Five Years in Numbers: Why Filmmakers Trust Sunrise, a BIFA Qualifying UK Film Festival
What is the Sunrise Film Festival Archive?
The Festival Archive is a free, year-by-year record of every Sunrise Film Festival edition. For each year, it shows how many films were entered, how many we selected and how many were nominated and awarded. It also breaks down submissions and selections by format, genre, running time and where the filmmakers are from, alongside our F-Rating and diversity and inclusion figures.
Five editions, nearly five times the entries
In 2022 we received 241 submissions. In 2026 we received 1,136, from both the UK and around the world. Our 2026 programme screened 263 films from 34 countries across four days at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft.
- 2022: 241 submissions
- 2023: 288 submissions
- 2024: 462 submissions
- 2025: 681 submissions
- 2026: 1,136 submissions
Growth has not changed who we are. In 2026, 524 entries came from across the UK, 513 from overseas and 99 from Norfolk and Suffolk filmmakers. We programme for all three.
A real chance of selection
A festival you can trust gives your film a fair chance. In 2026 we selected 251 of 1,136 films, a selection rate of 22%. From those, 104 films were nominated in competition, and 26 won awards.
Films that are not nominated can still be part of our official selection and screened to a live audience.
A programme that reflects who makes films
Sunrise is the UK’s largest celebration of diverse stories and underrepresented filmmakers, and the archive shows it. Our 2026 programme was 68% F-Rated, up from 48% in 2022. Of our 251 selected films in 2026:
- 139 were directed by women (55%)
- 98 were made by filmmakers from a lower socioeconomic background (39%)
- 87 were made by LGBTQIA+ filmmakers (35%)
- 56 were made by disabled and/or neurodivergent filmmakers (22%)
- 52 were made by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic filmmakers (21%)
BIFA qualifying, Grierson qualifying and backed by the BFI
Sunrise is a BIFA qualifying film festival for British short films (Section B). That means award-winning British shorts at Sunrise can become eligible for the British Independent Film Awards. We are also a Grierson qualifying festival for documentaries.
We are a BFI Film Audience Network-backed festival, and Film Hub South East has recognised our work engaging low-income communities with a three-year grant agreement running to 2028. We are also one of FilmFreeway’s Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festivals, so you can read what past filmmakers say before you enter.
Affordable, low-cost entry
We keep fees low so cost is not the barrier to being seen. Every entry fee and ticket sale goes back into Sunrise Film Festival CIC, a not-for-profit community interest company, and into creative opportunities for young people locally.
Category | Entry fee |
|---|---|
Student short films | £7.50 |
East Anglian short films | £7.50 |
Micro shorts (up to 3 minutes) | £7.50 |
Music videos | £7.50 |
UK and international short films | £15 |
Animated short films | £15 |
Break The Stigma | £15 |
VR and immersive | £15 (students £7.50) |
Feature films | £30 (students £15) |
If fees are a barrier for you, get in touch. Fee waivers are available subject to eligibility.
Accessible cinema, for audiences and filmmakers
Sunrise began with a simple belief: a coastal town like Lowestoft deserves inspiring cinema. We keep the festival welcoming, affordable and inclusive. We ask for burned-in subtitles on selected films so every screening can be followed by as many people as possible.
Data shared openly, beyond our own festival
For our fifth edition, we worked with Festival Formula, sharing our submission and selection data so it could be compared with eight other film festivals around the world. Katie Bignell’s write-up, The Numbers Don’t Lie, Part 1: Submission Data, is a useful read for any filmmaker planning a festival strategy.
Submit to Sunrise Film Festival 2027
Our sixth edition runs 19 to 22 August 2027 at the Marina Theatre, Lowestoft, Suffolk. Submissions are open now on FilmFreeway and close on 29 November 2026.
Submit your film · Explore the Festival Archive
Frequently asked questions
Is Sunrise Film Festival BIFA qualifying? Yes. Sunrise is a BIFA qualifying festival for British short films (Section B), and a Grierson qualifying festival for documentaries.
How much does it cost to submit? Entry starts at £7.50 for student, East Anglian, micro and music video entries. UK and international shorts are £15 and features are £30. Fee waivers are available subject to eligibility.
How many films does Sunrise select? In 2026 we selected 251 of 1,136 submissions (22%), nominated 104 films and gave 26 awards.
Is Sunrise supported by the BFI? Yes. Sunrise is a BFI Film Audience Network-backed festival with a three-year grant agreement running to 2028.
When and where is the festival? Sunrise Film Festival 2027 runs 19 to 22 August at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
