Support Sunrise To 'Rise' Again
Help support Sunrise in continuing to champion diverse stories, empowering new voices in film, and expanding access to cinema in Suffolk.
Sunrise Film Festival began in 2021 with a simple belief that a coastal town like Lowestoft deserves access to inspiring cinema, creative opportunities, and a platform for new voices. For 5 years, the festival had been operating as an unincorporated social enterprise part of a regional charity.
In February 2026, the regional charity went into administration, and to secure the future of our annual festival and year-round activity, we worked hard to provide and want to further expand in Lowestoft and across East Anglia. We’ve been working hard to establish an independent non-profit Community Interest Company (Sunrise Film Festival CIC).
This is an extremely exciting opportunity for the future of our festival, but it also brings challenges in our early stages. Although we’re 5 years in, we are also reestablishing ourselves to ‘rise’ once again.
We know launching a public fundraising campaign at a time when funding is becoming increasingly limited for organisations in the third sector, and in our current economic climate, everyone is being mindful of what they spend.
We’re launching our fundraising campaign, Support Sunrise To ‘Rise’ Again, so we can still be here talking about the amazing work we’re doing in our community and other underserved communities in East Anglia in 25 years’ time.
What began as a grassroots idea has grown into Suffolk’s largest film festival, celebrating diverse stories and underrepresented filmmakers not just from our region but also from across the UK and internationally, and this has led to UK-wide and international attendance at our annual festivals.
To support our work and this year’s festival, which is being brought forward as a newly established organisation, we need your support to demonstrate that our work is valued and to show other funders in good faith that we have funds to support our new direction.
For our most recent edition, which is set to take place from 20-23 August 2026, we received over 1,100 film submissions from across the UK and internationally, demonstrating just how Sunrise has become a trusted platform for emerging talent.
Our audiences consistently tell us that Sunrise makes a difference in their lives:
- 84% of attendees reported a positive impact on their wellbeing
- 88% felt more connected to arts and culture in their local area
- 91% said they would recommend the festival to others
Our Community Behind Sunrise
Sunrise has always been powered by incredible people passionate about inclusive cinema and independent film.
The festival is supported by an incredible volunteer network who help review films, programme events and welcome audiences every year. Over the years, we have worked with more than 500 volunteer film reviewers and programmers, alongside festival stewards and community volunteers who help bring the event to life.
Our Vision
We believe everyone should have the chance to experience powerful cinema and creative opportunities, no matter their background or where they live.
Lowestoft is a town full of creativity and untold stories, yet opportunities to access film and creative industries can often still feel limited. Sunrise exists to change that.
Our vision is to continue building a festival that:
- Expands access to independent cinema in coastal communities
- Champions diverse stories and underrepresented filmmakers
- Inspires young people to explore careers in film and the creative industries
- Brings communities together through shared affordable cultural experiences
- Helps put Lowestoft on the map as a destination for independent film
We want Sunrise to remain a festival our town can be proud of, and one where everyone feels welcome.
Our impact on filmmakers & Audiences:
Isabella Campbell – “Absolutely loved attending Sunrise Film Festival, my team and I felt so grateful for the amount of effort put into the event, it has such a lovely team behind it who were always helpful and considerate to our questions. Brought together extremely talented creators with great networking opportunities. Still talking about this one now, cannot recommend enough! Thank you, Sunrise”
Local audience member – “This is so great for Lowestoft, and really good to have something like this in our town. Well done to everyone involved, it’s so good to also see so many young people involved. See you next, I’m spreading the word.”
How You Can Get Involved
There are many ways you can support Sunrise To ‘Rise’ Again, You can:
- Purchase an Early Bird Festival Pass – Click Here To Purchase A Festival Pass
- Make a regular donation (anonymous if you prefer)
- Choose one of our reward donations
- Sponsor the festival through your business – View Our Full Advertising & Sponsorship Deck Here
- Offer professional skills or volunteering, from accounting to admin support
If you’re interested in supporting us in other ways, you can reach out to us on board@sunrisefilmfestival.co.uk
Every act of support helps Sunrise continue its mission.
For any press or media enquiries, please contact comms@sunrisefilmfestival.co.uk
Share Our Campaign
Please share the word about what we’re doing and our Crowdfunder campaign below, or repost one of our social media posts.
We’re on TikTok @sunrisefilmfest, Instagram @SunriseFilmFest, and Facebook – Sunrise Film Festival – Lowestoft.
You can also download assets to share on social media here, with a suggested social media caption – Social Media Assets
Together, we can continue to empower more creative voices and expand inclusive cinema, which has had massive benefits for audience members’ wellbeing locally.
You can view our full fundraising campaign on Crowdunder below.
