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Children and young people featured prominently at this year’s Northampton Film Festival Awards, held at the Royal and Derngate Theatre in Northampton last Thursday (1 June), where the winning films for 2023 were announced.

The young winners included:

Best Film, 16yrs and Under category: 'Beth' by Writer and Director Ava Bounds, which she wrote aged 14 years. Beth has also won a host of awards globally and Ava made history in 2021 when, aged 15, she was declared the youngest person ever to win the IMDb New Filmmaker Award.

Best Northamptonshire Film, 16yrs and Under category: ‘You Are Enough’ by the Children of St Luke's Primary School in Northampton, assisted by their drama teacher, Dale Forder. The film follows the fictional character, Abbey, as she struggles with the pressures of primary school until she sets off on an adventure of self-discovery with the potential of overcoming all her anxieties.

NFF Awards - St Lukes Primary School students & teachers with their Award

Runner up for Best Short Drama: ‘The Pigeon of Waterloo’ by Director Margaux Comte and Northants Producer, Tyla Sharp, both in their early twenties and co-starring 15 year old Evangeline Rose. In the film a man who feels compelled to wear a pigeon mask, finally gets to spend time with his estranged teenage daughter in an exploration of escapism, loneliness, acceptance and identity.

Best Northants Short Documentary: ‘Unidentified’ from Director Deacon Smith and Northampton Producer Kyle Adams who is currently studying Film Production at Staffordshire University. The film tells the story of a forgotten UFO sighting that occured in Stoke-on-Trent in September 1967.

The full list of winners also includes:In the Documentary category:

Best Short Documentary: ‘We Move’ by Souvid DattaBest Feature Length Documentary: ‘A Life On the Farm’ by Oscar Harding

Students and teacher of St Lukes Primary School on stage to receive their Award

In the Drama category

Best Drama Short (including the best from Northamptonshire): ‘Exhibit-A’ by Director James Wilkinson and Northants Producer Barbara RobertsonBest Sketchy-Link-to-Northamptonshire Drama Short: ‘Held’ by Director Toby Wharton, an Associate Lecturer at the University of Northampton

Best Film in the Feature Length Drama category: ‘Fixed’ by Jez Alsop‘Fixed’ was also the Best Sketchy-Link-To Northants as Jez Alsop is a Lecturer at the University of NorthamptonBest Northamptonshire Feature Length Drama: ‘Wild Bones’ by Northampton Writer/Director Jack James

Runner up Sketchy-Link-to-Northamptonshire Drama Short: ‘Incompatible’ by Maxine Peake with Northants Editor Colin GoudieRunner up Best Drama Short - jointly: ‘Spinning’ by Sam Spruell and ‘The Electricity in Me’ by Mat Sheldon

Ava Bounds (left) Director of 'Beth' receives the Award for Best Film 16 yrs and under

The Northampton Film Festival and the Awards Ceremony 2023 were made possible through the support of Northampton Town Centre BID, Northampton Town Council, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, CARRIER-media, Panavision, Northampton Filmhouse and the University of Northampton.

The photos below capture some of the fun and excitement of the Awards ceremony.

Photographer Ben Gregory-Ring for Northampton Film Festival Ltd

IN PICTURES: Northampton Film Festival 2023 - And the winners are ….!