wildscreen FESTIVAL 2026 FAQs

Wildscreen Festival 2026 will take place on 19th-22nd October 2026.

Official Selection Programme public screenings will mainly take place over the weekend of the 17-18th October.

The Wildscreen Panda Awards will take place on the evening of Thursday 22nd October. Tickets for this are sold seperately.

Wildscreen Festival 2026 will take place in Bath, UK and online. Some screenings, workshops and masterclasses will be hosted in Bristol, UK.

The main industry content spanning panels, talks and session content will take place Monday 19th to Wednesday 21st October at the Apex Hotel in Central Bath. Find out more about the Apex Hotel in Bath here.

During the day on Thursday 22nd October, workshops, masterclasses and 1-1 meetings will take place around Bristol and Bath at various locations.  

The Wildscreen Panda Awards Ceremony will take place at the Apex Hotel in Bath on the evening of Thursday 22nd October.  

Official Selection Film Screenings will take place in Bristol over the weekend of the 17th-18th October, with potentially a few additional screenings in Bristol and Bath on the evenings of the 19th-21st October.  Screening programmes will be announced in late August 2026, following the Official Selection Programme announcement.

Hybrid access means that more people than ever before can participate in our festival and make new connections.
Not only will we be welcoming delegates in person, but Wildscreen Festival 2026 will be accessible via livestream on a bespoke event platform during 19-22 October. All attendees will be able to re-watch sessions and view our films for 3 months after the festival on our online platform, meaning you can tailor your experience and enjoy the Festival for even longer!

During the regular ticket pricing period, a special concession rate will be available at a massive 50% discount from the full pass price.

You are eligible for this rate if you are:

• Under 25 years old
• Student in full-time education
• 65 years old or over / retired
• Unemployed
• Living with a disability
• Residents of DAC listed ODA recipient countries– a list can be found here.

Please be prepared to provide proof of eligibility if requested. Those that identify as living with a disability will not be required to provide proof. 

If you are unsure, please email the team at [email protected]

Each year Wildscreen has a small pot of bursary funding set aside to help participating filmmakers take part in our festival. In 2026 we are particularly keen to hear from those currently underrepresented within the wildlife film and TV industry and indigenous filmmakers, or those who may otherwise face barriers to inclusion at our events. We do also provide a range of ticket prices including concessions. Applications for bursaries will open in early May and close in June. If you would like to talk to us more about potential support we might be able to provide, then please contact us at [email protected].

Once purchased or booked, tickets cannot be refunded or returned unless the event / screening is cancelled or moved to another date. If your circumstances change, up to 30 days before the event, you can:

a. Transfer your pass to another person. An admin fee of £20 +VAT will apply.

b. Defer your pass to a future Wildscreen event. An admin fee of £20 +VAT will apply.

We regret that we cannot offer refunds or transfers on purchased tickets less than 30 days before the event, except in the case of Wildscreen cancelling the event.

For full terms and conditions, refer here.

Requests to transfer your ticket to an alternative person must be made in writing to [email protected] before the Festival begins. Such requests shall be approved or denied by Wildscreen in its sole discretion and a fee may be charged.

No, but delegates will be able to benefit from a 20% discount on rail passes with the GWR conference rate – details will be provided in Spring 2026.  

Everyone is welcome at Wildscreen Festival. Our team is striving to make sure our event is as accessible and inclusive as possible. 

The new venue offers strong accessibility with wheelchair access throughout. The entrance has ramp access and railings with automatic sensor doors and there is level flooring and guest elevators throughout with access for all abilities. Accessible changing and bathroom facilities are available. 

If you have any concerns about access to any of the venues, please do get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Please share any specific access requirements with us via the registration form.

Online Pass holders will be emailed access to the virtual Festival platform in advance of the Festival.

At Wildscreen we have two film competitions; our Panda Awards, and our Official Selection, each with their own separate Filmfreeway submission pages. 

Our Official Selection is intended as a global launch pad, in order to discover new, diverse voices, from all across the world, whilst our Panda Awards are the highest honour in wildlife film & TV, typically attracting bigger industry names, commanding bigger budgets.

Pre-selectors play a vital role in helping us decide which films, from the hundreds of entries, will play a part in Wildscreen 2026. We'll be opening up for applications to be one of our festival preselectors in early 2026, and will advertise the opportunity through our social media channels, and through our website.

Volunteers are an integral part of the Festival, and a great way to get involved in the Wildscreen community. We will have two ways to get involved in volunteering at the Festival - being part of out core 2026 Volunteer Pool and helping out at Wildscreen events throughout the year, or coming on board just for the Festival. Applications for the Wildscreen Volunteer Pool 2026 will open in January 2026. We will be advertising for Festival specific volunteering roles in August 2026. All applicants must be available for work from Sunday 18th to Friday 23rd October 2026.

Yes, Wildscreen is a reputable charity and advocates for good work, respect, and well-being in the industry and communities it serves, and naturally expects our people and those acting on behalf of or working with the Charity to always promote and maintain high professional and personal standards and behaviours.

Please see our event policies, including our code of conduct here.

We are expecting to sell out of full hybrid passes in 2026.

If we still have capacity, a very limited number of day tickets may go on sale in late Summer 2026.

The Wildscreen team works hard alongside our partners, sponsors and community to create events that are impactful, accessible and safe for all our delegates.

Unauthorised entry our events is not only unfair on delegates who have purchased passes it also compromises the health and safety of the event. Unauthorised access will also negatively impact future ticket costs and our ability to keep our events as accessible as possible.

Tickets cannot be resold or used by any other person. If we have reason to believe that tickets have been re-sold, or shared they will be invalidated, and the holder will be refused admission.

Wildscreen reserves the right to revoke passes due to any unauthorised use or breach of our Event Code of Conduct.

The Wildscreen team works hard alongside our partners, sponsors and community to create events that are impactful, accessible and safe for all our delegates.

Unauthorised entry our events is not only unfair on delegates who have purchased passes it also compromises the health and safety of the event. Unauthorised access will also negatively impact future ticket costs and our ability to keep our events as accessible as possible.

Any person seeking to gain or provide entry to a Wildscreen event without a valid ticket will be considered to be a trespasser and will be denied entry to or ejected from the venue and liable to legal action.

Tickets cannot be resold or used by any other person. If we have reason to believe that tickets have been re-sold, or shared they will be invalidated, and the holder will be refused admission.

Wildscreen reserves the right to revoke passes due to any unauthorised use or breach of our Event Code of Conduct.

You should be aware that you may be photographed or filmed at times throughout the event and the recordings may be distributed.
Registration includes important Delegate Updates which we will send you via email as well as subscription to our year-round e-news. Delegate updates contain vital information about accessing the Festival live in Bath and the virtual platform. Should you not wish to receive this information, or our year-round e-news, please click on unsubscribe at the bottom of the last email received. We will never share your email or personal details with anyone else without your consent.
Your contact details will be published on a delegate list which is distributed to all attendees of Wildscreen Festival 2026. We will always respect your privacy and any personal communication between you and ourselves.
If you can't find the answer on our FAQ, don’t hesitate to ask us.

The delegate list will be released in early September 2026. This will only be accessible to registered pass holders.

Yes, we have a suggestion form open for proposals.

Applications require the following information:

Session title: a snappy title to grab attention

Session synopsis: a punchy, 50 word synopsis that you would hope to read in a festival programme outlining the session.

Session Proposal: max. 500 word detailed proposal outlining the importance of the proposed topic, and the impact you hope it to have.

Suggested speakers: must have contacts or link to them all

Submit your idea here.