• An international film festival raising awareness of the climate crisis is being held at Keele University and in Hanley. 
• Over 2500 entries have been submitted by young filmmakers from around the globe for the Earth Stories film festival and competition. 
• The festival will be held on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd April, with members of the public invited to attend and view the winning entries – the events are free to attend and open to all.

Highlighting the climate crisis 

Members of the public are invited to a student-led film festival organised by Keele University, which will highlight the efforts to tackle the climate crisis around the world. 

Earth Stories, a student-led film festival and competition from Keele’s School of Media and Film, has seen over 2500 entries submitted by young filmmakers from around the globe. 

The international film festival will be held on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of April, and will present new and inspirational stories from filmmakers aged 16-25 addressing climate change and revealing pathways for a more sustainable future. 

Aaliyah Gibbings-Gardner, Media and Sociology student and Festival Director, said: “It’s really exciting to have received so many submissions, we feel so proud to see our hard work paying off with the festival’s success. We’ve been really impressed by the stories we’ve seen from all over the world.” 

Impressive stories from around the world 

Emily Stevenson, English Literature student and Chair of the Senior Judging Team added: “It's wonderful to be looking at films that are focused on an important cause and to have the amazing opportunity to see the perspectives of different individuals, on a global scale. The extensive reach the festival has had, coupled with the enthusiasm for film and the environment, is wonderful.” 

The two-day festival of films will be interspersed with talks and workshops and will be hosted at two locations in North Staffordshire:  

• Westminster Theatre at Keele University (Friday 21st April 2023 1pm-3pm) 
• The Mitchell Arts Centre in Hanley (22nd April 2023 2pm-4pm).  

The festival is open to the public and anyone can attend on both days. 

No ticket is required for the event at Westminster Theatre on Keele’s campus, but booking is required for the event at Mitchell Arts Centre. To book tickets, visit Eventbrite.