A student-led film festival at Keele University is drawing international attention to Staffordshire and contributing to the county’s growing creative economy.
The Earth Stories Film Festival, founded in 2022 by Keele students Emily Stevenson, Charlie Beale and Aaliyah Gibbings-Gardner with academic lead James McAteer, received more than 5,000 submissions from 136 countries for its 2025 edition. Open to filmmakers aged under 25, it invites entries across four categories: Animation, Documentary, Experimental and Fiction.
The 2025 awards were held at the Mitchell Arts Centre in Hanley, attracting local audiences and international participants. The festival has been Highly Commended at the 2024 Green Gown Awards and nominated for the BBC Stoke Make a Difference Award.
Festival Director Katherine Chapman said the event aims to highlight environmental issues through young voices while supporting local creative activity.
According to the British Film Institute, UK film and television production spend reached a record £5.6 billion in 2024, while the wider creative industries added £126 billion to the economy in 2022, supporting 2.5 million jobs. The film, TV, radio and photography sector contributed £20.8 billion in value.
Staffordshire’s place marketing organisation We Are Staffordshire, is promoting the county as a film-friendly destination through its Film Staffordshire initiative. The programme supports filmmakers in finding locations, securing permissions and working with local suppliers.
A spokesperson said film production can have “a significant local impact, generating contracts for accommodation, catering, logistics and technical services.”
The next Earth Stories awards will take place in March 2026 at Keele’s Wade Conference Centre. Organisers expect continued international interest and growing benefits for Staffordshire’s creative sector.
Earth Stories is a brilliant concept from the amazing students at Keele University. Enlightening, informative and inspirational. Many Congratulations to all concerned. So glad it is getting the international attention it deserves.