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Mor Media Charity and Cornwall Film Festival have secured a three-year award from Film Hub South West's Film Exhibition Fund to support a major programme aimed at improving access and inclusion across cinema and film events in Cornwall. The award, over three years (2026-2029), will support the delivery of the charity's Screen Access & Inclusion Programme, helping to remove barriers faced by disabled and underserved audiences and ensuring more people can experience film in welcoming and accessible environments. The multi-year investment recognises Cornwall Film Festival's long-term commitment to accessibility, audience development and inclusive practice, and provides a foundation for continued innovation and sector leadership. The funding panel described the proposal as one of the strongest applications received during the round, praising its strategic clarity, deep understanding of audiences and comprehensive approach to accessibility. Assessors highlighted that accessibility had been embedded throughout programme design, audience engagement, delivery and evaluation, rather than being treated as an additional consideration. Louise Fox, Executive Director of Mor Media Charity and Festival Director of Cornwall Film Festival, said: "We are delighted to receive this support from Film Hub South West. Accessibility has always been central to our work and this investment will allow us to build on the progress we have already made. The investment is a huge vote of confidence in our vision, accessibility is not something we add on, it sits at the heart of everything we do. This support will help us strengthen partnerships, develop new approaches and continue creating welcoming cinema experiences for audiences who are too often excluded from cultural provision." The programme builds on several years of audience development work undertaken by Cornwall Film Festival under the umbrella of Mor Media Charity, including autism-friendly screenings, enhanced accessibility provision, community partnerships and targeted work with young people and underrepresented communities across Cornwall. Neil Ramjee, Film Hub South West Community Manage, said: “The assessment panel also recognised the strength of the charity's regional partnerships and the potential for the programme to deliver lasting impact beyond Cornwall, establishing a model of good practice that can inform the wider exhibition sector” The BFI Film Audience Network invests £5.6m of National Lottery funding each year to expand access and encourage greater enjoyment of cinema by connecting audiences with great films - in venues, at events and online. We do this by supporting: leading exhibition organisations, including film festivals, to deliver culturally rich and nationally significant programmes and events on a year round basis projects which help exhibitors and distributors bring the best of UK and international cinema to audiences across the UK through events, distribution releases, multiplatform distribution proposals, touring film programmes and more initiatives that address under-representation and are innovating audience development

UK-based screen charity Mor Media has appointed filmmaker Clare Tavernor as Creative Lead, formalising a long-standing collaboration as the organisation scales its production ambitions. Clare’s background spans documentary filmmaking, including directing and producing flagship BBC arts series such as My Life as a Rolling Stone, as well as ambitious cinema releases including Metallica Saved My Life. Most recently, she co-directed Aldeas – A New Story, an upcoming feature documentary produced by Martin Scorsese. “Aldeas is about creating space for people to tell their own stories through film,” said Clare. “That idea of authorship and collaboration is central to how I approach filmmaking, and it aligns strongly with Mor Media’s ethos.” “Taking on the Creative Lead role feels like a natural evolution of the work we’ve been building together,” she added. “There’s a real opportunity to develop ambitious, distinctive projects from the South West that connect with national and international audiences, without losing their sense of place.” Clare, who has been working across a number of Mor Media’s recent projects, will now oversee creative development across a growing slate spanning film, audio and immersive storytelling. The appointment marks a strategic shift for the Cornwall-based organisation as it evolves from a festival-led model into a year-round production and talent development hub. “Clare has already been instrumental in shaping the creative direction of our work,” said Louise Fox, Executive Director of Mor Media. “This appointment reflects both the depth of that collaboration and our ambition to build a distinctive, regionally rooted but nationally relevant production pipeline. Clare is part of a growing cohort of senior industry professionals choosing to work with us as we expand our production slate and creative vision, alongside a growing network of industry advisors.” Clare is currently leading on Black Tide, Mor Media’s flagship heritage and environmental storytelling project exploring the legacy of the SS Torrey Canyon disaster. The multi-platform project combines documentary, oral history and audio storytelling, and has already attracted industry attention, including a recent shortlist at Sheffield DocFest’s Podcast Pitch. As Creative Lead, Clare will guide projects from early development through to production, working closely with writers, directors and emerging creatives supported through Mor Media’s training programmes. Mor Media is developing a joined-up model that connects exhibition, distribution, talent development and production. Through events such as the Cornwall Film Festival, the organisation identifies emerging talent and supports progression through mentoring, development and industry-facing opportunities. This approach is already delivering results, with talent pipeline participants including Soup Audio Visual achieving national recognition, including success at the Wildscreen Panda Awards, with more project in the pipeline. Clare will play a key part in connecting these strands, ensuring that creative development is embedded within live projects and that emerging filmmakers are supported through to production. The move signals a broader trend among UK regional organisations building in-house creative capacity to retain talent and develop original IP outside London-centric structures. With funding applications in progress and new partnerships forming across the South West and beyond, Mor Media’s expanded creative leadership points to a more ambitious phase, one that bridges community storytelling with professional production at scale.

