Record-breaking attendance at Mansfield Town film festival on third year
The third Mansfield Town Film Festival has solidified its reputation as a leading event in Nottinghamshire after achieving a record-breaking attendance.
Mansfield Town Film Festival 2025 (MTFF25) concluded on Sunday, July 27, after an extraordinary weekend celebrating bold new voices and working-class stories.
Now in its third year, the festival featured over 120 films from around the world during three packed days at the Mansfield Palace Theatre.
MTFF25 showcased a diverse range of films, including emotionally resonant documentaries, electrifying shorts, surreal animations, and genre-bending fiction.
These stories moved, challenged, and inspired the audience.
Festival director Jay Martin said: “We’ve never seen a response like this.
“Our screenings were packed, our panels were vibrant, and the energy throughout the Palace Theatre was electric.
“To see people turning out in such numbers to support independent, working-class, and underrepresented creatives in Mansfield is what it is all about.”
Euan Foulis won the festival’s inaugural “Pitch Up!” live pitching event, walking away with a £1,000+ prize fund after impressing a panel of industry judges.
The prize was made possible through generous contributions from the Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams and local district councillors.
Mansfield Mayor Andy Abrahams added: “It was a privilege to support such a fantastic and high-quality cultural event in Mansfield – this is exactly the kind of ambitious and significant venture that we want to see more of in this district which can help put this area on the map as a destination.
“I really hope this event will become an annual fixture in the town’s cultural calendar – it deserves support and patronage.”
Festival highlights
At the Sunday Mansfield Film Awards, Florence Fauquet's film ‘Karateka’ received the ‘Heart of Mansfield Award’ for Best in Festival.
William Bradford's ‘World Naked Bike Tour’ won Best Animated Short, and Max Thomas was honoured with Best Performance in a Leading Role for his work in ‘It Gets Better’.
Alexis Bicât's student film ‘Romchyk’ made history by winning both Best Director and Best Student Short, with the filmmaker present in Mansfield to accept the awards.
A moving moment occurred when Rachael Halaburda, the winner of Best Music Video for ‘Girlband! Not Like the Rest’, spoke emotionally about the significance of bringing a queer, working-class story back to Mansfield, the hometown of the band's lead singer.
The festival also demonstrated its commitment to nurturing future talent by hosting a group of young reviewers from Voice Magazine and welcoming student filmmakers from Vision West Nottinghamshire College and other institutions.
This year’s festival was more than just a film showcase; it was a call to action for representation, community, and the power of storytelling.
MTFF25 featured panels that focused on working-class voices, neurodiversity in film, and digital storytelling, bringing together industry professionals, aspiring filmmakers, and passionate audiences under one roof.
This year also marked the final year of funding from Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) for MTFF.
Organisers are now urging the public, industry stakeholders, and civic leaders to continue supporting the event as it moves forward into the future.
Jay continued: “MTFF has proven it’s more than just a festival.
“It’s a platform, a lifeline, and a space for people who’ve been told there isn’t one.
“Our challenge now is to ensure it survives, and thrives, for years to come.”
Visit www.mansfieldtownfilmfestival.com for more details.