Brighton Event Review: New Genesis Film Festival
Date of event: 2pm-6pm, 25th September 2025
Location of event: Odeon Brighton, Kingswest, West St, Brighton BN1 2RE
Event’s Instagram: @films_newgenesis
Photography by Eden Forrester
On the 25th of September, New Genesis celebrated their second of their film festival at Odeon, Brighton. Raising a whopping £1000 with all proceeds going to MIND, a UK-based mental health charity, the festival was a roaring success. On arrival the volunteers on the door immediately welcomed guests with smiling faces and clear directions to the designated cinema screen. There was a selection of merchandise badges, and a raffle with prized tickets for Brighton Hove Museum, Komedia’s Down the Hatch, Komedia’s Comedy Club, and a range of cinema film posters. All of which were reasonably priced, with all proceeds going to MIND UK.
Programmes, designed by Bowie Revell and Benjamin Ross, were handed out with welcome messages, QR codes for more information on the team of managers of the festival, and the order of viewing for the short films; credits and trigger warnings included. Before the short films were screened Thomas Ross, the director of New Genesis, and Isaac McKenna, the senior producer, welcomed the audience and expressed their gratitude for the festival's growth since last year. Marketing and development manager, Benjamin Ross, then read out the winning numbers for the raffle and the prizes were handed out.
The lights then went down and the multitude of mixed media films played. It was wonderfully inspiring to watch so much Brighton-based talent on one screen. With credit to the festival’s sponsors at the end, BIMM University, BN1 Arts Centre, ODEON Brighton, and Bowie Revell, and a trailer for an upcoming short film, the festival's overall content was representative of this year’s theme, Inclusion, and a joy to watch.
The networking event hosted in the Font was busy and gave both the filmmakers attending and those who just came to the festival for fun the opportunity needed to talk about what they had watched and Brighton life in general. In my opinion the Font was a fantastic choice for this mixer because the films from the festival played on the televisions and projector around the bar. Everyone seemed to have a lovely time and the general consensus from the attendees I spoke to was that New Genesis does exactly what Brighton needs - an opportunity for filmmakers, of any experience level, to get together and build new bridges.
Photography by Bowie Revell
We also heard about the exciting growth and next steps for New Genesis as a charity.
Firstly, the development of their ‘graduate scheme’. Throughout 2025 New Genesis produced a short film called Three Taps, with the trailer played at the end of the screenings. Three Taps is a dissertation film that Caitlin James Pocock approached New Genesis with the hopes of rewriting and reshooting; “an exploration about self discovery, through the lens of a queer, neurodivergent woman (Cassie, played by Caitlin), and her partner (Robyn, played by Maddie Grey)”.
The aim of this graduate scheme is that New Genesis, as a production company, can help source the resources for these filmmakers from previous year’s film festivals. Likewise New Genesis can redirect to a scheme they were proud to promote; the BN1 Arts Centre Graduate Development Program, which is an opportunity for graduates to submit proposals for a project to receive help creating their next work.
Secondly, New Genesis announced their early plans for a second festival to support film work during Brighton Fringe. While they could not confirm any more details about this yet, there’ll be more information will be available in the new year.
I cannot speak for everyone but I know I definitely went home inspired by the films that I watched and with a couple new contacts who I am eager to potentially work with in the future. All thanks to New Genesis film festival!
Written by Hazel Earthy