Keele-led film festival partners with local consortium to offer filmmaking training to young people
The team behind a film festival set up at Keele University have teamed up with local partners to help young people in North Staffordshire pursue their ambitions as filmmakers while engaging with the climate crisis.
The Earth Stories Film Festival has partnered with Rural Media, Stoke-on-Trent based Junction 15 Film, and Flatpack Film Festival for a first-of-its-kind partnership to help deliver the British Film Institute’s Film Academy Short Course 2025-26, helping young filmmakers (aged 16-19) from Stoke and Staffordshire to develop professional film skills while exploring the climate crisis both on and off screen.
As part of the BFI’s flagship talent development skills programme, participants receive hands-on training from industry professionals, learning production craft and discovering pathways into the sector – all while engaging with one of the most pressing issues of our time.
The partnership brings a unique environmental focus to the Film Academy programme. Participants explore on-screen representation of the climate crisis while embedding sustainable production practices throughout their work, ensuring the films they create reflect the values they champion. It's where creative storytelling meets climate action and career-ready training.
Aaliyah Gardner, Keele Alumna, Community Coordinator and co-founder of the Earth Stories Film Festival, said: "We are delighted to welcome this BFI initiative and are incredibly proud to be a partner. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Stoke and Staffordshire to come together, using the power of film to tell vital environmental stories. The chance to combine high-quality, professional filmmaking workshops with a focus on climate action is exactly what our festival stands for, and we can't wait to see the stories these young voices will tell."
James McAteer, co-founder and Academic Lead for Earth Stories, said: “This is a brilliant initiative for young people to articulate their very real concerns about the environment, especially the urgent issues surrounding climate change. The response has been phenomenal, and the course is already oversubscribed, which shows just how passionate this generation is about using creative media to drive meaningful conversation and action.”
Dan Haworth-Salter, course leader for the BFI Film Academy West Midlands Short Course consortium led by Rural Media, added: "We're thrilled to partner with Earth Stories Film Festival at Keele University. This collaboration aligns with our mission to support the next generation of filmmakers with the skills and platform to tell the stories that matter to them—starting with the climate crisis."
