Former Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) student Radi Nikolov is the director behind Screams by the Sea, Bournemouth’s premier genre film festival. Ahead of its expanded two-day event this March, the festival made headlines by introducing discounted submission fees for female film producers and directors to address industry under-representation.
We sat down with Radi to discuss the story behind the festival, his journey from engineering to filmmaking, and his ongoing connection to AUB.
Screams by the Sea recently hit the news for introducing discounted entry fees for female filmmakers. What inspired you to do this?
Programming a festival involves watching hundreds of submissions and speaking with directors and producers worldwide. While the stories are out there, the representation in the film industry remains heavily skewed, and female filmmakers often face higher hurdles in getting mainstream recognition.
We’ve always ensured a diverse programme, featuring at least two female-directed films each year and championing first-time female directors, but we wanted to take an active stance. By offering this discount, we want to explicitly state that Screams by the Sea is an open, welcoming platform that wants to see and elevate these voices.
What has the reaction from the industry been like so far?
Overwhelmingly positive! Our programming team has already seen an uptick in new, diverse voices submitting their work. You always get a few predictably asking, "What about men?" but the broader industry feedback shows people appreciate a festival proactively tackling under-representation.
Before founding the festival, your path to Bournemouth was quite unusual – you actually started out in robotics engineering! How did you end up studying film at AUB?
I’m a third-generation engineer, so studying engineering was the natural family path. But I’d been writing and making short films with friends since I was 12. As I was graduating with my engineering degree, my classmates were starting corporate jobs, and I realised I needed to go to film school to keep making movies.
I was living and working in the USA at the time, which is where I first heard about AUB. Even alongside top US film schools like Full Sail and UCLA, AUB had a fantastic reputation. I applied for the MA Film Production course, submitted a portfolio of short films and lighting exercises, got accepted with a scholarship, and moved to Bournemouth.
Does your engineering background still influence your work as a filmmaker and festival director?
Absolutely. I never formally practised engineering, but the underlying physics – understanding light, electronics, microprocessors and sound waves – give me a deep technical foundation as a cinematographer and director. I just take the core philosophy of how things work in physics and apply it to visual storytelling.
Now in its fourth year, Screams by the Sea has grown significantly. What was the original vision for the festival?
Having lived in Boscombe near the Shelley Theatre, I fell in love with Bournemouth's vibrant, alternative culture. Local filmmakers had wanted a genre festival for years, but the trick was making it accessible.
People sometimes say, "Oh, I hate horror," but then you ask if they like ghost stories, psychological thrillers, or dark sci-fi, and they say yes! Horror isn't just splatter and gore. It allows people to process complex human experiences such as grief and systemic frustration and exercise those intense emotions in a safe space. We built Screams by the Sea to showcase that full spectrum, from midnight creature features to tender French psychological thrillers about dementia.
Beyond running the festival and teaching short courses at AUB, are you currently working on your own films?
Yes! I’m currently directing my very first feature film, which is both thrilling and terrifying. It’s a dark comedy about a group of serial killers who run an escape room together to pay the bills and protect their home.
We have the BAFTA Cymru-winning actress Kimberly Nixon attached to film, which is fantastic. Financing an independent film is always a hustle, but we're pressing ahead and can't wait to bring it to audiences.
Looking ahead to the next edition in March, what's the ultimate ambition for Screams by the Sea?
We are building this to sit on the global stage alongside major early-year festivals like South by Southwest and the Glasgow Film Festival. We want Bournemouth to be a key destination on the international festival circuit.
Crucially, it’s also about giving back to the local cultural ecosystem. AUB brings so many talented young creative minds to the area; the BCP region needs to offer a fertile cultural ground for those voices to develop. Whether someone comes for a Japanese cult horror, a live screenwriting podcast, or an indie book launch, we want Screams by the Sea to be a welcoming home for creative culture.
