The International Film Festival of Wales (IFFW), previously known as the Newport International Film Festival (2007–2015), is an annual film festival established in 2006 and is one of four festivals hosted by the Film Festival Guild, including the British Animation Film Festival, the British Independent Film Festival and the British Horror Film Festival. IFFW was held in various venues in Newport before branching out to other areas of Wales such as Neath Port Talbot and Cardiff, and is now located at the oldest cinema in Wales, the Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr. The festival showcases a wide variety of films from around the world including feature films, shorts films, music videos and documentaries, with a particular emphasis on Welsh cinema.
The International Film Festival of Wales aims to provide a platform for filmmakers from diverse backgrounds to showcase their work, participate in exclusive opportunities for networking, as well as to promote cultural exchange and dialogue through the medium of film. The festival attracts a diverse audience including filmmakers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts from Wales and beyond.
In addition to film screenings, the festival features Q&A sessions with filmmakers, actors and film crew. The festival also presents a number of awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director and many others. IFFW also showcases and supports unproduced screenplays of outstanding quality, which are featured and award as part of The Dragon List.
Since its inception, IFFW has grown in stature and reputation, attracting an increasing number of attendees and submissions from around the world. This festival has become an annual event in Wales, as well as an important platform for promoting Welsh cinema on the international stage.
In addition to its typical in-person events, the International Film Festival of Wales was also hosted online in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards (2007–)
2007 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2007 Film Nominees (5 Films)Award WinnersTomorrow Never Dais (10mins, Dir. by Anthony James)Best Short Film & Best Actor (Magnus Hinde)Delivery (9mins, Dir. by Till Nowak)On All Your Walls (Dir. by Alan D. Pughe)Best Music VideoThe Strange Case of Marie France (15mins, Dir. by Till Neumann)Best of FestThe Lost (103mins, Dir. by Neil Jones)Best Feature Film
2008 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2008 Film Nominees (25 Films)Award WinnersElectreecity (3mins, Dir. by Sarah Duffield-Harding & Sarah Davidson)Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (29mins, Dir. by Shauna Osborne-Dowle)Julie (5mins, Dir. by David Cage)My Dad Made a Seagull (4mins, Dir. by Mark Withers)Dance for Eternity (12mins, Dir. by Michael Gilroy)Dictee Magique (3mins, Dir. by Aaron Fuks)Half Life (50mins, Dir. by Mark Brindle) Mother Mine (17mins, Dir. by Susan Everett)Best Up & Coming DirectorColourful EU (2mins, Dir. by Peter Vadocz) Check Mate (16mins, Dir. by Mitja Mlakar, Mojca Pernat, Robert Ribic & Miha Subic) Paintbrush (8mins, Dir. by Alex Barrett) The Gynaecologist (10mins, Dir. by Alfonso Camarero) Flushed (4mins, Dir. by Martin Stirling) Brother Psyche (5mins, Dir. by Ben Reed)Best Music VideoEva (16mins, Dir. by David Trumble)Best Student FilmJack Says (85mins, Dir. by Bob Phillips)Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Simon Philips), Best Actress (Anne Coesens)Mike Cotton (3mins, Dir. by Mike Cotton) Red Letter (11mins, Dir. by Edilberto Restino) Ruin (7mins, Dir. by Mark Maguire & Richard Shelton)Audience AwardJody Coyote (2mins, Dir. by Ben Reed) Echoes (14mins, Dir. by Rob Brown) Pitch (10mins, Dir. by David Christopher & Tyler Keevil)Welsh Dragon AwardMy Best Friend (15mins, Dir. by Daniele Santonicola)Best Short Film, Best ScriptThe Ballad of the Roman Road (5mins, Dir. by Mark Brindle) 9MM (94mins, Dir. by Taylan Barman)Best Cinematography