By Director Louise Fox January – March 2026: A Strong Start to the Year The first three months of 2026 have been an incredibly productive and forward-looking period for Mor Media Charity, as we continue to expand our work across film, heritage, education and talent development in Cornwall and beyond. 🎬 Film Exhibition & Touring We have been progressing plans for the Edge of Summer  regional tour, with screenings and director Q&As now being scheduled across the South West. Following a complex journey to bring the film to audiences, this marks a significant milestone in connecting a locally rooted Cornish story with wider audiences. We are also laying the groundwork for a potential independent distribution strand , using this tour as a pilot model, with projected reach across screenings expected to exceed 350+ attendees Alongside this, we have been developing a new Cornwall Film Festival website , making it easier for audiences, filmmakers and partners to access and engage with our year-round activity. Supported 3 film tours  with Q&As and marketing support, strengthening regional exhibition. 🏛️ Heritage & Community Projects Our Black Tide: The Torrey Canyon Project  continues to gather momentum as we mark the 60th anniversary of the 1967 oil spill. 25 oral histories  recorded to date Recent engagement activity delivered across West Penwith , including work with U3A groups, libraries and the local lifeboat stations Ongoing partnerships with community organisations and heritage networks across Cornwall Development of a new project website , designed to communicate and share the archive more widely This work is building a vital, community-led archive that centres lived experience and ensures Cornish voices are at the heart of this nationally significant story. 🎓 Talent Development & Industry Programmes We have been advancing our Creative Challenge Fund  programme, alongside wider talent development activity. Programme design completed with a target cohort of 14 participants  across Cornwall, Devon and the wider UK 25 participants  engaged through Story Labs exploring writing and visual storytelling 329 submissions  received to date, with 95 pre-selector applications  supporting our programming pipeline Launch of Quick Cut: The 90-Second Film Challenge , creating new entry points for emerging filmmakers Our activity engaged 6 freelancers, strengthening regional employment and the creative economy. Together, these strands are strengthening pathways for creatives at all stages of their careers and supporting a more diverse and connected screen ecology. 🎓 Education & Audience Development We have continued to deliver education and audience engagement activity across the region: Delivered the Into Film Spring Festival across 3 venues in Cornwall 2 animation workshops  delivered for Animate Helston 5 screenings  hosted, supporting access to independent film and shared viewing experiences Our team's attendance at the Berlin Film Festival , building industry connections and insight This work supports the development of creative skills while building future audiences for independent cinema. 🏛️ Advocacy & Sector Leadership We have been actively advocating for the independent cinema sector in response to the Government’s £1.5 billion investment in culture. Direct engagement with MP-level stakeholders Coordinating input from independent cinemas across Cornwall Active participation in the British Arts Festival Association , including conferences and sector meetings Contributing to national conversations on cultural infrastructure, access and regional equity This work positions Mor Media as a strong regional voice within national policy discussions. 🤝 Partnerships, Funding & Growth This quarter has also been a period of significant organisational growth and consolidation. Successful funding applications secured , supporting future programme delivery and sustainability Partnerships strengthened across 10+ organisations  spanning exhibition, heritage, education and industry Continued expansion of our networks locally and nationally Strengthening Impact and Reach These developments are helping to secure Mor Media’s long-term growth and impact. Looking Ahead As we move into spring, we are excited to bring these strands together through live events, screenings and new programme launches. With strong foundations in place, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of growth, connection and impact. We are grateful to our partners, collaborators, team, audiences, Trustees and advisors, whose support makes this work possible, and we look forward to a well-earned pause before the next phase.

