ActOne Cinema Opens Ealing Film Festival
17 locally made short features celebrate homegrown filmmaking
The opening-night programme has been dubbed as Homegrown
October 15, 2026
ActOne Cinema in Acton is hosting the opening night of Ealing Film Festival on Thursday (15 October), with 17 short films celebrating filmmaking talent from Ealing and neighbouring boroughs.
The screenings at the independent cinema, based at the Old Library on Acton High Street, will launch the four-day festival, which continues at Ealing Picturehouse until Sunday (18 October).
The opening-night programme, known as Homegrown, will feature two simultaneous screenings before the presentation of the Homegrown Award and an interview with the winning filmmaker.
The festival has also had a recent connection with Prince William's visit to ActOne Cinema. Three filmmakers featured in this year's Homegrown programme had the opportunity to meet him during the visit, when the Ealing Film Festival trailer was shown.
Now in its seventh year, the festival aims to give independent filmmakers a platform to show their work to audiences and build connections with professionals in the film and television industries.
This year's event attracted 313 entries from 20 countries, according to festival director and co-founder Annemarie Flanagan. She said the overall quality of submissions had improved significantly on previous years, making the selection process particularly challenging.
The festival was founded in 2020 by Annemarie, Alan Granley and the late Peter Gould. It has since developed from an online event into a four-day programme of screenings, discussions, networking and awards across two West London cinemas.
ActOne Cinema
After Thursday's opening at ActOne, the programme moves to Ealing Picturehouse on Friday for a Film Schools Showcase, short-film screenings and a panel discussion on influencing audiences and promoting films.
Saturday's events include four blocks of films and a Women in Film and Television panel featuring Katie Bailiff and Susan Simnett, hosted by television presenter and writer Sharon Marshall.
Television writer and producer Charlie Brooker will join a special question-and-answer session on Saturday evening, hosted by Andrew Sumner, before the festival's awards ceremony.
The programme concludes on Sunday with screenings of the winning films and a masterclass by Emmy Award-winning natural history and underwater director of photography Michael Pitts, known for his work with Sir David Attenborough.
The festival has introduced two new awards for 2026: Short Cuts, for films of approximately three minutes or less, and Best British Film, recognising work reflecting the diversity and character of modern Britain.
Awards will also cover comedy, narrative drama, documentary, horror and suspense, science fiction and fantasy, animation, Green Planet, student film, experimental and Homegrown. The overall winner will receive the Ealing Film Festival Grand Prix.
The festival's directors say the event celebrates Ealing's historic contribution to British cinema while providing opportunities for emerging filmmakers to develop their careers. Its industry partners include Ealing Studios, Twickenham Film Studios, Marlow Studios and The Farm Post.
Tickets for the festival and further details of the programme are available at ealingfilmfestival.com.
An online showcase will follow from 18 October to 21 November, giving audiences a chance to watch selected films and vote for the People's Choice Award.
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