EXPERIENCE | CONNECT
Sussex International Film Festival (SIFF) is a three-day film festival in Sussex, held in November, hosted by the iconic Hailsham Pavilion Theatre & Cinema, a Grade II listed Art Deco cinema.
Each day of the festival has its own theme. The festival highlight is the Awards Ceremony of the 2024 Competition, judged by our panel and headed by Oscar winning film editor
Chris Dickens. ('Slumdog Millionaire', 'Mary, Queen of Scots', 'Les Miserables', 'Hot Fuzz') and Music Producer and Composer Simon Woodgate ('Gangs of London', 'Postman Pat', 'Gangsters, Guns and Zombies'. Entries are global, and this year there are five categories:
- Best International Short
- Best Animation
- Best UK Short
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Student Short
Two prizes of £500 will be awarded to the winner of Best Short and Best Animation.
SIFF is a celebration of Sussex's film culture and talent, a nurturing of future talent across the UK and the globe, and a great opportunity for filmmakers to connect and showcase their work.
We welcome everyone to join us and be a part of this exciting event.
November 14th-16th 2024
Sussex is fast becoming an amazingly popular place for locations for film and television productions and the creative industries here are growing rapidly. Production companies, television and film service companies are connecting with other industries to create word class entertainment.
Our film making community
The UK creative industries are rebuilding after Covid, and heading into an exciting era, and we want to do as much as we can to help rising talent from Sussex connect with creative and industrial professionals around the globe, to maximise their chances of success, increase their reach and help Sussex retain its position as a leading sector in the creative economy.
SIFF videos
Festival Programme 2024
GET YOUR TICKETS
Our three-day event is designed to kick start the conversation around how film can help individuals and businesses from Sussex, in any sector, start, engage, grow and expand by connecting to the creative and commercial film industry scene.
Come and celebrate the local and global talents in film with us!
DAY 1
November 14th 2024
Finalists
Local Showcase
The Connected
Mr Holmes
DAY 2
November 15th 2024
Day 3
November 16th 2024
School Visit
Nominees
SUSSEX FIlM AWARDS 2024
Zylo Film School
Premiere: Midnight Elves
Summerland
Hot Fuzz
Events
Our three-day programme of events for 2024, with links to the cinema to book tickets.
SPOTLIGHT ON SUSSEX
Those native to Sussex will be well aware of Hailsham's charms and attractions. For film makers coming from afar to attend the ceremony, the traditional market town of Hailsham will welcome you with open arms and warm hearts. There are plenty of brilliant places to eat and drink, whether you're looking for a quick bite or something more substantial.
Keep checking back here, as we will post nearer the time to give visitors a guide of how to get here, the best places to eat, drink and lay down your hat during your stay, whether it's for the day or the weekend.
Location, Location, Location
The Hailsham Pavilion Theatre is a Grade II listed, independent cinema and theatre. The interior is fully restored to feature beautiful décor associated with the ‘Golden Age’ of cinema and theatre entertainment. The cinema has 204 seats, and screens a full range of contemporary and classic films, including world class event cinema screenings from the National Theatre, The Royal Opera House and other iconic venues. It also plays host to a number of live entertainment acts, professional and amateur theatre groups and visiting societies.
Hailsham is an ancient market town to the north of Eastbourne, east of Lewes, and west of Hastings, with a long history of rope making and market trading. Below, we've placed links to local services you might find useful during your visit. As we are an independent facility, we like to recommend other independent businesses too!
