November opened up with the latest instalment of the Birmingham Film Festival, welcoming thousands of locals and international filmmakers and fans to the local area. From 6 to 15 November, the showcase put on over 200 pictures, with plenty to explore from independent films looking to make a break to all-in professional productions.
The continued place of the Birmingham Film Festival on the industry’s calendar is yet another strong showcase of the importance of film in the UK. Not only is it a popular entertainment medium, but it remains a key creative outlet and even a driver of revenues beyond the big screen itself.
A Huge Event with Local Incentives
Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
Established in 2016, the Birmingham Film Festival has only gone from strength to strength across its decade of operation. Along with the myriad of film screenings, the festival includes awards across multiple categories, a gala ceremony for those awards, and a bunch of seminars and workshops to help spur on the next generation of filmmakers.
This year, the international festival took special measures to get locals even more involved. The Thursday of the event shifted a bit away from Birmingham proper to Dudley. Here, at Showcase Cinema Dudley, the session from 8 pm to 10 pm was made free to attend, as was another block earlier in the day at 6 pm.
Festivals like this continue to build out the presence of the film industry in the UK. The country offers a very welcoming environment for filmmakers from around the world, but also helps to set the stage for British breakouts in the art form. It all helps to add up to make the industry integral to the UK.
After all, the British Film Institute’s most recently published figures on film and prestige television spending in the UK are £6.8 billion. On top of that, the British box office in 2025 generated £996.8 million in receipts, which amounted to a total of 123.5 million admissions and a two per cent increase on the year prior.
Prominence of Film Goes Beyond the Box Office
A great or popular film has the power to generate interest and revenue well beyond the big screen in the modern day. Building out into different mediums is a long-established practice, particularly in the form of TV spinoffs. Today, however, gaming often looks to carry the setting further, especially when it comes to online games.
The collection of online bingo games is loaded with official film slots. The Ted series is a long-running favourite here, while hit shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon – both filmed in the UK – also have official games to spin. So, beyond the film, fans can go and play the branded games to continue the immersion.
In a similar vein, “screen tourism” has become incredibly popular as fans of shows and films want to visit the stunning locations that have been used for filming. A survey from Visit Britain found that nine in ten potential visitors are interested in going to a filming location that they’ve seen showcased on the screen.
Film is big business in the UK, and the Birmingham Film Festival once again showcased its draw and power in 2026.