This summer, Guildford will host its first-ever film festival—Sustain Film Festival. Running from 29 to 31 August, the festival is all about what stories can do when we allow them to echo beyond the screen.
The festival arrives at a time when conversations around sustainability, wellbeing, and the future feel more urgent than ever. Curated with care, Sustain brings together filmmakers, artists, and communities to explore how creative expression can reframe the way we live, connect, and evolve. It is a timely reminder that culture and climate are not separate spheres: conversations about either tend to illuminate both.
At its heart, the festival is a grassroots initiative. Its origins trace back to conversations among local artists and educators who believed that Guildford—with its strong academic presence, diverse community, and vibrant creative scene—could become a place where complex global challenges are made approachable and grounded in everyday experience. With the support from local institutions and an open invitation to international creators, the festival aims to become a space of exchange: for ideas, perspectives, and visions of what the world could become.
More than just a series of screenings, Sustain includes workshops, panel discussions, and performances designed to invite reflection and dialogue. Through compelling stories about the environment, society, and shared responsibility, Sustain offers audiences a space not only to watch but to think, connect, and act.
Local schools and community groups are especially encouraged to get involved, with the hope that young voices and untold stories will find both spotlight and audience. At its core, Sustain is deeply committed to empowering youth, fostering environmental awareness, and nurturing inclusive community engagement.
At a time when it’s easy to feel disillusioned by the scope of global challenges, this gathering offers a quieter form of optimism—the belief that small, creative acts can inspire broader change. And perhaps that’s where the power of film lies: not just in documenting the world as it is, but in helping us reimagine it together.
Let’s come together this August to explore, imagine, and build a future we can all feel part of—one story at a time.
- Date: 29-31 August 2025
- Location: Venues across central Guildford
- Tickets: Secure your pass and support the festival via the Sustain Film Festival website
