A festival for contemporary filmmakers, producers, writers, performers and film industry pros to interact with the next wave of British talent, Picturehouse Create aims to unite the country's creative community.
The programme blends the art and craft of filmmaking with the business skills necessary to make it happen – and offers a launchpad for new voices with its annual short film competition.
Access to all Picturehouse Create events will be exclusively for passholders (no individual event tickets will be sold – except for the public screening of short films).
Passes are on sale now, at the Early Bird Price of £125. After 2 March, Pass prices will be £200.
The number of passes sold is capped to protect the intimate nature of the event - book early to avoid disappointment!
In 2025, Harris Dickinson presented a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love (2002), followed by an in-depth conversation about how that film has influenced his own work, including moving from acting in such acclaimed titles as Scrapper, Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl and directing his first feature, Urchin.
We were also joined by director James Griffiths and actors and co-writers Tim Key and Tom Basden for a preview screening of The Ballad of Wallis Island, and Scotland-born filmmaker John Maclean (Slow West) and cinematographer Robbie Ryan for a preview of Tornado.
Acclaimed costume designer Sandy Powell also joined us for a retrospective on Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine (1998) with a screening followed by an in-depth conversation about her career highlights, which also includes working on award-winning films such as Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Carol, The Favourite and Shakespeare in Love.
Other sessions that took place during the event included a short film competition screening; speed meetings with leading talent agents; 'boot camp' short, practical masterclasses on topics ranging from audience development to film finance to working with virtual reality; a panel examining producers' lessons learned; a talk on how to navigate careers that cross multiple sectors (theatre, film, TV and advertising); a live pitching panel with instant feedback from industry experts; and intimate networking brunches and lively happy hours.
A full list of last year's speakers and attendees can be found at picturehouses.com/createschedule.
Keep an eye out for 2026 programme announcements, coming very soon.
Celebrate the future of film with the Picturehouse Create Short Film Showcase, bringing the finalists for our short film competition together on the big screen.
Up to ten shortlisted films will screen in the festival showcase on its closing night, Saturday 18 April - on Picturehouse Central's famous Screen 1. After the showcase, we'll award two winners – the Jury Prize, and an Audience Award as voted for by you!
Submissions are now open, and close Monday 16 March. Submissions are free for Picturehouse Create passholders, and £25 for non-passholders.
Further details on the Picturehouse Create 2026 line-up will be unveiled soon. We can't wait to bring you a new line-up of screenings, panels, workshops, and chances to connect. As always, no experience is necessary.