Courses Pottery Workshop This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $200 2 Weeks Read More Modern Ballet This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $600 12 Weeks Read More Tennis This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $250 4 Weeks Read More Arts & Crafts This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $350 12 Weeks Read More Baking for Beginners This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $200 3 Weeks Read More Trumpet Basics This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Price Duration $400 4 Weeks Read More

The best experimental short film-makers from Cornwall Film Festival. < Programme Best Experimental Videos Various The best of experimental film! The longlist of experimental short-film entries at this year's festival. The winner in this section is invited to Best of the Best Screening on Saturday 19th November at 10am at The Poly Falmouth during the Film Festival the great dog, Pan Toby Parker Rees 9m 29 sec | UK A film about rewilding yourself and living with things – panic and animals in particular. An anxious woman must explain the strange and possibly Faustian relationship she has with her therapy dog. Shot in two continuous long takes, with cuts between angles dictated by which lens the performer looks into. Featuring cameraless 16mm hand-processed in a foraged elderberry developer (panpipes were traditionally made with hollow elder twigs). The 7 Rituals of Hesitance and Fortitude Devised and Performed by Melanie Young & Caroline Sabanche Filmed by Gil Ratcliffe 19m 50 | UK An atmospheric journey of The Splendid Sisters as they navigate the mysterious journey through grief to resolution. Twirl Tony Hill 1m 12 | UK A woman walks and starts to turn. She continues to turn in different places as we follow, impossibly locked on to her body. Finally floating above her as she turns and walks away. Pirates Booty Ellen Morrow 4m 17 | UK Experimental film of a surf mission on the north coast of Cornwall These Shoes Gavin Nicol & Fred Williams 1m 50 | UK A refugee's journey to find a better place. Created by two St.Ives-born artists as a fund-raiser for NGOs supporting refugees in Northern France, following time spent on the front line. Donsya Mordros Bunny Marie Ladd 7m 28 | UK The film abstractly reflects my folktale; 'Donsya Mordros' that begins as a story where sea foam crawls over itself to the shoreline and as the night is introduced it bursts and bubbles in a spectacle until the whole shoreline is bordered by ‘Geys’, the Cornish language word for ‘Jesters’ and perform Guize (deriving from Cornish language word ‘Geys’) dancing to celebrate the Mordros, a Cornish term meaning the 'sound of the sea.' in the spirit of pre-enlightenment narrative, I wanted to create an almost climactic, operatic, Fiesta of Cornwall that could work as both, an intimate relationship with the viewer and their own mind but also as a tale that creates a shared appreciation within a community, for the community. It was important to represent the encompassing lineage of the Cornish character alongside the staggering, natural beauty that gives Cornwall the sense of other; that means it has the unique heritage of folklore, recording our home and our people. Donsya Mordros is my contribution. Fin. Justė Rutkauskaitė 13m 36 | UK An experimental documentary based on the question: what would one do in the last 24 hours before the end of the world? As a group of contributors try to confront the thought of absolute finality through a set of interviews, their answers come alive as intersecting vignettes. Six unlikely characters contemplate their own individual end. Behind the Roads Frankie Lewis 4m 49 | UK A Queer, Magical Realist Coming-of-Age Drama set against the wild landscapes of the Cornish Riviera. A rigid yet ambitious Creative Writing student must take the love she discovers in one of her characters and turn it to her dysfunctional parents in order to end her dry spell, cure her depression and meet her university deadlines. Optician's Daughter Linda Ward 4m 21 | UK Optician's Daughter is an exploration of looking. The camera is used to both reveal and conceal the mysterious layers of light and colour in the filmmaker’s environment, leading all the time, moment by moment to a sense of visual meaning. The playful and disturbing music accompaniment underscores a sense of yearning and loss. The daughter looks slowly and illuminates the possibilities which remain wrapped in a sublime tension of being and possibility. Sleep-scavenging from below Bethanie Honey Clayton 7m 29 | UK An artistic combination of stop-motion animation, poetry, and live-action footage gathered from the winter lockdown of 2021. The film touches on non-anthropocentric perspectives as I retreat into my dreams during lockdown, on the edge of a nightmarish realm of climate catastrophe.

