Big releases in the indie space | Screams By The Sea submissions open

Screams By The Sea had over a 1,000 attendees shivered their timbers and stretched their minds across nine different screenings along with two days of fringe events and film industry activities. And now the festival is once again looking for the next big cinema releases in the indie space.

Join 1,662 other subscribers.

SCREAMS BY THE SEA - HIGHLIGHT REEL 2026

Watch this video on YouTube

Screams By The Sea invites filmmakers to submit their shorts, and features for consideration for the program in 2027. The team behind the festival want to bring the next big stories to Bournemouth.

Past feature film selections in the festival include: The Turkish Coffee Table, Scarlet Blue, Strange Darling, Time Travel is Dangerous, Loner, and The Other People.

…the place where people premiere their films

“We continue to expand the festival’s benefits for independent filmmakers,” festival director Radi Nikolov told D&CFilm. “From organizing press, reviews and social content, and real life networking opportunities, we want Screams By The Sea to be the place where people premiere their films.”

New films

The programming team for next year’s edition of the festival is already attracting new films for consideration. The team is on the look out for horror, sci-fi, grim dark fantasy, and gnarly thrillers both in feature and short form.

The festival organizers are inviting boutique distributors from around the world to consider Screams By The Sea for the release of their indie titles

The festival is once again organising a feature screenplay competition where four writers from around the world will be invited to pitch their films and one will take home the award Best Screenplay.

Boutique distributors

The festival organizers are inviting boutique distributors from around the world to consider Screams By The Sea for the release of their indie titles. The festival is looking to attract more Asian and European cinema to the region.

Showcase

Successful writers and filmmakers will become a part of Screams By The Sea 2027 and their film will be showcased over a packed weekend with international screenings, media coverage, and amazing events. All successful filmmakers and writers will benefit from dedicated marketing, media lounge appearances, and a chance to participate in industry panel discussions.