A collaboration between Teesside University and Yorkshire and North East Film Archive, our film In the Veins has been has been shortlisted for a prestigious FOCAL International Award for Best Use of Footage in a Short Film Production. 

A panel of judges from across the global film archive sector shortlisted the 24-minute film.  The short film category sees entries from the United States and Northern Ireland alongside In the Veins, with the winner revealed during the Awards Gala evening on 19th June, 2025 at Church House Westminster in London.

It's a real honour to make the shortlist for this prestigious award – a testament to the hard work of each and every member of our team extensively researching the collections to include over 115 source films, as well as our volunteer Community Curators group who helped to craft a respectful production that authentically represents a proud and often forgotten community.

Released in 2024, In the Veins is an impactful and empowering short film that resonates through time, using over a century of archive footage to shine a light onto the face of the mining heritage of Yorkshire and the North East of England.  Since it was first screened in September 2024, the film has been screened across the UK in village halls, museums, community centres, and film festivals, engaging audiences with their coal and screen heritage.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the 1984/85 Miners' Strike, the film was published on YouTube in early March, and has been watched over 26,000 times. You can see it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyQxrchc8bc