WOW FILM FESTIVAL
EVENTS 2025
Abercon 2025
Abercon is West Wales's very own inclusive anime convention. Enjoy beautiful animations on the big screen, brilliant drop-in workshops, fantastic stalls and of course, the COSPLAY competition!
This year's theme is "Masquerade" so put on your best costumes and join us for a day of community and celebration.
Date & Time:
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Sat 29/03, 10am-5pm
'Hakkı' + Director Q&A
Coming all the way from Turkey for the UK Premiere of his film Hakkı, Director Hikmet Kerem Özcan will join us for a live Q&A to talk about his film and work.
Speakers' Bio:
Hailing from Izmir, Turkey, Hikmet Kerem Ozcan began his cinematic journey at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Cinema-TV. There, under the tutelage of renowned figures in Turkish Cinema, he honed his skills and nurtured his passion for filmmaking. Inspired by a childhood tale from his village, Ozcan's debut feature, Hakkı, delves into the intricate balance between fortune and consequence, within which the director saw the potent exploration of how life's possibilities can swiftly transform fortunes, for better or for worse. Driven by a desire to unravel this profound theme, Ozcan crafted 'Hakkı' as a cinematic exploration of the delicate equilibrium between opportunity and peril.
Date & Time:
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wed 02/04, 7.45pm
'Ecosinema Day' at Yr Egin
On the second day of the festival at Yr Egin (25/03), we'll be hosting workshops as well as showing some amazing films, to note Ecosinema Day.
Here's an idea of how 'Ecosinema Day' will run:
10am Film: The Waste Commons - You will need to purchase a ticket for this film.
11am: Discussion - An opportunity to discuss what worries people about the river in Carmarthenshire.
11.30am Film: Rave on The Avon + Q&A session with the film's director Charlotte Sawyer.
1.30 - 2.30pm: Lunch and discussion.
* Please bring lunch with you, or there is a café on site.
2.30 – 4.00pm: 'Longing for a river' workshop run by Rebecca Kelly - WORK | rebecca-wyn-kelly
4:30pm Film: The Battle For Laikipia -You will need to purchase a ticket for this film.
'The Teacher' + Director Q&A
We are honoured to have the director of The Teacher Farah Nabulsi join us for an online Q&A after the screening of the film in Aberystwyth and Fishguard.
Speaker's Bio:
Farah Nabulsi is an Academy Award®-nominated and BAFTA®-winning Palestinian-British filmmaker. In 2016, she started working in the film industry as a writer & producer of fiction films. Her first short film, Today They Took My Son, was endorsed by British director Ken Loach and screened at the United Nations. The Present, her directorial debut, which she also co-wrote and produced, premiered at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2020 and won the coveted Audience Award for Best Film. It went on to win over 60 International Film Festival Jury and Audience Awards, a BAFTA® award, and it scored an Oscar® nomination. The Teacher, Farah’s directorial feature-length debut, had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It had its MENA Premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where it took home the Best Actor award and the main Jury Prize. Farah has been invited to serve as a jury member at numerous film festivals and as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Date & Time:
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 28/03, 6.15pm
Theatr Gwaun, Sat 29/03, 6.30pm
'All Shall Be Well' : In Conversation with Aberration Cymru
This screening is co-hosted by Aberration (LGBTQ+ arts and community events in Aberystwyth). After the film there will be a chance to chat about the themes that have come up.
All welcome!
Date & Time:
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Sat 29/03, 5pm
'Satu - Year of the Rabbit' + Director Q&A
We are delighted to welcome director Joshua Trigg to discuss with us his award-winning feature film Satu - Year Of The Rabbit, and to take any questions from the WOW audience.
Speaker's Bio:
Born in London in 1988 and raised in the mountains of South Wales, Joshua Trigg began making films at age 8, crafting war and western shorts with his friends. After studying film, he launched his production company while living in a Soho guitar store cupboard, honing his craft in London’s film district. Over the past decade, he’s worked across Asia with major clients like Singapore Airlines and The Rolling Stones. His BAFTA-Qualifying debut feature, Satu - Year of the Rabbit, marks a career milestone and has won several awards, including Best Original Dramatic Screenplay at the Houston International Film Festival.
Date & Time:
Pontio Arts & Innovation Centre, Sat 21/03, 7.15pm
Yr Egin, Mon 24/03, 7pm
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 04/04, 5.30pm
'Rave on For the Avon' + Director Q&A
Join us for a conversation with Rave On For The Avon director Charlotte Sawyer to learn more about how she made her 'joyous documentary about Bristol’s clean water campaigners' (The Guardian).
Speaker's Bio:
Charlotte Sawyer is an award-winning Documentary Filmmaker who captures cinematic stories that cross cultures and boundaries. With a First Class Degree in Law and Community Theatre, Charlotte combines community advocacy and facilitation skills with filmmaking to convey human-centred journeys. For the past fourteen years Charlotte has built trust with contributors in conflict zones and areas vulnerable to climate change, mostly notably Iraq, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
As a Director, Charlotte has created documentaries used for advocacy with Oxfam Iraq in 2019. Her music documentary Freedom to Remix capturing the spirit of Taiwanese independence in music was shortlisted for 2021 ARCH awards. Rave On For the Avon is her first feature-length documentary, and it won Wildscreen Festival 2024’s Sustainability Merit Award.
Date & Time:
Yr Egin, Tue 25/03, 11am
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Sun 30/03, 5pm
'The Walk' + Producer Q&A
The screening of The Walk in Aberystwyth and Carmarthen will be followed by a Q&A with the film's Welsh producer Harri Grace.
Speaker's Bio:
Award-winning producer Harri Grace works across documentaries and fiction, and specialises in telling complex stories from some of the most challenging environments in which Grain Media works. Recent credits include the feature documentary Convergence: Courage, In A Crisis for Netflix, as well as Lost and Found and Into the Fire.
Date & Time:
Yr Egin, Mon 24/03, 3pm
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thu 03/04, 5.30pm
'Made in Wales' Shorts: In Conversation With The Filmmakers
Come watch some of the very best 'Made in Wales' shorts from talented Welsh/Wales-based filmmakers and stay for a cosy conversation with them after the screening of their films.
Date & Time:
Yr Egin, Mon 24/03, 5pm
Theatr Gwaun, Sat 29/03, 4pm
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thu 03/04, 2.30pm
'The Waste Commons' + Round table Discussion
The screening of The Waste Commons will be will be introduced by Dr Armelle Blin-Rolland (Lecturer in Francophone Studies and lead of the project 'Greening Modern Languages'). After the screening, a post-film roundtable by Bangor University researchers in Modern Languages and Cultures will follow, as part of the module 'Languages and Ecologies'.
All welcome!
Speakers' Bios:
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Dr Silvia Bergamini is a Lecturer in Italian Studies, specialist in Southern Italian Studies and waste disposal cultures in Naples.
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Dr Armelle Blin-Rolland is a Lecturer in Francophone Studies and Lead of 'Greening Modern Languages', a collaborative project that rethinks the role of Modern Languages research and teaching in developing ecological citizenship.
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Professor Helena Miguélez-Carballeira is a Professor in Hispanic Studies and editor of Postcolonial Spain: Coloniality, Violence, Independence (University of Wales Press, 2024).
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Dr Sarah Pogoda is a Senior Lecturer in German Studies and specialist in socially engaged art in Wales.
Date & Time:
Pontio, March 21, 5.30pm