Programme
Four nights of Christmas films across Birmingham — at the MAC's cinema and Vue Star City. Expect festive shorts, workshops and feature films from around the world. Join us on the 26th-29th November 2026.
Festival Passes
All passes on EventiveGet the most out of the festival with one simple pass.
Master Class & Industry Pass
£37.00 (£35.00 + £2.00 booking fee)
Access to the Saturday masterclass and industry events, including the networking reception.
VIP All-Access Festival Pass
£104.31 (£100.00 + £4.31 booking fee)
All-access to every event across the festival — screenings, masterclasses, panels and the closing night.
Pre-festival
Workshop on EventiveWarm up events leading up to the main event.
Saturday 21 Nov 2026
Getting your film ready for the big screen
13:00 – 17:00
MAC Birmingham£16.29 (£15.00 + £1.29 booking fee)
Andrew Bala and Anthony Kerr, co-founders of DCP-Solutions, cover what happens between finishing an edit and seeing your film on a cinema screen. Includes a live DCP demonstration, professional workflow tips and a Q&A. Between them they have almost four decades in the film industry.
Main Event
Full schedule on EventiveThe heart of the festival, a selection of events celebrating the magic of Christmas.
Thursday 26 Nov 2026
Grand Opening Ceremony & Gala
19:00 – 23:00
MAC Birmingham£36.95Standard (£35.00 + £1.95 booking fee)
£66.95VIP (£65.00 + £1.95 booking fee)
The festival opens with a red carpet reception, a choir performance, keynote speeches and the Opening Night Feature Film, followed by a VIP afterparty.
Red Carpet Reception
From 18:00
Choir Performance
Opening Remarks & Keynote Speech
Opening Night Feature Film
O Little Christmas Market
Official Afterparty
VIP ticket holders. Includes a hot buffet with a vegetarian option, drinks and dancing until 01:00.
Friday 27 Nov 2026
Festival Screenings
19:00 – 23:00
Vue Birmingham Star City£16.29 (£15.00 + £1.29 booking fee)
Four hours of back-to-back official selections from our global submissions — shorts and features chosen from this year's entries. There's a 15-minute intermission partway through to stretch your legs and compare notes.
17 films
- Princess Owlivia: The Last Christmas Tree
- Two Lefts and a Trail of Breadcrumbs
- Naughty or Nice?
- Headless Turkey
- Falling in Cedarwood
- The Holidaze of Noelle Snow
- Shopping for Secret Santa
- Watching Walls
- Sisters
- Christmas Father
- Parade Day
- The Carolers
- Falling For Festive Fails (I Married a Monster on a Hill)
- The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees - 3 Generations on Parade
- Behind the Beard: Making Santa Real
- Snow Over Kigali - An African Christmas Tale
- Carol
Saturday 28 Nov 2026
Masterclass, Panels & Networking
11:00 – 19:00
11:00 – 13:00
MAC BirminghamMasterclass: From Page to Screen
£16.29 (£15.00 + £1.29 booking fee)
Exploring the art of shaping scripts, novels and published stories into Christmas films — maintaining the emotional, festive themes and audience appeal that define the genre.
Who it's for: Authors with adaptable work, screenwriters, producers, agents and rights managers, and anyone developing festive film.
14:00 – 16:00
MAC BirminghamPanel Discussion: The Sound of Christmas
£16.29 (£15.00 + £1.29 booking fee)
How music strengthens a Christmas story, from scores and licensed songs to the rights behind them.
Who it's for: Filmmakers, producers, composers, music supervisors and content creators.
17:00 – 19:00
MAC BirminghamIndustry Panel & Networking
£26.65 (£25.00 + £1.65 booking fee)
Christmas filmmaking trends, financing, North Finland production opportunities and international market potential.
Who it's for: Producers, financiers, sales agents and anyone working across international markets.
Reetta Turula
Film Commissioner, North Finland
Y.T. Anderson
President & CEO, Visit Northern Finland & Oulu Convention Bureau
Tom Martin
Founder & CEO, Content Rocket, UK
Anna Budashevskaya
Vice President, Sales, Studio TFI America
Sponsored by North Finland, followed by an exclusive networking reception
Sunday 29 Nov 2026
Grand Finale & Closing Night
19:00 – 23:00
MAC Birmingham£56.95 (£55.00 + £1.95 booking fee)
The festival closes with a red carpet arrival, a live festive performance and the official awards ceremony, where the Best Christmas Film winner is revealed and screened.
Red Carpet Reception
From 18:00
Live Festive Performance
Official Awards Ceremony
Screening of the Best Christmas Film winner
2027 Festival Announcement
Venue & Travel
MAC Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH, UK.
By Bus
From City Centre: Buses 35, 45, 47, 61, 63 stop on Pershore Road, a short walk from the MAC.
By Train & Tram
Nearby stations: Five Ways, University, Selly Oak. Tram services connect to buses or walking routes toward Cannon Hill Park.
By Air
Birmingham Airport is connected to Birmingham International station via the free AirLink monorail (2 minutes). From there, take a train to Five Ways or University, or connect to a bus toward Cannon Hill Park.
Cycling & Walking
Accessible via National Cycle Route 5 and Rea Valley Cycle Route. The venue is located opposite Edgbaston Cricket Ground inside Cannon Hill Park.
Vue Birmingham Star City
Unit 29, Watson Road, Birmingham B7 5SA, UK.
Friday 27 November screenings only.
By Train
Aston is the nearest station — the Star City complex sits very close to it.
By Car
The complex is in Nechells, north-east of the city centre, close to Junction 6 of the M6 (Spaghetti Junction).
Directions
Where to Stay
Visiting from out of town? Book a hotel near MAC Birmingham for the festival dates (26–30 Nov 2026).
Book accommodation