The Earth Stories Team
McAteer believes Earth Stories is an important project as ‘it provides a space for young people to articulate their concerns about the climate crisis and offers solutions and ideas for change’ , however ‘time management is crucial’ and ‘recruiting students to the judging panel can't be emphasised enough. ’
McAteer finds enjoyment in ‘working w hopes that the festival will ‘increase its
Shropshire’ through encouraging young
Name: Aaliyah
Earth Stories Director and 3rd year Media and Sociology student
Aaliyah sees Earth Stories as ‘a beacon of hope’ as ‘to see so many incredible stories shared with us by passionate young filmmakers, advocating for change towards a brighter and more sustainable future, is inspiring. ’ She also finds that ideology the festival evokes is relevant and crucial to the present day, and believes Earth Stories has an ability to spread awareness through a much more positive manner; from the perspectives of young people through their own films; a hopeful sight.
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Name: Charlie Beale
Technical Director and 3rd year Music Technology student
Name: Emily Stevenson
Assistant Director and 2nd year English Literature student
Stevenson expresses the need for the discussion surrounding climate change to be pushed further, as ‘only in recent years does it feel like the conversation around climate change, has become 'mainstream' Therefore, she continues that the festival is ‘exactly the type of platform needed to champion stewardship for our planet ' Stevenson admires the unison of Keele students of different studies, which come together to view stories from all over the world, giving a sense of community to Earth Stories.
What makes Earth Stories important to Beale are the films submitted to the festival, as they ‘are a distinct way of sharing people voices’ Hearing the ‘passion of young individuals from around the world, allows us to ensure those voices are being heard’ and amplified to a wider audience
Additionally, he has found the festival to be ‘a pleasure watching grow, from an idea, to an international, award-winning festival’ .
ame: Charlotte Knott esign Lead, Editor-In-Chief nd 2nd year Film Studies and Media student
om Earth Stories, Knott states, ‘my outlook has expanded, and I see things ore dimensionally, so that I can view and appreciate the perspectives and terpretations of others much more ’ However, what she enjoys most about e festival, ‘always, my first answer would be my team. We work so well gether, and to share the same passion for nature and the environment is omething I really appreciate ’ In closing, Knott finds the festival important, ‘as brings together stories concerning the degradation of the environment, from ultiple different perspectives of young people, so they can be shared and tened to. ’
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Name: Connie Bradwell-Moore
Social Media and FilmFreeway Management and 1st year Film Studies & Creative Writing student
Bradwell-Moore joined the team ‘to get hands on experience working on social media with a film festival’ in order to ‘get the opportunity to develop’ her ‘confidence and management skills’ She wanted to do this whilst working within a committee, in turn gaining communication experience. From Earth Stories, Bradwell-Moore has further developed these abilities and more
Name: Holly Martella
Social Media Design and Management and Editor and 1st year Media and Communications Student
‘Many things’ are enjoyable whilst being a part of a film festival, according to Martella ‘In particular, the welcoming atmosphere, the chance for creative expression, and discussion of the environment and climate change ’ Supplementary to this, what she finds important about Earth Stories, is that it ‘not only raises awareness about climate change, but generates excitement by providing a creative outlet for people to come together as a community in response to the changing climate ’ Conclusively, it has given Martella ‘the creative freedom to generate ideas and express them confidently within a safe environment ’
Name: Ziyu Zhang
Virtual Gallery Designer and 3rd year Business Management and Media student
Zhang perceives Earth Stories as a ‘great platform for young directors to showcase their work’ She found herself ‘pleasantly surprised by the different opinions of the judges’ whilst working through the judging process, subjectivity being a challenging factor throughout shortlisting
Concerning the virtual gallery however, being one of the designers for the project, Zhang found the undertaking of its execution tedious, though it provided great knowledge for her future endeavours
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Name: Amelia Walton Chair of the Senior Judging Panel and 1st year Film Studies and Media student
Having previously been a part of various other film festivals, Walton professed Earth Stories to be ‘an amazing way of getting involved with something I am passionate about whilst pushing myself out of my comfort zone and helping to raise awareness around environmental issues ’ Although, Walton reflected the cruciality of the festival, as it informs of the current climate crisis, which ‘so many people are not aware of the issues caused by it and what they can do to help save our environment’ , the festival being beneficial regarding this predicament She further commented that the festival ‘will help to educate people on what they can do to help whilst also giving a space for young filmmakers to share their work and nurture their creativity ’ Finally, what she appreciates about Earth Stories is the team members enthusiasm in ‘creating something new and doing everything we can to grow the festival to make as big of an impact as possible. ’
Name: Liam Salmon
FilmFreeway Management, Judge and 2nd year Film Studies and Media student
Salmon enjoys being a part of something where he can evoke his passion for film, whilst raising awareness regarding the environment, possessing the opportunity of working alongside a community-like team He also finds that the festival ‘gives a platform for filmmakers to show their talent’ , and to see the varying perspectives of young directors allows him to gain and to put into practice new skills concerning his area of study.
Name: Yufan Dong
Virtual Gallery Director and 3rd year Business Management and Media student
Dong admires the beauty of nature, desiring to keep this from ever been destroyed To her, the festival is good ‘publicity and a call on everyone to protect the environment’ in order to achieve her ambition. Moreover, she values the abundance you can learn from watching and critiquing the ‘excellent movies ’ Though, important to mention, as Earth Stories virtual gallery director, Dong has found it rewarding adding these films to the exhibition hall, being able to present the impressive works of young directors.
