Film Festival invites North Northants to make a scene

Running from 28th February to 8th March, 2026, this year’s festival — themed ‘Still Making a Scene’ — is opening up more ways for residents of North Northants to get involved. From red carpet events and family-friendly screenings to hands-on creative workshops and a county-wide community art exhibition, NFF is calling on North Northamptonshire to join the action.

With a mix of free and ticketed events, the festival will include a red-carpet Opening Gala, two awards ceremonies, relaxed matinees, and a public exhibition showcasing creative work from across the county — with prizes up for grabs for young people and adults.

Animation 'Of All The Things' is from Kettering-born Director Steff Lee.

Festival Director Becky Carrier says, “NFF is for everyone — whether you’re film-mad, creatively curious or just fancy seeing familiar Northants places up on the big screen. Our festival celebrates the rebels, misfits, creatives and changemakers who make this county what it is. So we’re inviting people across North Northants to be bold, take centre stage and come make a scene with us.”

NFF has the world premiere of The Girl & The Chair from Corby Creates

Free creative sessions coming to Wellingborough and Corby

In the lead-up to the festival, NFF is bringing the creativity straight to North Northants, with free, drop-in creative sessions taking place in Wellingborough and Corby throughout February, commissioned By Made With Many, a Creative People and Places programme funded by Arts Council England.

Removed is screening as part of the NFF Creative and Changemaker screening

The sessions are open to all ages and abilities, and will give participants the chance to create artwork for a major public exhibition launching at NFF’s Opening Gala at Delapré Abbey on 28 February 2026. The exhibition will then travel to Wellingborough and Corby, celebrating creativity close to home.

Drop-in creative sessions:

• Friday 13 February – Corby library inside the Cube, 2pm-5.30pm
• Saturday 14 February – Wellingborough Library, 9:30am–5:30pm
• Thursday 19 February (Half Term) – Swansgate Shopping Centre, Wellingborough, 9:30am–5:30pm
• Saturday 21 February - Corby library inside the Cube, 10am-2pm

Artists are also welcome to submit existing work to NFF at the sessions or by sending the work to [email protected] The work should be inspired by our prompt (or part of it): ‘Northants is a county of Rebels and Revolutionaries, Misfits and Mavericks, Creatives and Changemakers’. Full details can be found on NNCreativePlace on Instagram or Facebook. The deadline is Saturday 21 February.

All attendees of the creative sessions and submissions receive 10% off 2 NFF tickets.

Exhibition dates:

• Core theatre inside the Cube: 18 March 2026 from 4.30pm with free creative networking event from 6.30pm – book your free tickets here – book via the NFF schedule page Events Schedule | Northampton Film Festival 2026 and The Creative Place
• Wellingborough Library: 24–31 March 2026 drop in during library opening hours

Awards:

• An award for the winner in each of our 2 categories (18yrs and Under, and 19yrs+) will be presented at the festival’s awards Ceremonies on Sunday 8 March 2026 at the Royal Theatre Northampton.

Big screen moments made in North Northants

Film fans won’t want to miss the festival’s ‘Still Making a Scene’ red carpet opening matinee — a relaxed, family-friendly (PG/12A) event designed by students from Creating Tomorrow College at Chester House, Irchester.

The 2026 programme also shines a spotlight on powerful films with strong North Northants connections, including:

Of All The Things – Directed by Kettering-born Steff Lee

In this film - based on the director’s own experience as a child living with a parent with hoarding behaviours - Ava remembers her childhood home as a place full of amazing things and adventures. The day she returns home from university, however, everything changes: what used to be an exciting playground has become an oppressive box, and her mother’s things and fear of letting go overwhelm their home and their relationship.

Removed – submitted by part of The Unchained Collective based in Wellingborough

Removed tells the story of one woman - Hope - from the moment she is taken from her home, without warning, without trial, in the middle of the night by immigration enforcement officers and taken to an immigration removal centre. The animation was developed following a participatory process from writing the script collaboratively, with those who have lived through detention, to getting feedback at every stage of the process from potential audience members.

Both films can be seen as part of the Creative and Changemaker programme: Creative and Changemaker short films with CLICK Arts Foundation (12A) + filmmaker Q&A | Northampton Film Festival 2026 and The Creative Place

The Girl and The Chair – Produced by Core Creates, Corby

A tender narrative that explores themes of friendship, loneliness, and anxiety, the film is dedicated to the memory of Adam, a former Core Create member. Core Create are a youth drama group based at the Core at Corby Cube in the heart of Corby town centre. The Girl and the Chair (World Premiere) | Northampton Film Festival 2026 and The Creative Place

Find out more

The full festival line-up and booking details are available at:northamptonfilmfestival.eventive.org/

Northampton Film Festival 2026 has been made possible with support from our venues the University of Northampton, Royal & Derngate, Northampton Filmhouse and Delapré Abbey, as well as funding from Northampton Town Council and Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery.

Film Hub Midlands support people to watch, show, and make films in the Midlands. Northamptonshire Community Foundation have also supported the festival’s Young Programmers scheme and Panavision have again donated the festival’s distinctive clapper board trophies.