Looking back on Two Short Nights Film Festival 2026
Published March 25, 2026
At the beginning of March, we hosted the 24th edition of Two Short Nights Film Festival! Film fans, aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals alike flocked to Exeter Phoenix for two days of screenings, awards ceremonies and creative networking! The festival also welcomed representatives from Screen Devon, BFI Network and Screen Cornwall.
This year boasted a record number of attendees, welcoming nearly 1000 admissions across the events! Over 70 films were shown over nine screenings, including the Exeter Phoenix Commissions Premiere, the 48 Hour Film Challenge Premiere, and a variety of shorts from around the globe. As part of the festival, we were also able to experience Libby Bove's wonderful installation, The Museum of Roadside Magic. Libby Bove was the winner of 2025’s Artists Moving Image Commission and her film ROADWYTCH, which builds on the lore of the Museum of Roadside Magic, screened at this year’s commission premiere.
Libby's Bove's installation The Museum of Roadside Magic
This year, Exeter Phoenix partnered with D&C Film to offer one Devon or Cornwall based filmmaker access funding and in-kind support for a short film. Four fresh and intriguing pitches were brought to the panel at the festival. The Commission Pitch was awarded to North Devon filmmaker Lily Bennett for her project Crooked. Currently studying with the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Bennett impressed the panel with her original storytelling and distinctive use of Devon as a setting.
Each year the festival ends with an awards ceremony where the finest films are awarded with hand-made trophies created by local artists. This year’s artist Marson Wu, an illustrator from Taiwan who lives and works in Exeter, created three beautiful cyanotype banners, which the winners were thrilled to take home! Exeter Phoenix’s own youth arts group Freefall also created a fantastic award which was given to the group’s favourite film. The group picked Summer Film School Legends' film Mother's Love.
Awards created by Marson Wu and Freefall youth arts group
The festival’s annual 48 Hour Film Challenge Premiere was as well received as ever, with a sold-out screening jam-packed with exciting short films! The winners of the challenge were Share Films with their film The Jaffa Network, making it a three year winning streak for the team! Second Place went to the winner of the Freefall award, Mother’s Love, and third place went to TQ Films with their film Blood Sugar. You can watch the all the shorts featured on Vimeo here.
The Audience Choice Award went to Exeter Phoenix Commission Youth Club, directed by first time filmmaker Tiana Linden. The film is about a youth club organiser who is desperate to empower local young people, but the teens see her for the bullied kid she once was.
The Best of The Fest award was selected by a panel of film experts and presented to Arsalan Motavali for Cameraman. Motavali has had a long-standing artistic relationship with Exeter Phoenix. Accepting the award, Arsalan said: “It means a great deal considering how much Exeter Phoenix and the team there helped me in the early stages of my career. I have made life long collaborators and friends thanks to the team and festival.”
Creative Networking at The Mermaid
The festival also featured an industry networking event at our sister venue The Mermaid, and a lively festival after party in Exeter Phoenix’s Cafe Bar, which made for a great closing act to a brilliant couple of days.
Festival Director Luke Hagan said: “This year it was a privilege to welcome such a wide range of brilliant films and connect them with a brave and curious audience. We really felt a shift – not only a lively industry atmosphere, but a genuine hunger from audiences to watch, celebrate and absorb short films on the big screen.”
Festival sponsor Lee Morgan from D&C Film added: “I love how it embraces all people from those established filmmakers to the emerging talent and even youth arts groups. It’s just one reflection of the impact and ongoing joy the event always creates.”
This year’s festival has been one of the biggest and best of the bunch, with a fantastic range of talent from filmmakers both local and world wide!
Feel inspired? You can get involved in next year's Two Short Nights Film Festival! Film submissions will be opening soon, or if you’re more of a critic, why not join our pre-selection panel? Keep an eye on our Creative Opportunities page for updates on Two Short Nights 2027!
All photographs by Alex Toze