Romford Film Festival

The Romford Film Festival is an independent film festival founded in 2017 by festival director Spencer Hawken. The festival takes place annually in Romford, United Kingdom and is hosted at Premiere Cinemas inside The Mercury Mall.

The festival celebrates the showcasing of the best independent British and International films. The festival provides a platform for established and emerging filmmakers in showcasing their work, discover new talent, and network with industry professionals. The festival also gives opportunities for audiences to engage with filmmakers through live Q&A's. The festival includes screenings from first-time filmmakers to some of the most established names on the independent film circuit with features, short films, music videos, documentary films and Animation. The festival recognises the achievements of filmmakers through awards in multiple categories.

The festival has attracted a growing audience of filmmakers and industry professionals over the years including Joan Collins, Caroline Munro, Pauline Peart, Larry Lamb and Marc Bannerman.

History
In 2020, the 4th festival was held from 13 to 18 August 2020 and was the first physical festival in the UK post COVID-19 outbreak.

In 2021, the Romford Film Festival team was invited to attend Tashkent Film Festival where they were the first UK film delegation to attend.

In 2022, the 6th festival was held from 19 to 25 May 2022 hosting over 180 films. The festival screened Becontree 100 years a film about the first ever council estate in the UK.

In 2023, the 7th festival was held from 24 to 30 May 2023 and hosted 160 films. The opening night at the festival featured the screening of Warner Brothers adventure movie, "Jim Button and the Wild 13" a sequel to original book Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver from the creators of The NeverEnding Story. Other notable films included the clacton-made revenge thriller "Morris Men," the UK premiere of the compelling drama "Out and About," and a trio of important and diverse films by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Kenich Ugana. Caroline Munro known for the bond girl Naomi in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me. Holby City's Sarah-Jane Potts and Hammer horror star Pauline Peart attend the festival.

In 2024, the 8th festival took place between 24–28 May 2024.

Awards
The Romford Film Festival recognises the achievements of filmmakers in the following awards.


 * Best Feature Film
 * Best British Film
 * Best Documentary Film
 * Best Short Film
 * Best Foreign Language Film
 * Best Local Film (Previously Best Havering Film)
 * Best Animation
 * Best No or Low Budget Film
 * Best Director
 * Best Screenplay
 * Best Actor
 * Best Actress
 * Best Supporting Actor
 * Best Supporting Actress
 * Best Cinematography
 * Best Editing
 * Best Score
 * Lifetime Achievement
 * The Jury Prize
 * Commendations
 * Audience Choice