The CIFF Partnership
The Chester International Film Festival began life as the Chester Film Festival in 1977. It was organised by a group of local film societies: Chester Film Society, Cheshire NALGO Film Society, Frodsham Film Society, Ellesmere Port Library Film Society, North East Wales Film Society and Vale Royal Film Society.
Back then, films were played from a 35mm projector and screenings took place in the Chester Arts Centre which was then located on the Market Square. In 1979, the Festival relocated to the Little Theatre in Newtown which became a standard location for Chester Film Society for many years. In the mid-1990s, the Film Festival was held in the Steam Mill and, later, several other venues were used.
In 2003 it was rebranded as the Chester International Film Festival and, in 2018, found a new home in Storyhouse which had officially opened the previous year.
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Chester International Film Festival 2026
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The 2026 Festival took place at Storyhouse between Friday 13th March to Sunday 22nd March 2026 and incorporated the 12th Chester Animation Festival 2026.
The films featured, and audience scores, were:
- DJ Ahmet (8.45)
- Rose of Nevada (7.09)
- Primavera (8.73)
- La Grazia (8.26)
- The Stranger (7.10)
- Orphan (6.63)
- Romería ( 7.25)
- Orwell 2+2=5 (8.21)
- Miroirs No. 3 ( 7.71)
- The Blue Trail (7.04)
- Exit 8 (7.73)
- Our Land (7.52)
- Colours of Time (9.22 *Audience Award*) and
- Father Mother Sister Brother (6.57)
In the Animation Festival, the Leaping Boar Award for best short animation was won jointly by:
- Cell Buddies by Studio Brute Beesten (Netherlands) and
- Small Hours by Oscar Wyndham Lewis (UK).
For more details, click here to go to the Storyhouse web page.
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Chester International Film Festival 2025
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The 2025 Chester International Film Festival ran from 21st March to 3rd April 2025 at Storyhouse. It was produced in partnership with the University of Chester and Storyhouse. Opening and closing receptions with thanks to VAIN.
The films featured were:
- La Cocina
- From Hilde, With Love
- Holy Cow
- Solo
- Last Swim
- Happyend
- When the Light Breaks and
- Four Mothers (*Audience Award*)
The 2025 CIFF also included the 11th Chester Animation Festival for which the Audience Award went to The Pearl (Let’s Make Peace) by Abdollah Alimorad from Iran.
For more information, including details of the Documentary Section and other film events during the Festival, click here to go to the Storyhouse web page.
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Chester International Film Festival 2024
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The 2024 Chester International Film Festival, highlighting the very best in international cinema (including pre-release previews) took place from 1st March to 8th March 2024. The winner of the audience award for 2024 was Green Border, Agnieszka Holland’s intense, intelligent broadside against injustice and terror on the borders of the EU.
The Chester International Film Festival 2024 (incorporating the Animation Festival) was curated by Chester Film Society in partnership with Storyhouse and The University of Chester. Drinks Receptions were kindly sponsored by VAIN Hair and Beauty, Chester.
The Festival took place from 1st March to 8th March 2024.
The winner of the Audience Award for 2024 was Green Border.
The Chester Animation Festival Audience Award went to The Curse of Dracular.
You can read more about the festival on the Storyhouse website by clicking here or click the link below to see the full programme of feature films.
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Chester International Film Festival 2023
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The festival featured:
- Full Time
- Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (*Audience Award*)
- Prayers for the Stolen
- Sick of Myself
- Tori and Lokita and
- The Blue Caftan
The 2023 CIFF also included the 9th Chester Animation Festival the Audience Award for which went to “The Smile”. -
Chester International Film Festival 2022
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The festival featured:
- Hive
- Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
- The Worst Person in The World
- Balloon
- Arracht and
- Compartment No. 6 (*Audience Award*)
The 2022 CIFF also included the 8th Chester Animation Festival, the Audience Award for which went to “Black Slide”.
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Chester International Film Festival 2020
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The 2020 CIFF (see teaser video below) was hosted by Storyhouse.
The festival featured:
- The Farewell
- Rojo
- Balloon
- Monos
- And Then We Danced (*Audience Award*)
- The Whistlers and
- Permission
The CIFF also included the 7th Chester Animation Festival, the Audience Award for which went to “Rain”.
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Chester International Film Festival 2019
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The festival featured:
- Burning
- Dogman
- Waru
- Wajib
- Polina and
- Mug
Th CIFF also included the 6th Chester Animation Festival, the Audience Award for which went to “Pilipka”.
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Chester International Film Festival 2018
Venue(s): Storyhouse
The festival featured:
- Loving Vincent
- In Between
- I Am Not a Witch
- Menashe
- On Body and Soul and
- The Nile Hilton Incident
The CIFF also included the 5th Chester Animation Festival, the Audience Award for which went to “Death of a Fruit Fly”.
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Chester International Film Festival 2017
Venue(s): Festival Church, Queen Street, Chester
The festival featured:
- Julieta
- Hunt for The Wilderpeople
- The Clan
- Fire at Sea
- Dheepan
- Embrace of The Serpent and
- Hell or High Water
The CIFF also included the 4th Chester Animation Festival.
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Chester International Film Festival 2016
Venue(s): Steam Mill, the Cathedral Refectory (for Brooklyn) and Grosvenor Museum
The festival featured:
- Wild Tales (*)
- Brooklyn (*)
- Phoenix (*)
- Timbuktu (*)
- The Wonders and
- Me, Myself and Mum
(* These films were also shown as part of the 2025-26 CFS Season.)
The CIFF also included the 3rd Chester Animation Festival.
