Welcome to new-look Rocks World!

We’ve come a long, long way together, as the Fatboy Slim anthem goes. Brighton Rocks launched almost a decade ago, and as we approach our tenth year, we’ve taken time to reflect on the journey so far. To mark this milestone, we’ve refreshed the festival, expanded our team and given our website a brand-new look.

This moment feels like the perfect juncture to look back over the past nine years. During that time, we’ve worked hard to build a film festival that proudly does things a little bit differently. In our quirky Rocks world, the underdog comes out on top, the boy gets the boy, the girl gets the girl, and non-league footballers outrank the Premier League. It’s a universe where there is no such thing as “normal” – where the very idea is taboo – and where, as long as what you create is true to yourself – it rocks.

The city of Brighton has been a home for those who wish to live their freest and best lives, and as a unique hub for creatives from all walks of life. These values sit at the very heart of Brighton Rocks — from our youth filmmaking programmes and micro-budget productions to our outstanding drama, vibrant LGBTQIA+ and Women Rock showcases. The festival has a particular passion for films that challenge the boundaries of cinema. In an industry where marginal voices are too often swept aside in favour of big budgets and polished productions, we embrace bold, passionate storytellers engaging with serious issues and experimental narratives.

While we rightly celebrate our achievements, we sadly cannot ignore the signs that the national and global climate seems to be shifting in ways that are sometimes hostile to our ideals and values. In times like these, film has an unrivalled power: to bring people together, to foster understanding and to promote tolerance. Brighton Rocks Film Festival exists for this reason and to champion some of the most diverse, original, and boundary-pushing films being made today. I know that for myself, and the incredibly dedicated team of programmers and supporters that make Brighton Rocks possible, this mission has never been so important.