Here is just a selection quotes from filmmakers, delegates, friends, winners and the public about this year's festival.
We love to hear people's thoughts, so please feel free to add your own thoughts to the comments box at the bottom of the page...
I think this film may have changed my life.
Teenager who came to see Louder than a Bomb
With a host of talented UK and international short film-makers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs, it felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow
Sarah Cooper, Screen International
It's really quite overwhelming to receive these awards, and wonderful to know that all the work and toil over the past year is appreciated. Encounters is such a great and diverse film festival so to be awarded the Grand Prix is a real honour.
Daniel Ojari, Cartoon d'Or nomination and Animated Grand Prix winner 2011
The pop up cinema is an incredibly worthwhile project, as it enables the regular person on the high street, who would not usually attend a film festival, to absorb the type of films they would not normally see and open their eyes to new genres and filmmakers.
Elliot Mitchell The New Current
Just to say how much I enjoyed and was impressed by Encounters. It was my first time at the festival and I left wondering why I'd left it so long. A great array of inspiring films and the most enjoyable awards ceremony I've ever been to…In short, it was great.
Patrick Collerton, Director, DepicT! Jury
It was absolutely brilliant to win the DepicT! '11 Award - and really exciting to be the first doc to do it, especially with such strong competition. The prize money will be a huge help towards the budget for our next project - a drama.
Nick Fogg, Director ‘Wake’, Winner of DepicT! '11 Award
Now in an amazing 17th year, Encounters have once again cemented their position as the UK’s longest running short film and animation festival, showing no signs of slowing down yet! The festival presents itself on the world stage and is well known for showcasing new work, and also being a central meeting point for emerging talent.
Front Row Review
I'd like to extent a coffin load of thanks to the Bristol Encounters festival for the acknowledgement you have shown me. I'm about to start my own company and it means the world to know that someone appreciates my work and it gives me hope that someone will enjoy what I'll make in the future.
Bo Mathorne, Director, The Backwaters Gospel, Winner UWE European New Talent Award
The cinematic Trojan horse returns, smuggling short film-makers into the big league, even more so now it's a qualifying festival for the Oscars and Baftas.
The Guardian
We are so honored that we received the Children's Jury Award at Encounters. It's a great award as kids are brutally honest, they have no bias, and they are very unfiltered. So if they like your stuff then it might be good.
Michael Z. Huber, Director, Worlds Apart, Winner Children’s Animation Jury Award
It was great to see AE back and flourishing - congrats on all your very hard work on that! The new location in the Arnolfini added an extra dimension this year. It has an excellent theatre venue - and a stimulating environment.
Shelley Page - DreamWorks Animation
It was so great to win such a great award with such a nice title. New European Talent, that title is going to keep me motivated on those uncreative days where I feel like giving up because my writing doesn't match my ambitions.
Behrouz Bigdeli, Director, TIL ALLE MINE VENNER (TO ALL MY FRIENDS), Winner Brief Encounters: UWE European New Talent Award 2011
A rich array of new shorts from the likes of Jonathan Cauoette and John Maclean saw the Bristol-based festival up its game this year….Encounters remains the best late-year antidote to multiplex fatigue for audiences and critics alike.
Tim Hayes, Little White Lies
I have to say that when standing in the forest with the mosquitos, the track getting bogged down in the swamp and trying to communicate with the berrypickers by drawing and repeating the 3 words of Thai I could say - probably wrong anyway - it didn't cross my mind that someday we'd me nominated for European Film Awards. I am very happy and even more surprised.
Elina Talvensaari, Director, MITEN MARJOJA POIMITAAN (HOW TO PICK BERRIES) winner of the Bristol Short Film Nomination for the European Film Awards 2012
This win was such an amazing surprise and i was informed of it at the very moment an enormous German sausage was put down in front of me in berlin, so moments don't get any better than that. While i am always wondering how to fund my next film.
Simon Ellis, Jam Today, Brief Encounters Best of British Winner
Anybody who works in film and animation within the town of Bristol seems to have a strong sense of the importance of its annual Encounters International Film Festival, which for nearly twenty years has been one of the UK’s most highly regarded industry events.
Ben Mitchell, Skwigly
I'm very glad that my story seems to be of such global interest. This award strengthens me to stay on. In the moment, I am at the beginning to write the script for my graduation film. I will use the money to do research.
Ulrike Vahl, Below Zero, Winner of the Brief Encounters Grand Prix Award
Working with new talent in the region was particularly memorable because of the energy, spirit and enthusiasm I met in people. It was a really fun experience and as Encounters is one of my favourite festivals it was an honour to win there.
Rachel Tillotson, Director, I’ll Tell You, Brief Encounters Best of the South West Award
An audience award warms my heart a lot. Wish I could be there to meet them.
Johannes Nyholm, Director, Las Palmas, Audience Award
This festival will be one of the finest memories in life. I truly loved it!!
Lea Zagury - Anima Mundi, Rio; Animated Encounters Jury
It gave me confidence to met you new people and try new things.
Young person who attended A Winning Pitch as part of Fresh Flix
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