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Name: Joseph McLeod
Tech Assistant and Social Media
and 1st year Media and Music Production student
Applying his media knowledge to the festival, McLeod has found he has ‘further improved’ his ‘ability to present in front of a group’ , bettering in being able to ‘communicate the questions and ideas’ he may have, in the process gaining more experience considering his course He finds Earth Stories ‘allows people to share their stories about the environment and nature’ , and that being a part of a ‘passionate team’ whilst learning more about what his role entails, has proved rewarding.
Name: Jingyi Du
Virtual Gallery Designer and 3rd year Media and Marketing student
As Du is ‘applying to a curatorial program in graduate school’ , being a part of the festival team has helped her to improve her skills in that regard, as well as haven given her a space to express her enthusiasm for the environment, fitting her ‘interests perfectly ’ She is looking forward to the festivals big event at the Michell Arts Centre, as joining Earth Stories has made her feel fortunate for the skills she has received, and not to forgot the virtual gallery that she was a part of the production of, which will be showcased Du reflects on this project as an ‘ultimately satisfactory piece of work ’
Name: Sam Galantini Technical Support and Keele University Media Technical Lead
‘I notice every day how tolerant and dismissive people are of the world around them, and how much they take it for granted. Unfortunately not enough people can see that it’s the small changes, like putting your takeaway cup in the right bin, that make the biggest difference. I see Earth Stories as a means to open people’s eyes to the world around them with that hope that it will inspire some change within them ’
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Name:
Siyi Shen
Virtual Gallery Designer and 3rd year Business Management and Media Student
Possessing a love for film in the first place, Shen has a ‘strong interest in environmental protection’ and so joined the team having being interested in ‘the theme of Earth Stories ’ She has mentioned how the festival shows ‘excellent works’ by young directors, which reflect ‘the importance of environmental protection’ , a current significant message Shen has come to acquire much experience regarding the judging process of submissions, the behind the scenes of running a virtual gallery, working with a film festival team, as well as finding great admiration for the festival as a whole
Name: Joshua Patterson - Judging Panel Member and 2nd year Computer Science and Music Production Stud
Patterson shares his experience as a judging panel mem involved in such a fast-paced dedicated team makes every to attend, as I learn something new from the conversations have. Everyone is free to bring and discuss their o decisions, and I hope to be part of a bigger role in the fu more films from the start of planning the festival ’
From being a part of the team, Patterson has ‘seen firs goes into organising a festival, and the different cultural backgrounds behind a range of films from all genres’ which have enlightened him ‘on a better understanding of our world. ’
Name: Rosie Taylor Earth Stories judge and 1st year Media and Communications student
Besides wanting to get into the industry of her area of studies, Taylor joined Earth Stories as she believes the festival ‘helps smaller filmmakers get recognition’ . As a judge, she likes the aspect of having the ‘freedom to vote as little or as much’ as she wanted, the role being a flexible one
Name: Mahlete Tafari
Earth Stories judge and 3rd year Environmental Science student
Earth stories ‘raises awareness in a way that is more personal’ , Tafari mentions, and ‘to take part in such a global festival and learn from the perspectives of others across the world’ has given her the opportunity of ‘witnessing how many creative people there are out there’ .
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Name: Ade Stevenson Teacher at St John Fisher, Newcastle Under Lyme
'Working in education requires not only an awareness of the world in which our teenagers grow up but also a desire to make the world a better place There are no more pressing concerns than global warming and the health of the planet. Earth Stories is about giving the next generation an important voice and vital platform in the hope that storytelling can help to re-educate the world '
Name: Claire Stevenson Deputy Headteacher at St Gabriel's Primary School, Cheshire
‘As a primary school teacher, I feel privileged to inspire children. I see Earth Stories as an inspirational tool to not only teach children, but also adults, about the global challenges our society faces This platform also creates incredible opportunities for young filmmakers showcasing the awe and wonder in our beautiful world that deserves to be protected and cherished '
Name: Harry Handley Earth Stories judge and 2nd year Film Studies and Media student
Handley enjoys the aspect of variety within the festival, as having the opportunity to judge films from different categories allows him to see ‘different projects, fuelled by the same passion’ , and all created from the perspectives of directors from all over the world Though, important to Hadley is the awareness that Earth Stories raises ‘of specific, troubling aspects to modern day life’ that occurs due to the climate crisis.
Name: Imogen Morgan Bailey - Judging Panel Member
Name: Katherine Chapman - Assistant Chair
Name: Daniel Harvey
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Wild wonders of a British Garden
2024
Th ead aw ish Ga the cre Th Willow Pr - not on ut also to mining glo nge 1 1
Director- Louis Plumley Location - UK
Film Nominations
rector - Veronika Jakubcik Location - United Kingdom
Weeping willow Di
Capturing the passion of Sarawak's driven conservation community, understorey explores the adversity and hope in this field The short documentary encapsulates the constant uphill battle to preserve the rainforests of Malaysia and its array of creatures, big and small, which inhabit them.
Atlantis Mussels
Director - Rachmat Kurniawan Idrus Location - Indonesia
Director- Claire Riverland and Lily Newcombe Location - Australia
This film narrates the story of a community on the coast of Jakarta, experiencing the direct impact of land subsidence and global climate change. In an effort to face this crisis, they come up with a unique solution by using green mussel shells for raising the ground to prevent the disaster from engulfing their homes
Plastic Pollution
This documentary explores the impact of plastic pollution on the environment, particularly focusing on the losses of aquatic life and harm to marine animals, alongside local coasts
Director- Syed Jibran Safdar Location - Pakistan
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Understorey
An anima d's Timila village, and his grandson s during their mid plessness against n ffer from climate c orations, they mus e
In th ds a grou nets to t get dist otic cha ngfeel pon ente
2024
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tion - India
Bhanyaat Planets Aligned Director
Bhanu Fulara Loca
ed
Director - Liv Berry Location - Unit
Kingdom
The
