Osprey Short Film Awards

Saturday 24th February 2018, The Alhambra 1pm
FREE ENTRY

“I feel it's very important for those of us who are established in films to make sure that we put ourselves out to encourage the next link in the chain. It's not difficult to put oneself out and it was greatly enjoyable watching their films and sharing their pleasure at the awards.”
John Hurt, 2012

For our tenth year celebrating local filmmaking we have a selection of drama, documentary, animated and experimental films.

Many have been shot in locations in Cumbria including Keswick, Carlisle and Windermere. Our film makers include professionals, amateurs, students and young people, some as young as eight. We have contributions from individuals, from small groups of collaborators and from fully fledged film-crews.

2018 Official Selection

Open Award Winner

Best of Three
By Signal Film and Media BFI Academy Team 2017 (9 mins 57 secs)

A drama - set within a bunker, in a mysterious post-apocalyptic world - which follows a man’s anxiety as he waits for his wife, who is tasked to refill their dwindling energy supplies.

Created by a group of 16-19 year olds for this year's BFI Film Academy Cumbria.

Audience Award Winner

The Bob Graham Round: Running the Fells with Friends
By Kaleel Zibe (9 mins 57 secs)

Tony Holt attempts the iconic Bob Graham Round: a 66 mile ultra distance mountain challenge taking in 42 of England's Lake District fells with 27,000ft of ascent, which must be completed within 24 hours. More than just a physical and mental challenge for the ultra-fit, Tony narrates his story and explains that it's running in the hills with friends that makes it so special.

Other Shortlisted Films

His Last Minutes
By Birk Garlef Drude (3 mins 35 secs)

A young man on the verge of death has to traverse his own mind as it leads him down a path to confront his guilt.

The film was shot in several locations around Carlisle with a cast and crew living in the area and studying at the University of Cumbria.

Circle Film
By Julia Parks (3 mins 17 secs)

A film study of natural and man made circles found in the landscape of West Cumbria. The film includes Salt Pan at Mile Fortlet 21, a slag heap in Workington and sheep folds deep in the Northern Fells.

The film was created as part of the Allerdale Film Farm, a ten-day 16mm film event which took place in West Cumbria in August 2017.

Get on the Moving Circuit
By Sophie Broadgate (7 mins 30 secs)

A person can become lost and buried by ambition with no clear output in sight. Under the surface lies a battleground between negative behaviour and the will for wellness. Get on the Moving Circuit is a personal account of reconnection and realisation, questioning identity and sense of place.

The film was shot on location at Walney South Beach and is based on personal experience growing up in the area.

Electric Eye
By Leah Millar (5 mins 5 secs)

A 16mm experimental film made near the Solway coast looking at wind turbines and their relationship to the Cumbrian landscape around them.

Filmed on Tallentire Hill and hand processed and printed in a collectively made pop-up darkroom in the basement of Hayton Castle during the Allerdale Film Farm.

Caught Life Twice (Prologue)
By EPXCS and Ben Wangenye (3 mins 12 secs)

EPXCS is a London bred artist-producer and founding member of the minikingz label. This documentary is a preview into the anticipated ‘Caught Life Twice’ music release and the themes that are explored through a self-reflective and insightful look into EPXCS world.

Ben Wangenye is a final year film and television production student at the University of Cumbria.

Dissolve Our Maps
By Richard Skelton (8 mins 25 secs)

Julian Hyde has been tracking the unregarded edgelands of that jewel in England's crown, the Lake District, for over ten years – picking over the frayed seams and exposing the cracks that Cumbria's tourist industry would rather you didn't discover. This short film presents isolated fragments of Hyde's decade-long walk to nowhere, tracing and retracing an elliptical path along the 'unseen realm between the main road and the church', recapitulating in his own words an oblique narrative of hope and despair, clarity and blurred vision(s).

The Day Before Christmas
By Signal Starters (2 mins 37 secs)

A young girl has Christmas spirit brought to her doorstep by a troop of lively snowmen.

Made in Cumbria by the Signal Starters group of 8-12 yr olds as part of their 'Film in a Week' project.

Filmmakers Network

As well as showcasing great short films we also hope the Ospreys will provide opportunities for film makers to meet each other and possibly collaborate on future projects. We have created a group on Facebook called the Osprey Filmmakers Network which we invite you to join if you have entered or film in the past of are thinking of doing so in the future, or perhaps you'd like to get involved in some other way.

Osprey Filmmakers Network: http://bit.ly/OspreysNet

Partners & Sponsors

The Osprey Short Film Awards at Keswick Film Festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway.com, the world's best online submission platform. FilmFreeway offers free HD online screeners, unlimited video storage, digital press kits, and more.

If you'd like to sponsor the Osprey Short Film Awards or supply any prizes then please contact us.



Osprey Short Film Awards

Now accepting entries for 2025

A selection of previous festival programme covers
View the programme archive


Staying in Keswick for the Festival?

Staying in Keswick for the Festival?

For the first time, Keswick Film Festival has joined forces with Sally's Cottages, an award-winning, local, family-run holiday cottage letting agency based just across the road from our beloved Alhambra Cinema. Sally's Cottages have over 240 self-catering holiday cottages in and around Keswick and you will be spoiled for choice for your stay during the Festival.

Supported by Film Hub North, led by Showroom Workstation. Proud to be part of the BFI Film Audience Network

Film Hub North
BFI Film Audience Network

All programme and film details are correct at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.