Since June 2024, our Young Programmers have gained valuable insights into the industry, from the nuts and bolts of film festivals to how to curate a screening. 

They worked collaboratively to create their own film programme for our Northern Exposure short film night, showcasing the very best of Northern talent. These handpicked films will be featured at cinemas and festivals across the region, where participants will host Q&As with filmmakers.

Upcoming Northern Exposure dates:

We can’t wait to see what this incredible group get up to next!

Josh is a 24-year-old cinephile with a fascination for culture and is a longtime suffering Sheffield Wednesday supporter.

Emily is a filmmaker and artist based in Lancashire, UK. During their animation masters degree, Emily made their first animation film, I Would Like to Live on the Moon. Previously, they were a screenwriting undergraduate student at UCLan from 2017-2020.

A university student with a burning passion for films, Harry has in-depth knowledge about modern films of all types. He also loves to support the future of film by championing impressive shorts and seeks to show them the way all great films are meant to be seen - on the big screen.

Fiona is a filmmaker based in Manchester and hopes to release her first independently made short film this year. They currently work as an edit assistant and has had a keen interest in film exhibition since their first job in a cinema as a teenager. Fiona has always wanted to host queer short film nights in South Manchester and hopes this scheme will help her to launch them alongside Withington Pride. 

Ai is a freelance photographer and filmmaker based in Sheffield. Their work is often drawn to community or migration based themes. They've learnt so much while being part of the Young Programmers and hope to use this knowledge to further their filmmaking career.

Mia is 21 from Chester. She is hugely passionate about film and can be found in the cinema multiple times a week. Mia did Film Studies for her A Levels so has always loved engaging with a diverse range of cinema, analysing it, learning about a film's context and cinema's rich history in general. She also just finished a BBC Apprenticeship in TV Production which taught her so much about being on set and the entire production process so she is looking forward to seeing lots of new talent and to celebrate their creativity and work.

Nam is entering his 3rd year in Media, Communication & Cultural Studies at Newcastle University with the main focus in film. He has grown a significant interest in cinema after years following film festivals like Berlinale, Cannes, etc. Nam aspires to be a filmmaker and he’s keen to connect with other film enthusiasts.


Northern Exposure Young Film Programmers is part of our BFI Film Academy programme for young film fans. BFI Film Academy offers opportunities for ambitious 16-25 year olds, anywhere in the UK, to get to know more about film and how to forge a career in the screen industries.