The Beyond Cars Film Festival is set to take place later this month at SHOP Preston.
With the slogan “rethinking movement in a car-centric world”, the three-day festival will screen around 20 short films exploring transport and movement.
The films, ranging from two to 20 minutes long, span genres of fiction, documentary, dance, poetry, and experimental. Submissions have come from filmmakers in Greece, Italy, Germany, Poland, Estonia, North America, Spain, India, and the UK, including local Preston creatives.
The festival is free to attend and opens on Friday 28 November with an exhibition on transport and mobility. Local artists will present illustrations, photography, and sculpture inspired by why and how we move. The exhibition will be followed by the first evening of film screenings.
On Saturday 29 November, the morning will feature one or two shorts about cycling, followed by a hands-on workshop about bikes and cycling. In the afternoon, there will be a film about urban mobility and a creative workshop titled Beyond Cars, Beyond Now, which will explore the future of mobility through imagination and discussion. Saturday evening will feature the second screening session, alternating short films with an open mic where anyone can share poetry or spoken word on the themes of transport, urbanism or film.
Sunday 30 November offers a relaxed morning of films, coffee and tea. In the afternoon there will be a filmmaking workshop, and in the evening the festival will close with final screenings and the announcement of the winners.
The programme will take viewers on many kinds of journeys across cities, borders, and landscapes – from Preston’s own Bus Station to places across Europe, the United States, and beyond.
Festival organiser Gloria Regonesi gave Blog Preston an insight into what attendees can expect: “We will follow a group of elderly neighbours fighting back after their local bus routes are cut, and explore how the USA became so dependent on cars and what it would take to change. We will witness a poetic farewell to a demolished bus station, filmed on Super 8, and discover how abandoned bicycles find new life and meaning in Estonia. We will dive into Yorkshire’s skateboarding scene, and find humour and absurdity in a traffic jam.
“We’ll see what happens if you start dancing on the tube, learn what truck drivers can teach us about life, and experience three strangers sharing car rides between Germany and Poland. We will explore the world of so-called ‘art cars’ and we will follow people on their journeys, from long walks through remote landscapes to an adventurous bike ride along the Oregon Cascades. We will enjoy the artistry of dance and poetry films, and discover connections across stories – both those on screen and our own.”
Gloria said she hopes the festival will inspire audiences in more ways than one.
“On one hand, Beyond Cars is about sparking reflection on mobility: how we move, how our cities are designed, and how we might imagine them differently. By inviting people to pause and think about that, we hope the festival becomes a space for curiosity, discussion, and imagination.
“On the other hand, we also want to inspire creativity. By showcasing independent films and works by emerging filmmakers, we hope to encourage people to see that filmmaking and artistic expression can be accessible, and that anyone with an idea and passion can create something meaningful. We also hope to renew people’s love for film itself: as a way of seeing differently, connecting with others, and imagining change.”
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While the festival’s theme might seem niche, Gloria emphasises that mobility touches everyone.
“We all move, every day, and these films explore that shared experience from many perspectives. You don’t need to be a transport enthusiast to come along; you just need to be curious about film and open to thinking about how we move through the world.
“By coming along you can learn new things – through the workshops, the films, and the people you’ll meet. It’s an open, friendly space where everyone’s invited. You can look forward to a few cosy evenings watching films that aren’t your usual blockbusters or Netflix picks – something different and hopefully inspiring.
“You might even leave feeling inspired to be creative yourself, beyond just the film medium. And the best part? It’s free!”
To find out more, follow @beyondcarsfilmfestival on Instagram.
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