The BAFTA-Cymru Qualifying FOCUS Wales Film Festival returns 7-9 May 2026, featuring a packed programme of new Welsh and International film screenings and industry events.
2026 TICKETS & PASSES
Full Festival Passes, offering access to all FOCUS Wales events across film, music and the conference are available here.
2026 DELEGATES
See which organisations are attending FOCUS Wales 2026. Our full list of delegates is here.
2026 PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 7TH MAY
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Grove Park Theatre, Hill St, Wrexham, LL11 1SN
BAFTA CYMRU-QUALIFYING SHORT FILM COMPETITION
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: DRAMA 1
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: COMEDY 1
12:00 PM – 01:00 PM: ANIMATION 1
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM: THRILLER
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM: TALENT TALK: We Made a £70,000 Welsh Short with Film4: “Flock”
Hear directly from the team behind “Flock,” created as part of Film 4’s Future Takes Fund. This event includes a special screening of the film which recently premiered at the BFI London Film Festival.
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM: DOCUMENTARY 1
04:00 PM – 05:00 PM: DRAMA 2
05:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Odeon Cinema, Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, Wrexham
BAFTA CYMRU-QUALIFYING FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
05:00 PM – 06:00 PM: Opening Reception, red carpet and welcome drinks.
06:00 PM – 08:30 PM: Madfabulous + Q&A
Henry Paget, 5th Marquess of Angelsey, squanders his inheritance in this spirited and vibrant cinematic romp.
Directed by Celyn Jones. Starring Callum Scott Howells, Ruby Stokes and Rupert Everett. Guidance 15+. 1 hour 48 minutes.
Single tickets available for this screening here. Seat reservations for FOCUS Wales pass holders will open closer to the event.
08:30 PM – 10:40 PM: Aisha Can’t Fly Away
This deeply engaging, cinematic portrait of a carer struggling to balance the demands of her life in Cairo premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by Morad Mostafa. Starring Buliana Simon, Ziad Zaza, Mamdouh Saleh, Maya Mohamed. Guidance 15+. 2 hours 11 minutes.
Single tickets available for this screening here. Seat reservations for FOCUS Wales pass holders will open closer to the event.
0:00 PM – 00:00 PM: AFTERPARTY
Open to Film Delegate Pass holders and feature film attendees.
00:00 PM – 02:00 AM: The Music Festival continues at various venues nearby.
FRIDAY 8TH MAY
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Grove Park Theatre, Hill St, Wrexham, LL11 1SN
BAFTA CYMRU-QUALIFYING SHORT FILM COMPETITION
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: COMEDY 2
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: DRAMA 2
12:00 PM – 01:00 PM: OPEN CATEGORY
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM: DOCUMENTARY 2
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM: TALENT TALK: We Made Docs with Doc Society and The Uncertain Kingdom.
Hear directly from the team behind ‘Our Life,’ funded through the Uncertain Kingdom and ‘Tŷ Unnos,’ funded through BFI Doc Society. Filmmakers will share their experience and process of working with the funders and their teams to create the films.
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM: EXPERIMENTAL
04:00 PM – 05:00 PM: MUSIC VIDEOS
05:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Odeon Cinema, Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, Wrexham
BAFTA CYMRU-QUALIFYING FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
05:00 PM – 06:00 PM: Opening Reception, red carpet and welcome drinks.
06:00 PM – 08:30 PM: Effi o Blaenau + Q&A
A vibrant, coming of age story set in Blaenau Ffestiniog. The trajectory of Effi’s life changes when she encounters former soldier Lee on a night out in a Llandudno nightclub.
Directed by Marc Evans. Starring Leisa Gwenllian, Tom Rhys Harries, Owen Alun and Nel Rhys Lewis.
Single tickets available for this screening here. Seat reservations for FOCUS Wales pass holders will open closer to the event.
08:30 PM – 09:30 PM: AWARDS CEREMONY
Join us for the awards ceremony. Prizes will be awarded to our feature filmmakers and short filmmakers across all our main categories by the in-person jury and film festival host, Robert Corcoran.
Single tickets available for this ceremony here. Seat reservations for FOCUS Wales pass holders will open closer to the event.
10:00 PM – 00:00 AM: AFTERPARTY
Open to film delegate pass holders and feature film programme attendees.
00:00 AM – 02:00 AM: The Music Festival continues at various venues nearby.
SATURDAY 9TH MAY
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: AWENYDD 1
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM: AWENYDD 2
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM: BREAK
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM: TALENT TALK: We Made a Wrexham Short Film with Welsh TV Legends.
Hear directly from the team behind ‘Box of Frogs’ about creating their new short film in Wrexham, starring Matthew Horne, Mark Lewis Jones. This event will include a special screening of the film, plus a Q&A with director Ian Puleston-Davies and producers Dean Fagan and Ruby Snape.
03:00 PM – 05:00 PM: AWENYDD 3
05:00 PM – 06:00 PM: AWENYDD AWARDS CEREMONY
Join us for the AWENYDD awards ceremony, with prizes awarded across a number of categories by festival host Robert Corcoran.
06:30 PM – 02:00 AM: The Music Festival continues at various venues nearby.