Sunrise Film Festival - Lowestoft | BIFA Qualifying Film Festival

UK’s largest Celebration of Diverse Stories and Underrepresented Filmmakers

Join us or submit into our 5th celebratory edition. The next BIFA Qualifying Sunrise Film Festival takes place from 20 to 23 August 2026 in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

For our 5th edition we’re accepting submissions for new categories, from Music Videos to Virtual Reality (VR) projects.

Days Until Our 5th Edition

Why Sunrise Film Festival?

As Suffolk’s biggest film festival, we’re passionate about creating an inclusive platform for filmmakers here in East Anglia.

Sunrise Film Festival is a film festival that makes film accessible and proudly showcases independent films to audiences across overlooked communities in the UK.

We’ve proudly been the bright colourful film festival since 2021 loved by filmmakers for the friendly grassroots feel. We’re a small team, but our festival pacts impact, showcasing film in one of the most deprived communities in England and we’ve awarded as well as showcased some impactful stories along the way.

Be part of an inclusive platform

Be part of our friendly festival, and benefit from getting discovered by our diverse engaged audience.

be awarded & celebrated

Be in with a chance of being awarded and championed, and if you're not a nominee your film may still be part of our official selection.

Find Inspiration

Be with like-minded filmmakers & cinema lovers, discover new opportunities in an inspiring comfortable coastal setting.

Gain Knowledge

Be surrounded by fellow film lovers, learn something new with talks and screenings of our official selection + so much more.

Submit to our 2026 Edition

Want to have the chance of having your films shown on the big screen as part of our 5th anniversary celebratory edition of the BIFA Qualifying Sunrise Film Festival in 2026?

What Past Filmmakers Say:

Sarah Beeby, Gardening

“This is a really lovely festival and definitely not one to miss. They paid a lot of attention to detail and made you feel very special as a film maker. Highly recommend.”

Louisa Connolly-Burnham, Sister Wives

“The team were lovely and made the whole process really easy and stress-free. Their communication was great, and it was clear they’re passionate about supporting filmmakers. You could tell the organisers put a lot of thought into curating the lineup. They really cares about filmmakers, and I highly recommend it. Can’t wait to submit again! Louisa Connolly-Burnham x”

Wale Adetula, Yam and Egg

“Absolutely enjoyed attending Sunrise. My first time in Lowestoft and it was brilliant. The team were warm and welcoming, I saw some really inspiring films. I will be going back :)”

Madeleine Wynn, Merman

“This was an amazingly well organised, fun film festival. The Sunrise Team take care of everyone really well. They are supportive and kind and communications are excellent. It is also the best value for money of any festival so far!”