Launch of the upcoming Northampton Film Festival will be a celebration of inspiring women across the town

With International Women’s Day fast approaching (March 8), Northampton Film Festival has joined forces with Delapré Abbey to celebrate the inspiring women of our town – as well as to mark the launch of the festival.

Inspiring female filmmakers and on-screen characters will be celebrated through screenings of a selection of short films, which give a voice to their joys, challenges, achievements and fearlessness.

The films will be screened as part of Northampton Film Festival’s day of ‘Inspiring Women’ next Saturday (March 9), following International Women’s Day.

This will begin with a pop-up cinema at Delapré Abbey from 2pm and will conclude with a red carpet opening gala for the festival, from 6.30pm the same day.

Northampton Film Festival is non-profit and exists to increase access to the film and creative industries. It hopes to empower local people and provide a platform for underrepresented voices – as well as bringing brilliant work from across the country to local audiences.

Becky Carrier, the festival director, said: “Delapré was the perfect choice for this event, as in the 1950s it was saved from demolition and for the public good by a formidable woman – historian and activist Joan Wake.”

The public will be able to watch a range of films, from dramas and comedies to documentaries and music videos, from 2pm until 5.30pm. A number of films will then screen at the opening gala in the evening.

These include ‘SAFE’, a short film that won best director and screenplay at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival.

As an actor, screenwriter and award-winning director, Debbie Howard champions other women in the film industry and amplifies women’s voices through her work. SAFE exhibits the danger women face in public spaces, even when no specific crime is committed.

‘Supervision’ is actor Sophie Colquhoun’s directorial debut and she is known for her on-screen roles in Captain America, Plebs and The Royals.

This experimental film tackles a mother’s psychological abuse and the fact her child is determined not to turn into her.

‘Fifty-Four Days’, from directors Cat White and Phoebe Torrance, centres on a spirited young woman struck by a family tragedy, who turns to wild water swimming in search of answers.

Director Cat, from Northampton, is also a gender advisor to the UN and founder of the award-winning Kusini Productions – established to champion the voices of black women.

There are a number of free screenings as part of the upcoming Northampton Film Festival, from next Friday (March 8) until the following Saturday (March 16).

Tickets for the Delapré Abbey events start at £5, plus a booking fee, and passes are also available for £35 to access all 14 events across Northampton – including the esteemed awards ceremony at Cineworld to mark the end of the festival.

To see the full schedule, watch the film trailers and to book your tickets, click here.