3 min readEncounters, Bristol’s International Film Festival returns this September with its most ambitious edition to date, marking a major step forward for the festival as it expands its programme, partnerships and headline events.
Leading this year’s programme is the UK premiere of Sirāt Live, presented by Encounters as part of Crack and MUBI’s ‘Underscore’ event series of music events inspired by film. World‑renowned musician, DJ and Sirāt composer Kangding Ray will perform a new immersive AV club experience - an “existential rave” at Bristol’s Prospect Building on Thursday 24th July- reimagining the score with special visuals and unseen material from Academy AwardⓇ‑nominated director Oliver Laxe. In addition to the performance, Oliver Laxe will take part in a special festival moment, with Kangding Ray also contributing to the wider programme. Festival passes and tickets for this event are now available. Sirāt Live is delivered as part of a new multi‑year partnership between the festival, MUBI and Crack.
Supported by the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) through Film Hub South West, Sirāt Live marks a first for Encounters as the festival continues to expand its slate of live events and cross‑disciplinary experiences.
Encounters Executive Director Dave Taylor-Matthews says: “Bristol has always done things differently. From Massive Attack to Banksy to Aardman, this city's creative culture is radical, progressive, and internationally significant. Encounters exists at the heart of that: a place where the screen industries here in Bristol and the wider South West meet the world, and where discovery and breakthrough drive everything we do. Presenting Sirāt Live as the headline event of our 31st edition, Oliver Laxe and Kangding Ray's extraordinary collision of cinema and sound system culture, feels like the festival coming home to what it's always been about.”
Now in its 31st year, Encounters’ expanded programme runs Wednesday 23 - Sunday 27 September, bringing talks, masterclasses and in‑conversation events with leading figures from film and the wider screen industries to venues across the city - including Watershed and the Prospect Building. The festival remains a recognised industry gathering point, the kind of place where careers are launched, projects find champions, and new voices break through.
Encounters shines a spotlight on the South West and Wales, bringing the screen industries together to celebrate local talent, breakthrough filmmakers and the stories being told on our doorstep. It’s a chance to connect, collaborate and share in the region’s creative momentum.
Animated Encounters returns for 2026 with a future‑gazing day of conversations, workshops and masterclasses celebrating all things animation. This year’s focus centres on story and writing, with a proud emphasis on the diversity and range of voices driving the art form forward.
The festival will explore the future of film - from vertical formats to new distribution models - and this strand brings the industry together to examine what’s changing and why. Expect headline masterclasses with BAFTA and Academy Award‑winning filmmakers, alongside fresh perspectives on how creators can make the most of these emerging opportunities.
Alongside the packed five days there will be networking opportunities and meet-ups for local and international filmmakers, producers and creatives to connect throughout the event. The festival remains a recognised industry gathering point, the kind of place where careers are launched, projects find champions, and new voices break through.
Encounters is supported by BFI Film Audience Network, University of Bristol, UWE Bristol, Eventive, MUBI, British Council and Aardman Animations. Partners include Crack Magazine, Simple Things, Invada, Noods Levels and more.
Tickets: https://bit.ly/sirat-live
Passes: https://www.encounters.film/buy-passes
(Event Tickets can be purchased separately. Festival Passes and Industry Passes include entry to this event, but the Discovery Pass doesn’t include access.)
