The National Festival of Making returns to Blackburn next weekend, and this year it comes with a brand-new Film Festival added to the mix.
Planning a night out? See the live What’s On in Blackburn calendar.
The 2026 programme is packed with making workshops, art commissions, outdoor performances, music, street markets and more, alongside the new film events.
The film line-up includes premieres, special guest appearances, public auditions and the chance to visit the world’s smallest moving picture house, powered by solar.
Blackburn-born filmmaker Michael Winterbottom will be joining the programme, along with Johnny Vegas, Graham Duff, Elaine Constantine, The Bashford Twins, Shabaz Ali and Aeman Ali Afzal.
They will be sharing stories from the film industry and talking about the projects they are developing, while exploring what Lancashire would need to become a centre for film and television production.
The talks are part of a programme developed by Jamie Holman, artist and board director for the festival, with support from Blackburn with Darwen Council and the University of Lancashire.
Jamie said: “Making has always been about more than objects; it’s about ideas, stories and people.
“The National Festival of Making’s cinema programme brings internationally recognised filmmakers together with emerging talent and local communities because the stories rooted in our places deserve to be seen, heard and celebrated.
“We tell these stories, because our stories matter.”
Festival highlights include open auditions for local people to appear in Cotton Kings — a new feature film from Blackburn-founded production company Eleven Eleven Pictures and award-winning directors the Bashford Twins. Inspired by East Lancashire’s football casual culture, the film is set in 1980s Blackburn and a new trailer will be unveiled at the festival.
Local filmmaker Aeman Ali Afzal, founder of Indie Crib, will also appear with social media creator, broadcaster and author Shabaz Ali for a conversation about building audiences, creating opportunities and taking control of success in the digital age.
There will also be a screening of Mera Lyari, a football drama about two young women fighting to follow their dreams despite social, cultural and family barriers. That will be followed by a Q&A with director Abu Aleeha, who is travelling from Islamabad to Blackburn, and details of his next film project linking Pakistan and East Lancashire.
Other screenings and presentations include Rave Culture – A New Era, which explores the region’s role in the rise of rave culture, and the first public presentation of We Are Alloys, a new commission from artist and filmmaker Hetain Patel.
The programme also features new work from rising Manchester filmmaker Alina Akbar and artist, baker and entrepreneur Abigail Hampsey, whose latest commission looks at traditions of making and preservation through film, sculpture and painting.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “Every year, the Festival of Making team blows us away with what they bring to Blackburn, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and showcasing the very best of our borough on a national stage.
“Once again, the programme for 2026 is packed with incredible things to see and do – almost everything for free – and the new Film Festival is a fantastic addition which we’re proud to support.
“From premieres and special guest appearances to talks and even the chance to audition for a film inspired by Blackburn, it’s a brilliant opportunity for people to immerse themselves in the world of film.
“The Festival of Making really is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when we celebrate our heritage while looking to the future. It continues to push boundaries, challenge expectations and strengthen Blackburn’s reputation as a place of creativity, innovation and ambition.
“We already have strong links to the film industry too – after all, Mitchell & Kenyon were pioneers and even made the world’s first Western right here in Blackburn.
“This new Film Festival builds on that legacy while opening up conversations about the role filmmaking could play in our future, creating new opportunities for our borough and for our residents and Lancashire as a whole.”
The National Festival of Making will take place across Blackburn town centre on Saturday July 4 and Sunday, July 5. It is free to attend.
More information, including the film festival programme and guides to family fun, food and drink, music and performances, is available at festivalofmaking.co.uk.