Animate Helston is a festival and celebration of animated film held at the Museum of Cornish Life. ANIMATE Helston Join us over the February half-term 16 – 21 February 2026 The festival of fun ! Free workshops & screenings Workshops Let your imagination run wild at these free bookable workshops! Create your own animated story inspired by Cornish myths and legends. . This hands-on 90-min family workshop introduces you to stop-motion animation inspired by Cornwall’s folklore. Working with ready-made, cut-out puppets, participants will concentrate on animation techniques, sequencing and sound, finishing the session with a completed mini film. All materials will be supplied. Led by celebrated professional animator Sarah Beeby Fun, creative, confidence-building – and you don’t need any experience at all! Book your free ticket here: 10.30am – 12 noon or 1-2.30pm Age Range 7-13yrs. All children must be accompanied by an adult, max 3 children per accompanying adult. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis. Workshops are being held in the Guildhall next to the Museum of Cornish Life. These workshops are part of Mini Animate Helston, funded by the Film Audience Network, part of Cornwall Film Festival, designed to make animation accessible to all and inspire the next generation of creative talent. Animate Helston is a partnership project between the Museum of Cornish Life and MorMedia. Book Now! Film Screenings at The Basement The Amazing Maurice 10 am Directed Toby Genkel & Florian Westermann | 93 minutes | Animation, Family | English | Certificate PG Streetwise cat Maurice travels between towns, offering to solve their sudden rat problem. When he arrives at each location he unveils Keith, a young boy who can play the pipe quite well, and the rats march out of town to the relief of the townsfolk. Maurice, along with the money he receives from the grateful town, suddenly disappears and he resurfaces a suitable distance away to count his earnings along with Keith and the rats! But these are no ordinary rats – they talk and wear clothes and dream of an island paradise where rats and humans live together in peace. All goes well with their ‘rat scam’ until they reach the town of Bad Blintz, where they meet a book obsessed girl, Malicia, who leads them on an adventure to solve the mystery of her town. Adapted from a Terry Pratchett children’s book, this is an animation all about storytelling. Howl's Moving Castle 12pm Directed Hayao Miyazaki | 119 mins | Action and Adventure, Animation, Science Fiction and Fantasy | Japanese (English subtitles) Certificate U From the famed Studio Ghibli, this Japanese animation introduces us to Howl, a short-tempered wizard who lives in a magical castle with legs that can grow and shrink in size. When Howl sees young hat-maker Sophie being persecuted by soldiers, he intervenes and saves her - but this makes the Witch of the Waste jealous, leading her to turn Sophie into an old, creaky woman. We follow Sophie's story as she struggles to make her way to the castle to get her curse reversed - while at the same time, the country begins preparing for a war. A fantastic and imaginative treat from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, this is a delightful entry point into Japanese animation, whilst also asking questions around the importance of growing and evolving our personalities. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 2.15 pm Directed Mamoru Hosoda | Anime, Action, Romance, Comedy, Science fiction, Adventure, Drama, Mystery | 98 mins | Certificate 12 Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience--from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can't be reversed. Check out animations we love We screen a selection of animated short film work over the half-term at The Museum of Cornish Life . Get excited about animation ! Learn More Check out our Best of Animation List on Letterbox Our partners