A NEW event is hoping to shine a light on some of North Cornwall’s up and coming cinema stars.

In 2026, Bude Shorts Film Festival is set to make its debut, placing a spotlight on some of the region’s best filmmakers and highlighting the cinematic qualities of the area.

The event comes as part of a swathe of events planned for Bude Literary Festival 2026, which each year welcomes the masses to the coastal town to enjoy a variety of literature-based performances and talks.

Martin Dorey, one of the film festival’s founders, has said that the idea was born from a hope of showcasing local talent.

Speaking to the Post, he said: “The idea is to showcase locally made films and filmmakers, under the theme of Bude's Outdoors.

“The idea came about because we wanted to show 'Finding San Nicolas' again, a film I made with John Cutts in 2025 about a trip they made in 1970 to The Canaries. It was shown to two packed out audiences at last year's Bude Lit Fest and has since been to 15 cinemas around the UK as part of Wavelength Magazine's UK Surf FIlm Tour. It is also due to be shown in Bilbao on March 21, as part of the Bilbao Surf FIlm Festival.

“So, instead of just putting it on again we though it would be good to show a bunch of Bude-based films, showcase local filmmaking talent and raise some money for local charities and to make part two of Finding San Nicolas.”

The festival is planned for May 21, at The Parkhouse Centre in Bude.

Martin added: “There is some terrific talent in Bude and it's great to be able to curate an evening that should be varied and interesting showcasing Bude's greatest asset - the outdoors.”

Submissions, open until April 20, can be made to: [email protected]