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Sixth Form Bolton Students Enjoy Engaging in the Bolton International Film Festival

Earlier this month, 20 students from The Sixth Form Bolton’s Creative Industries department enjoyed attending the Bolton International Film Festival with five students having the fantastic opportunity to volunteer.

The Bolton International Film Festival began in 2017 as a small community arts project.  and gives film-makers and actors in the area an opportunity to celebrate the talent in and around the town, to share their work to a wider audience and to meet industry experts and other film-makers from across the North West and across the UK.

The festival showcases 283 short films, including 34 World premieres, 16 European and 62 National premieres - cementing its reputation as one of the premier events on the festival circuit.

The students who volunteered had a fantastic time with A Level English Literature and Film Studies and Level 3 Music Performance student, Alice Kerfoot, saying:

“Despite it only being a five-day event, I had the chance to witness many short films, documentaries and animated films, all of which were inspirational to someone who wishes to pursue a career in film. The festival strengthened my passion for film and allowed me to leave feeling confident about the roles within the industry and how to achieve them.

Throughout my experience at BIFF, I was assigned many roles that were integral to the running of the festival. These included working the lights for different industry speaker events and showcases, which gave me an insight into the more technical side of events, along with setting up microphones for the industry experts, which also showed me the importance of sound within the industry. Furthermore, together with ticket scanning and completing audience surveys for funding, which allowed me to be involved with the business aspect of the festival, I was granted with the opportunity to host Q&A sessions with the guest industry speakers, which included actors, directors, writers, producers and many more significant people within the industry. This was both nerve-racking and exciting for me, as it meant that I had the responsibility of discussing the filmmakers’ processes and advice for others, but in front of an entire audiences of emerging filmmakers, critics and festival programmers. Despite being thrown in at the deep end, I felt that I asked relevant questions, such as, “Did you come across any challenges during the casting, production or post-production stages of making your film?”, which I later continued by asking, “How did you overcome these challenges and what advice would you give to any other aspiring filmmakers if they were to face any similar obstacles?”. After discussing this with the speakers and opening questions to the audience, I finished the sessions by asking, “Are there any final points that you want to make about your film or any last messages that you would like audiences to take away from them?”. I think that all these questions were valuable to both the filmmakers and me as an aspiring filmmaker, as it allowed me to offer my own perspective and opinions on their films/production processes and filmmaking itself.

Overall, everyone that I met at BIFF was ambitious, friendly and were great people to connect with. I feel that the opportunities I received there, especially hosting the Q&A sessions, were helpful to someone interested in a career in film. Not only did it amplify my passion of becoming a screenwriter, but it also gave me an understanding of the range of careers available in film. For example, when overseeing a session about festival programming, I was introduced to the role of pre-selectors (people that watch and analyse short films that are submitted and decide whether to showcase them or not) which is also a career that I am now interested in. These aspects of the film industry that I have learnt would be unknown to me if it wasn’t for BIFF, so thank you to Adrian and Zoe (the festival directors) for this experience, and to Chris for recommending me for it.”

Second-year A Level English Language, Media Studies and Sociology student: Finley Cubbage, who joined The Sixth Form from Ladybridge High School, commented:

“Volunteering provided a valuable insight into the industry and the different roles within it. The festival organisers and volunteers were extremely kind and helpful, creating a welcoming atmosphere. I would highly recommend volunteering especially if you wish to get your foot in the door as there are plenty of networking opportunities.”

Second-year A Level Film Studies, Media Studies and Photography student: Phoebe Adams who came to The Sixth Form from Canon Slade School said:

“I really enjoyed Bolton film festival. I loved being part of the audience as I was able to talk to people about the industry, how to “get your foot in the door” and how to stand out. It really encouraged me to be constantly involved as it helps you to be thought about and to be recognised as a hard worker.”

Molly Williams, a second-year A Level English Language, Media Studies, Theatre & Drama student who joined The Sixth Form from Sharples School said:

“My experience at BIFF was amazing, I got to get involved with a lot of hands-on work as well as attend talks and watch films from the UK and worldwide.. I feel like I've learned a lot and gained good experience for my CV.

Wanting to be a future producer myself, I found this event really useful as I got to see an insight into the world of film.”

Second-year A level Film Studies, Media Studies and Level 3 Vocational Performing Arts student, Mia Rowley, who joined The Sixth Form from Rivington & Blackrod commented:

Volunteering at the film festival was an inspiring and eye-opening experience. I helped with the screenings, making sure everything ran smoothly and that guests had a great experience, which gave me a behind-the-scenes look at how much effort and coordination goes into organizing such an event. I was able to sit in on several filmmaker talks and panel discussions, where I learned about the creative process, collaboration, and the persistence needed to bring ideas to life. Listening to professionals share their stories taught me the importance of communication, teamwork, and staying adaptable when things don’t go as planned. This experience not only deepened my appreciation for film but also gave me valuable lessons in responsibility, problem-solving, and how passion and hard work can turn dreams into reality — lessons I know will benefit me in whatever I do later in life.

 Chris Hepworth, Course Leader for Film and Media said:

 "We have a long-standing relationship with the festival and want to continue to build this in the future. As a relatively new member of staff, this is only the second year I've been, but I still can't believe how great it is to have that level of quality content on our doorstep. The trip on Day 1 included some amazing international and documentary films, a Breaking Into Industry session, masterclasses from an award-winning Editor and Director of Photography, a red-carpet networking event and an evening showcase of the best of the festival. We will definitely be returning next year. Furthermore, I am immensely proud of our student volunteers, who represented the Sixth Form brilliantly!

A huge thank you to everyone from Bolton International Film Festival for inviting our students to take part and giving them this invaluable opportunity.