Women and local filmmakers shine at Northampton Film Festival Awards
Women filmmakers and Northamptonshire talent were among the standout winners as the Northampton Film Festival came to a spectacular close on Saturday March 8, with an awards ceremony celebrating the best of British independent cinema.
The festival’s finale - held on International Women's Day - saw female filmmakers and local creatives prominently recognised among the winners, following a week-long programme of premieres, exclusive previews and screenings.
More than 80 films were screened across five venues, with 50 shortlisted for competition across 11 award categories, showcasing emerging voices and established talent from across the country, including a strong contingent from Northamptonshire.
Friends, families and film fans gathered in full force at the Royal Theatre in Northampton for the closing awards to celebrate the creativity, storytelling and diversity that defined this year’s festival, with the winners announced as follows:
2026 Northampton Film Festival Award Winners
18yrs and Under
Winner: Peaches by Rosie Merat-Brandwood
Best of Northants winner: The Girl and the Chair by Core Creates in Corby
Animation
Winner: Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu
Best of Northants winner: Of All The Things by Steff Lee (originally from Kettering)
Documentary Short Film
Winner: Push The Machine by Max Ward
Best of Northants winner: Swim Sistas by Catherine Joy White (Northampton)
Documentary Feature Film
Winner: The Corinthians: We Were The Champions by Helen Tither
Best of Northants winner: Project Rockclimber by Ben Kelly (Northampton)
Narrative Fiction Short Film
Winner: Dressed to the Nines by Madeleine Shenai and Ivana Mazza-Coates
Best of Northants winner: Blue Violet by Josie Charles (Writer and Actor Esme Allen is from Northampton)
Narrative Fiction Feature Film
Winner: 49 Miles More (a production with strong Northampton links)
New Filmmaker
Winner: A Death in the Family by Yasmin Hafesji
Best of Northants winner: Playground by Tayla Halfacre (Northampton)
Misfit and Mavericks
Winner: Maia: A Mother of Nations by Sara Dos Santos
Best of Northants winner: AUTOPILOT by James Millar (Northampton)
For photo highlights of all the festival events, visit the festival Facebook www.facebook.com/NorthamptonFilmFestivalUK/ or Instagram www.instagram.com/nnfilmfestival/