Official Selection: We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Come To It

This year’s third strand, We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Come To It, embraces the resilience of the everyday person and celebrates moments of pure bliss. These international shorts span animation, comedy, drama and family-friendly screenings. Ghanian-made Spirit, co-directed by Christine Boateng and Claudia Owusu, questions God, and Snow White, the story of a 40-year-old woman living in an isolated Croatian village.

Various times and locations

Film4: From Short Content to Features

Film4 is one of the great powerhouses of the British independent film landscape, having developed and co-financed dozens of critically acclaimed award-winners. These include Rocks, Last Night in Soho and the recently released masterpiece The Banshees of Inisherin. Production and development executive Amy O’Hara joins film director Glenn Kitson as they discuss the creative journey from shorts to features.

10:30-11:30 | Yorkshire Museum

The Possibilities of Narrative Through VR

The use of Virtual Reality in filmmaking continues to grow as technology develops and audiences’ appetites increase for multi-dimensional cine-perspectives. But how can VR be used in narratives? Join BBC’s Alia Sheikh, Sky VR’s Richard Nockles and UAL’s Ana-Despina Tudor for this illuminating look into the boundless possibilities of VR in narrative terms.

11:30-12:30 | York Explore

The World: One Story at a Time

This strand centres graduates from Regents University, London. Join us for these four new shorts – three from the UK, one from Singapore – as audiences are invited to consider how, despite the vastness of the world, our experiences so often mirror each other. In our modern world of TikTok and Instagram, this splendid showcase from four exciting new talents poses the question: what are we telling and why?

12:00-14:00 | City Screen

Networking: Idea Generation

Filmmaking is a collaborative artform, and this networking session is designed to emphasise how important group participation is during the creative process. You’ll look at how to create new and fresh content through idea sharing and storyboarding as a team. This is an opportunity to meet like-minded producers, directors, actors, writers and cinematographers, forge new partnerships and swap suggestions.

12:30-14:00 | York Theatre Royal Upper Foyer

East African Stories: My Town, My Life, My Lens

The Scottish Documentary Institute returns to Kenya to work with Docubox and cultivate documentary talent across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Sudan. Over twelve weeks, the six filmmakers are mentored as they develop, shoot and edit their films. Here is your chance to watch the resulting shorts, which tackle topics from the environment to the legacy of war through a decolonialising lens.

14.00-15.30 | National Centre for Early Music

Presenting Real Stories: Oscar-winning Documentaries

Simon Chinn is a two-time BAFTA and Oscar-winning documentary producer whose work includes some of the most impactful non-fiction films of the past decade. His credits are Searching For Sugar Man, Man on Wire, Whitney, and My Scientology Movie. Here, he joins critic Jason Solomons for an in-depth discussion of his career and the challenges of producing documentaries in the contemporary film landscape.

15:00-16:00 | Yorkshire Museum

Following Your Own Path: From Acting to Directing

Philip Barantini started as an actor on shows like Band of Brothers and films like Ned Kelly, opposite Heath Ledger. More recently, Barantini crossed over to work behind the camera, with his sensational BAFTA-nominated Boiling Point – a short film he expanded into a feature starring Stephen Graham, which was shot in just one take. In this session, he’ll talk about his transition from acting to directing, an essential masterclass for anyone considering the same path.

16:30-17:30 | Yorkshire Museum

Open your eyes to Cinema Cameras: A Practical Workshop With Canon

Canon welcome anyone looking to hone their cinematography knowledge and skills at this event. This is the perfect chance to look at the latest Canon Cinema EOS range. Participants will be set tasks in a group workshop designed to help you understand the myriad of possibilities available – from compact cameras to those built for recording cinema-quality images.

16:30-17:30 | York Theatre Royal Studio

Meet The Filmmakers Social

Come and meet fellow filmmakers from the Official Selection at Rose Within the Walls, a beautiful venue opposite one of York’s best-known historical landmarks: Clifford’s Tower. Enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic on arrival (on a first-come, first-served basis) and spend the evening creating new friendships and talking all things film with other guests.

20:00-21:00 | Rose Within The Walls