Northampton: Under 25s wanted for new film festival

Organisers of a new film festival want "disengaged" young people to help "do something creative" with the event.

Becky Adams, from Screen Northants, said it was in response to 16 to 25-year-olds who "come through our doors with alarmingly low aspirations".

The festival, which will be in non-traditional venues in Northampton, is planned for March.

"It's about owning it, doing something creative in the centre and it being yours," said Ms Adams.

The young people would have the opportunity to work with the company to make films for the festival.

Screen Northants is already involved in making a new film version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, set in Northampton, but it is in post-production and would not be ready for a festival premiere.

The company is also hoping to tap in to some of the publicity generated by graphic novelist and local resident Alan Moore, who has been filming his first movie The Show in his hometown.

Screen Northants was established to provide local opportunities within the film industry to "tackle feelings of disenfranchisement, disengagement and poor social mobility locally", particularly for people who "are not financially lucky enough to be able to move to London and offer their time for free".

Ms Adams said: "It's about us trying to celebrate creativity in Northampton, bringing people into the town centre and appreciating what is here.

"We're not necessarily looking for 16 to 25-year-olds who are amazingly positive about Northampton.

"We want them to come up with the theme or what the central question will be, what we're going to do, where we're going to do it, how we're going to do it."

Screen Northants said it was recruiting via schools and youth organisations and is holding an open meeting at its Grosvenor Centre office on 17 January from 17:00 GMT.