly, from open submissions in the off-season through to box office, check-in, and industry networking during the festival week itself. Everything you see here — ticketing, submissions, crowdfunding, the shop, and the industry portal — is powered by this single platform so that the festival and its community stay connected all year long.

We believe independent film deserves a home that respects both the artist and the audience. That is why we invest in a platform that is transparent, accessible, and genuinely useful — whether you are premiering your first short or planning your festival week. Thank you for being part of it.