2009 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2009 Film Nominees (24 Films)Award WinnersKandahar BreakBest Feature Film, Best Actor (Shaun Dooley)ChabaluBest Short FilmMr RightBest Music VideoRemember MeBest Student FilmPredilectionBest Up & Coming Director (Marcio Garcia)Homemade Vigilante Best Up & Coming Producer (Neil Turner & Nathan Turner)Love ApplesBest Actress (Nicole Nabout)SwitchbacksBest DocumentaryShattered PiecesBest Short Film Actor (Drew Dillon)Fading AwayBest Short Film Actress (Liane Duesterhoeft)Tales from the Catholic Church of ElvisBest Supporting Actor (Larry Gelman)Big ThingsBest Supporting Actress (Micaiah Dring)SekunderBest Young Actress (Marie Boda)Running PainsBest Sound DesignThis Womans WorldBest Original ScoreThe ClearingBest CinematographyThe Last Confession of Alexander PearceBest PropsThe Valley of KnockanureBest CostumeArthurs LoreBest Special EffectsHunting PartyBest Script (Written by James Kirtland)Me Me MeWelsh Dragon AwardRika and Mallon (Unproduced screenplay by Charlotte Boulay-Goldsmith)Best New Screenplay You Don't Know Bertha Constantine (Unproduced screenplay by Andrew Knightlinger)Most Original New Screenplay Wild Jokers (Unproduced screenplay by Catherine Cole)Best Adapted Screenplay
2010 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2010 Film Nominees (12 Films)Award Winners40 Years (14mins, Dir. by Russell Appleford)Best Special EffectsBlind Eye (6mins, Dir. by Laura Degnan) Siren The Escort (18mins, Dir. by Clare Holman)Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress (La Charne Jolly)Mozambique (17mins, Dir. by Alcides Soares) Astronauts, Vikings and GhostsBest DocumentaryOn the EdgeBest Short FilmOne Dark Night (22mins, Dir. by Jonathan Moxness) No More Milk (7mins, Dir. by Dan Heaver & Dan Saunders)Welsh Dragon AwardRisen (103mins, Dir. by Neil Jones)Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Stuart Brennan), Best Actress (Grainne Joughin), Best Supporting Actor (Boyd Clack), Best DirectorThe Drummond Will (81mins, Dir. by Alan Butterworth) End of the Road (73mins, Dir. by Richard Nicholls) Double Top (Unproduced screenplay by Christopher Bolton)Best New Screenplay
2011 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2011 Film Nominees (16 Films)Award WinnersMary and Bill (40mins, Dir. by Andrew Napier)In Sunshine or in Shadow (60mins, Dir. by Andrew Gallimore)The Quizmaster (10mins, Dir. by Sam Haire)Letter to Julia (10mins, Dir. by David G. Rudiez)The Black Hills (10mins, Dir. by Richard Pask)Queensbury Rules (11mins, Dir. by William Scothern)The Anchor (15mins, Dir. by Luke Daniels)Sudden Death! (20mins, Dir. by Adam Hall)Best DirectorThe Gin Lady (10mins, Dir. by Simon Cook)Best Actress (Marian Kemmer), Best Short Film (Audience Award)Everythought (7mins, Dir. by Asif Bux)Best Student Film (Audience Award)Hunger (3mins, Dir. by Daniel Chisholm) Taken Away (The Particles) (4mins, Dir. by Fred Khoshtinat) The Rise of the Appliances (10mins, Dir. by Rob Sprackling) Mother's Milk (95mins, Dir. by Gerald Fox) Down the Dark Road (95mins, Dir. by Craig T. James & Jared Morgan) Stag Night of the Dead (81mins, Dir. by Neil Jones)Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Sebastian Street)Should Have Gone Bowling (Unproduced screenplay by Glen Fulthorpe)Best New Screenplay
2012 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2012 Film Nominees (21 Films)Award WinnersDawid and Dominick (7mins, Dir. by Andrew Salamonczyk) Hath No Man (15mins, Dir. by Linus Koh) Orpheus (7mins, Dir. by James Button)Best Cinematography for Student FilmThree Small Words (7mins, Dir. by Tyson Breuer) For the Fallen (10mins, Dir. by Matthew Evans) Callum (14mins, Dir. by Michael Van Der Put)Best Student Short Film, Best Director for Student FilmThe Hatch (14mins, Dir. by Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman) Busker Bolt (9mins, Dir. by Richard Pask) Klein (7mins, Dir. by Sanne Vogel) Kiss (12mins, Dir. by Mat Johns)Best Director for Short FilmPunched (11mins, Dir. by Michael Rittmannsberger)Best Short Film, Best Cinematography for Short FilmThe Anniversary (4mins, Dir. by Anthony Sutcliffe)Welsh Dragon AwardMake it a Great Day (7mins, Dir. by Joshua Jones) Baseball in the Time of Cholera (27mins, Dir. by David Darg) VEM (4mins, Dir. by Martin Sjolander) The Extraordinary Life of Rocky (14mins, Dir. by Kevin Meul) Special Delivery (5mins, Dir. by Nick Flugge) Jackals (87mins, Dir. by Simon Lewis) Hated (91mins, Dir. by Lee Madsen)Best Actress (Genevieve Padalecki)The Sky in Bloom (96mins, Dir. by Tor Mian)Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actor (Sean Knopp)Before Dawn (90mins, Dir. by Dominic Brunt) Dig Deeper (Unproduced screenplay by Rick Limontani)Best New Screenplay
2013 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2013 Film Nominees (25 Films)Award WinnersThe Better Man (71mins, Dir. by Josh Bennett & Matthew Tindall)Welsh Dragon AwardGay Goth Scene (5mins, Dir. by Kai Stanicke) Traces (4mins, Dir. by Anthony Sutcliffe) Clymau (3mins, Dir. by Richard Pask) Time 2 Split (13mins, Dir. by Steven Owen) Imagine (30mins, Dir. by Jonathan Green & Jahanara Saleh)Best Short FilmClouds (12mins, Dir. by Gilbert James) Dear Someone (4mins, Dir. by Tetsuo Kamata) Eat (8mins, Dir. by Moritz Kramer) The Undream (18mins, Dir. by Alexander Thomas) Bridges (16mins, Dir. by Aidan Shipley) The German Who Came to Tea (8mins, Dir. by Kerry Kolbe) Easy Reader (3mins, Dir. by Lewis Rose) Momentum (7mins, Dir. by Boris Seewald) Passing of the Bridle (15mins, Dir. by Lewis Barker) The Sculptor (8mins, Dir. by Arush Tagotra) No Comment (4mins, Dir. by Alexandra Naoum) Ballet Story (9mins, Dir. by Daria Belova) Lief Lost a Book (10mins, Dir. by Craig Henderson) Kerozene (27mins, Dir. by Joachim Weissmann) Buck (15mins, Dir. by Richard Davis) The Black Scholes Conspiracy (21mins, Dir. by Tim Bassford) Cold Star (7mins, Dir. by Kai Stanicke) Chapman (104mins, Dir. by Justin Owensby)Best Feature Film, Best CinematographyRufus (109mins, Dir. by Dave Schultz)Best Director, Best MusicAndy (Unproduced screenplay by Phil Escott)Best New Screenplay
2014 International Film Festival of Wales Official Selection and Award winners 2014 Film Nominees (11 Films)Award WinnersThe Raven on the Jetty (90mins, Dir. by Erik Knusden) Weekend Retreat (66mins, Dir. by Brett Harvey)Best DirectorHelium (90mins, Dir. by Eche Janga)Best Feature Film, Best CinematographyDog Judo (2mins, Dir. by Andrew Kelleher) Double Occupancy (8mins, Dir. by Fabian Giessler)Best MusicHappy Tears (5mins, Dir. by Martin Monk) NobblyCarrot7 (13mins, Dir. by Josh Allot) Penelope (7mins, Dir. by Dan Susman) The Bullet Catch (15mins, Dir. by Catherine Attwood)Best Short Film, Welsh Dragon AwardThe Ramona Flowers Tokyo (7mins, Dir. by Bouha Kazmi) Tuesday (6mins, Dir. by Oscar Lalo) The Yellow Dragon and The Red Fox (Unproduced screenplay by Anthony Etherington)Best New Screenplay
2015 Newport International Film Festival Official Selection and Award winners 2015 Film Nominees (12 Films)Award WinnersThe Man with Four Legs (86mins, Dir. by Ed Christmas)Best Sound, Best MusicLeave to Remain (89mins, Dir. by Bruce Goodison) Solitary (90mins, Dir. by Sasha Krane)Best Feature FilmBurnt (13mins, Dir. by Robert Vassie) Ponty Party (23mins, Dir. by Nathaniel Collins)Best Short FilmPassing Orion (8mins, Dir. by Sean Thonson)Best CinematographyVirtuoso (13mins, Dir. by Steven Owen)Welsh Dragon AwardTiny Bible (15mins, Dir. by Zu Quirke) In Closure (12mins, Dir. by Lewis Williams & Luke Williams) Thundercluck: Chicken of Thor (3mins, Dir. by Paul Tillery) Mother's Heart (12mins, Dir. by Diego Barrio) Job (10mins, Dir. by Alex Horsfall) Have A Great Day (Unproduced screenplay written by Nic Penrake)Best New Screenplay
2016 International Film Festival of Wales Official Selection and Award winners