MetFilm School at Brighton Rocks International Film Festival 2026

Everyone at our Brighton campus was delighted to see another outstanding year of student and graduate work at the Brighton Rocks International Festival.

The 9th edition of the Brighton Rocks International Film Festival (BRIFF) took place from 15–21 June 2026, once again putting Brighton at the centre of independent filmmaking. With more than 200 films screened across the week, the festival continues to establish itself as a key platform for emerging filmmakers and independent cinema.

The festival took place across Daltons, Dukes at Komedia, and The Actors, and featured iconic British actress and musician Toyah Willcox as its official Guest of Honour. This year’s programme included a strong selection of MetFilm School work and collaborative projects that reflected a wide range of ideas and approaches.

Student and graduate work at BRIFF 2026

The Made in Brighton showcase featured a strong selection of work from BA Filmmaking graduates alongside other emerging talent. Erased, directed by Anastasiia Nemesh, screened as part of the programme, alongside Gianni Battaglia’s Breakdown. MA Screen & Film Production graduates Rodrigo Malnati and Daniel Boorof also showcased their work, with Malnati presenting the animated short Overdue and Boorof screening Delete.

The programme continued with a strong line-up of student films, with several receiving awards and recognition during the festival. Spike McGuire’s Honk (2025 graduate film) screened alongside Tiny, which received the Young Ace Filmmaker Award 2026, awarded to Alouette Hill, and presented by Toyah Willcox.

We spoke to MA Screen & Film Production graduate, Alouette Hill, about her experience of this year’s festival and what it meant to win the Young Ace Filmmaker Award 2026.

“Brighton Rocks was a beautiful experience for me, my crew, and friends to share our true passion for filmmaking. Being able to screen our film and share it with a new audience was so lovely, and having the space to talk to other filmmakers and celebrate afterwards was epic.

It felt like being truly at home. Like the quote says: “I don’t have a favourite place, just my favourite people!” though Brighton is also my favourite place, and I am so happy to have been a part of this festival.

It is events like this where I feel most like myself, can truly thrive, and look forward to seeing people’s finished works. I love making new connections and showing my appreciation of their work afterwards if I have the chance to meet them. After all the hard work that goes into creating, we get to share on the big screen, which may be the goal, or one of them at least.”

A number of Level 5 student films were also included in the programme. The Adventures of Bo Tanker received the Outstanding Achievement Award 2026, with Red named runner-up in the same category. Other Level 5 films included Magazine Dreams and Worm God, contributing to a varied selection of storytelling styles and genres.

Best Feature Film went to Luna, produced by MetFilm School graduate James Brown, set on the last day on Earth in Brighton before the moon crashes into the city, and recognised for achieving a high level of cinematic production on an almost zero-budget scale.

Additional graduate work included Drained and Divine Hunger (both 2026 graduate films), rounding out a programme that showcased a strong mix of emerging voices and production approaches.

A great week for independent film

Brighton Rocks International Film Festival once again delivered a varied programme that highlighted the strength and diversity of independent filmmaking.

We spoke to Festival Director and MetFilm School Senior Lecturer, Dr James Rowlins, about how this years festival went, and any stand-out moments: 

“Brighton Rocks 2026 has concluded and I couldn’t be happier with how it went. We screened 200 films to more than 2,000 attendees, many of whom praised the festival’s curation and its spirited, energetic atmosphere.

It was fantastic to see MetFilm School students flourishing and more than holding their own in an ever more competitive student category. We also saw recent graduates screening their work alongside other Brighton-based filmmakers, showing that their passion for filmmaking has only continued to grow and that they’re in it for the long haul.

Choosing a favourite moment is tough. Seeing students engage and share ideas with the ‘kinofuturist’ Axiom24 panel, which champions collaborative, circular filmmaking practices over traditional top-down hierarchies, was incredibly rewarding. 

But the standout moment had to be watching our students and graduates receive awards from former punk queen and national treasure Toyah Willcox – it felt like our own moment of cinematic-meets-rock ‘n’ roll magic.”

Festivals like BRIFF continue to highlight Brighton as a vibrant city for emerging filmmakers to study, create, and showcase their work. We’re proud of the MetFilm School community and the incredible work being made by our students and graduates.

Interested in a film career? 

Check out our courses or join us for an Open Day to take your next step.