The Return of Hertfordshire Film Festival

Hertfordshire Film Festival is back on the big screen! The Festival returns in April 2025 to provide an unmissable opportunity for young filmmakers to create and showcase their work at Watford Palace Theatre. Work will be selected by a selection panel of industry professionals and previous editions of the Festival have seen talks and masterclasses from leading film and TV industry figures alongside panel discussions and workshops.

The Festival once again partners with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, University of Hertfordshire, Watford Borough Council, creative arts organisation CathARTtic and Watford Palace Theatre to give young people aged 11-25 who live, work or study in Hertfordshire the chance to share their work with a wider audience.

Submitted work will be shortlisted to screen over the two days with two prize winners also being selected by the selection panel. The prize for the best film from the 11–17 age category will be an industry screening at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. 18–25 year old prize winners will also receive an industry screening at the studios plus lunch with Dan Dark, Executive Vice President Warner Bros. Studio Operations, on his next UK visit.

In collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire and CathARTic, the Festival will also run a skills development workshop in early January 2024 aimed at underrepresented filmmakers in the Hertfordshire area. More details on the workshop and other Festival community and industry elements will follow in due course.

Submissions are free via the Festival website and FilmFreeway and will open early next year.

James Williams, Associate Director of Watford Palace Theatre has said: “Hertfordshire Film Festival is back, and Watford Palace Theatre is delighted to be a platform for young filmmakers showcasing their creative talents. Over the next two years, the Festival plans to support the development of key skills as well as signposting opportunities and pathways into the county’s thriving film and wider creative industries.”

Emily Stillman, SVP Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, commented: “The Festival is a great way for local filmmakers to showcase their skills and Warner Bros. is delighted to recognise emerging talent. Previous entries have shown incredible aptitude and I’m excited to watch this year’s entries.”

Maria Todesco and Nicky Day, Co-Founders and Directors of CathARTic have said: “We are thrilled to be a partner of the Hertfordshire Film Festival. The last Festival provided so many young, talented and passionate film makers with the opportunity to professionally showcase their incredible work. We introduced young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities into the filmmaking process and having the opportunity to showcase their talents and films built so much confidence in not only their abilities, but in themselves, so we are over-the-moon we can continue to build upon that!”

Dr Stephen Partridge, Dean of the School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire, commented: “As we coordinate efforts to provide ever more compelling career opportunities to the people of Hertfordshire, the Film Festival represents the perfect opportunity to celebrate the creative work of young people across the county. The context for this celebration of film, bringing partners together from industry and education with targeted Council support, further enables local residents to benefit from opportunities concentrated within this region”.

Inna Allen, Head of UH Arts + Culture, University of Hertfordshire, said: “We are delighted to support the Hertfordshire Film Festival again, giving visibility to the incredible young talent emerging into the industry.”

More information can be found at https://www.hertsfilmfest.co.uk/

Notes to Editor
Watford Palace Theatre is a regional cultural powerhouse that entertains and brings joy, empowerment, and inspiration to all. From its roots as a Music Hall, built in 1908, and an early pioneer of Theatre in Education, Watford Palace Theatre is an arts charity that celebrates its rich heritage, and boldly steps towards the future embracing a new vision of theatre – indoors, outdoors, and online. Recent acclaimed WPT productions include a pioneering retelling of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice 1936, set during the Battle of Cable Street; brand-new musical The Lost Spells, based on the bestselling book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris; a new adaptation of Little Women by Anne-Marie Casey. Recent work with WPT’s key partners RIFCO Theatre Company include: a world premiere of Glitterball, and Happy Birthday Sunita.

Watford Palace Theatre is proud to celebrate inventive and inclusive creativity for all generations, exhibited with Abi’s House Party by the Palace Young Company, the Enrich Festival in association with Herts Inclusive Theatre which gives visibility to artists with learning disabilities, and a sharing of the Moving Museum of Motherhood by Moving Stories Ltd., which came to be staged via WPT’s freelance callout. Watford Palace Theatre partners with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the University of Hertfordshire, and CathARTic Art, to produce the Hertfordshire Film Festival, showcasing the best young filmmaking talent across the region.

About School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire
The School of Creative Arts provides transformational learning and research opportunities in an inspirational, ambitious and dynamic academic community. With close proximity to London and excellent access to industry, our vibrant creative community offers an inspiring and supportive environment in which to build your creative career.

Our academic and technical staff are all professional artists, designers, film makers, musicians and writers. We provide expert teaching, learning, research and consultancy in animation, architecture, digital media, fashion, film, games, graphics, illustration, interiors, music, model, television and visual effects. Colleagues in professional roles within the School all share in our passion for providing an inspiring and exciting environment for our students to develop their talents within.

Equipped with amazing facilities and with a collaborative curriculum focused on the intersection between creativity and technology, the latest technology, including state of the art computer labs, motion capture, live sound and music performance spaces, 3D printing, TV studio, post-production suites, and excellent industry partnerships, the School of Creative Arts is a great environment to develop your career in creative education, leadership, and research.

Our students have won multiple national and international creative industries awards, and we offer fantastic purposeful opportunities to develop new skills and experiences in our mission to power potential.

For more information, visit www.herts.ac.uk and @uhcreatives

About UH Arts + Culture, University of Hertfordshire
Sitting within the School of Creative Arts, UH Arts + Culture brings a rich arts and culture programme to campus and local communities, and shares the best visual arts, live arts, and music with the university sites and our surrounding communities.

With a programme of exhibitions, performances, and engagement projects, UH Arts + Culture delivers innovative arts and culture with associated research; offering space for artists and performers to experiment, and audiences to engage and co-produce.

Working in collaboration with St Albans Museum + Gallery, and other key partners, UH Arts + Culture presents off-campus exhibitions and events, displaying works from around the world in new contexts.

Reaching across the county, UH Arts + Culture is committed to strengthening Hertfordshire’s arts and cultural offer with their key partners.

For more information, visit www.uharts.co.uk and @unihertsarts

About University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire is a vibrant, inclusive, campus-based institution that hosts a thriving community of just under 32,000 students, studying 550 degree options. Innovative and enterprising, the University’s strong relationships with industry and award-winning careers services complement high-quality teaching to ensure Herts’ students gain the knowledge and skills they need to match their ambition and succeed.UH is ranked in the top 25% of all universities in terms of research impact, and 78% of their research has been ranked ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Research Excellence Framework 2021).UH partners with institutions around the world, and welcomes more than 11,500 international students from over 140 countries to their UK campuses.