Morecambe film festivals now seeking sponsors for 2025 events

The mini-festival will screen a selection of the Morecambe festival’s best short films from this summer.

Next editions of both Morecambe screen festivals have also been confirmed and are now seeking sponsors.

Film festival patron and Morecambe-raised producer Philip Herd brought his short film Unicorns - nominated for seven British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) including Breakthrough Performance for actor Jason Patel - to the second edition of the festival. Both Jason and Philip took part in a Q&A with the audience after the film.

The Fence, produced by Lake District raised Adam Pickford and the intricate film miniatures of local artist Josh Backhouse also flew the flag for local talent.

The most popular short film screening was the Northern film strand with an impressive Q&A panel of film creators.

Jack Clarke, the producer of the locally made film Paint, said: “The Bay International Film Festival is a vital celebration of creativity - a space where voices from all walks of life come together to share stories that truly matter. As a working-class producer, it’s inspiring to see Northern creativity not just represented but celebrated. Festivals like this remind us that places like Morecambe aren’t just backdrops for cultural renewal - they are the beating heart of a future where Northern artists unite under a shared banner of resilience, vision, and collective power.”

The networking event and film forum connecting local talent was sold out with many valuable connections made as the festival works to make Morecambe a recognised hub for independent cinema in the region.

Other popular sold out events included ITV’s The Bay Season 5 premiere followed by a fantastic Q&A with the director and cast members.

Founder of the Film and Television festival, Matt Panesh said: “We set these festivals up because they were missing from the local area, and we were missing out. Adding a TV strand to the festival really paid off, it was a joy to welcome Johnny Vegas and Graham Duff with their celebration of the TV show IDEAL. I showed them around our resplendent Winter Gardens and am delighted to say Johnny Vegas is already making plans to return to the next festival.

“People fall in love with the town. Peter Richardson from the legendary series The Comic Strip Presents also said he'd like to come back, and of course, The Bay is now part of our DNA and was a fabulous way to open. Next year’s festival is already looking wonderful, and will go from strength to strength.”

For contact details, go to https://www.thebayfilmfestival.com/