Northampton Film Festival runs for a week from May 12 and will be online this year although there will be a movie set in the Grosvenor Centre where filming takes place.
Screen Northants has published the following press release about the event:
Northampton Film Festival has revealed a ‘big deal’ of a line up for its 2021 festival including an exclusive screening of Monsters with a Q&A with Writer/Director Gareth Edwards from the States and its Northants Editor Colin Goudie, the documentary The Man Who Got Carter about legendary Producer Michael Klinger made by his Northampton-based son and Director/Producer Tony Klinger, the precursor to Alan Moore’s The Show called Show Pieces also shot in Northampton with a Q&A with Director Mitch Jenkins and 2 feature film previews of Surge and Wildfire before they hit the cinemas later this year.
After a postponement in 2020 due to the pandemic, Screen Northants’ new Northampton Film Festival is back with an online version in 2021. As well as the feature film programme there are three local short film competitions involving more than 30 short films with a link to Northants – the new Schools Competition, the 48hr Film Challenge and the main short film competition judged by Actor Colin Salmon (Bond, Resident Evil) and Comedian Hugh Dennis (Mock The Week), both of whom have lived in the county, and Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Broadchurch). The winners of these competitions will be announced at a free-to-view live streamed event on the evening of Wednesday 19th May.
Screen Northants picked the festival dates of the 12th-19th May 2021 to go head to head with the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival because, in their own words, “#iwouldratherbeinNorthampton with the Misfits and Mavericks, the Radical and Revolting, the Traitors and Trailblazers of our weird and wonderful town.” The Cannes Film Festival have since changed their dates which Screen Northants hopes is because the French Riviera felt a little intimidated by the mighty Nene River Area and the festival’s line up!
You can now look through the timetable and book tickets, which range from free events to previews costing £9.99, via their virtual film festival site powered by Eventive, the same platform as Cannes, and attend all events without leaving your home.
https://northamptonfilmfestival.eventive.org
Highlights of the programme include:
- The main short film competition shortlist which includes Mark’d , the debut short film from Corby Director Danny Gibbons which won the Warner Brothers Short Film Festival in 2019, taking home the grand jury prize as well as the Audience Award as well as the winner of Screen Northants’ lockdown competition with the Grosvenor Centre in 2020 Lockdown directed by Doug Kennedy, documentary DJ Dougal’s Dad by Tom Line who picked up an award at Northampton Film Festival in 2019 and animation Parallel Woods by young Northampton Director Tyler Atkinson.
- Working with Northampton Filmhouse we will be screening two previews of feature films due out in cinemas later in the year: Surge the debut feature film from Aneil Karia which is due for release nationwide on 28 May 2021 – Joseph (Ben Whishaw) is trapped in a soulless job, living a life devoid of emotion and meaning. After an impulsive act of rebellion, Joseph unleashes a wilder version of himself. He is propelled on a reckless journey through London, ultimately experiencing what it feels like to be alive. – and Wildfire the debut feature film from Cathy Brady about two reunited sisters who discover secrets from their mother’s past.
- Screen Northants will be live streaming the production of their short film The Operator from the Grosvenor Centre over the first two days of the festival with the hope it will give people some film set experience who have missed out on it this year due to the pandemic. The film is set to star Amy De Bhrun (Vikings, Line of Duty) and is the debut film from Writer/Director Matt Riley who is more usually found on set as a Director of Photography including Screen Northants’ feature Fortune Cookies.
- Screen Northants will be premiering their own feature film Nene made with the support of BBC Children in Need, Nenescape and Destination Nene Valley.
The Northampton Film Festival has been made possible with support from Northampton Borough Council, the Grosvenor Centre, Nenescape and Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery. Film Hub Midlands support people to watch, show, and make films in the Midlands. To find out more visit https://northamptonfilmfestival.eventive.org or www.northamptonfilmfestival.co.uk or find @NNFilmFestival on social media or Facebook at www.facebook.com/NorthamptonFilmFestivalUK
