At the Beeston Film Festival, we believe in
- A Common Global Humanity - Joy is joy, laughter is laughter, heartbreak is heartbreak, fear is fear, no matter what language is being spoken, and we believe an international short film festival engages our common global humanity
- A Covenant to Filmmakers - We will always review every film submission respectfully and consistently; we will seek to project selected films to the highest possible standard; we will work hard to connect filmmakers to an audience
- Diversity - We celebrate a range of cinematic styles, genres, communities, and topics, and embrace cinematic rebels, truth-tellers, and innovators
- Community - We strive to create a unique cinematic event for our home, for our community
These beliefs and the wonderful films submitted each year, inspire our team to work so hard all year round to create this festival.
Management Team
John Currie - Festival Director
In 2014 John was inspired to create the Beeston Film Festival. He wanted to establish another dynamic cultural event in the heart of Beeston. Since its inception the festival has developed, expanded and evolved, always seeking to celebrate film and celebrate filmmakers. John has established a passionate local programming team and an international jury comprising of film industry professionals from across the world. With each year the festival’s reputation has grown resulting in place in the Top 100 Best Review Film Festivals on FilmFreeway, and the recent British Independent Film Association (BIFA) accreditation.
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Contact: John.Currie@beestonfilm.com
Simon Pryce - Commercial Director
Simon has been involved with Beeston Film Festival since 2015, as a result of interests and experience in film and broadcast media. His own company Skylight Media has supported the festival for several years and has seen it grow to become a part of Beeston's cultural landscape. Part of the review team since 2015, he plays an active role in supporting the festival's strategic development, communications and technology leadership. Simon is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
"My experience here is built from reviewing the international film submissions to playing an active role in supporting strategic development, communications and technology leadership. International film makers get a voice here, many visit us too and I'm extremely proud of what we've achieved as a coordinated team over the last 8 years."
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Ciaran Shea - Program Director
Ciaran is a filmmaker and film festival professional with over 5 years experience across, screening, planning, and hosting. He has a great passion for celebrating filmmakers and their remarkable craft. As well as his work with festivals, he brings over 5 years experience working in the industry as a 1st Assistant Director. Ciaran leads our brilliant selection team to craft a truly unique and meaningful programme each year.
Christie Sietos - Marketing Director
Christie has been involved with the Beeston Film Festival since 2015, driven by a long-standing interest in screenwriting and creative storytelling. With a background in creative writing and an academic career in business and management, Christie brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic insight to the festival. As current Marketing Director, she plays an active role in strengthening the festival’s profile and supporting its continued growth as a key part of Beeston’s cultural landscape.
Holly Patrickson - Festival Manager
Holly is enthusiastic about the importance of local voices and their influence on our community. Joining the festival team in April 2025 as an intern, her dedication and commitment has seen her climb her way up to Festival Manager. She is a writer-director who co-founded production company Liminal Frame, and is currently in post production for her first short films.
James Horton - Technical Manager
James is a film enthusiast and technical specialist who has been creating media since the age of 16. A graduate in Film Production Technology, he is passionate about giving rising creative talent a venue to excel and grow. As Technical Director, he manages venue technology and projection standards to guarantee each film looks and sounds its best on the big screen.
Selection Team
Drawn from the local community and passionate festival advocates, this team ensures every entry is reviewed respectfully, works towards selecting and defining the festival programme, and finally shortlists the B’Oscar nominations. Many thanks to Christie Sietos, Sam Kurd, Ilona Mueller, Dan Lawrence, Simon Leydon and many others.
Sam Kurd
Sam is a budding screenwriter and a lifelong lover of film, especially Horror and Scifi.
Ilona Mueller
Ilona studied English at Nottingham University, Loves film - particularly animation - and watching them on the big screen wherever possible.
Dan Lawrence
Dan enjoys watching and discussing films particularly Sci-fi, Horror and Animation.
Wakana Morozumi
Wakana is a Japanese subtitle translator for films and TV dramas. Loves films especially documentaries and dramas.
Simone Wiles
Simone is a young creative, film maker and writer. Simone is Emerging Talents Category Lead, where she enjoys and celebrates the storytelling abilities of filmmakers, early in their careers, across all genres.
Nora Bajcsi
Nóra is a Nottingham based emerging writer with interest for unconventional topics and stories. Her short stories have appeared in the anthologies “Notes to Self” (2023) and “Awe of Sport” (2024) and her graphic novel “Late Notes” was the winner entry at the Új Kisfaludy competition hosted by the Műhely literary magazine in Hungary (2019).
Sheila Bartram
My name is Sheila Bartram, and I am part of the selection team. I am also category lead for non-fiction. I have had a lifelong love of cinema and film, and I joined the Beeston team in May 2025, after visiting the festival that year. I am a member of Broadway Cinema in Nottingham and attend film seminars there to widen my knowledge of film.
Abi Rowse
Abi first got involved with the Beeston Film Festival after passionately attending as a local film lover, and never looked back! She discovered a love for short films through the festival and now enjoys helping bring stories from all over the world to Beeston. A proud Beestonian, Abi also loves books, live comedy, true crime, and tales of real-life disasters.
Laura Dunn
Laura joined the Beeston Film Festival after attending and enthusiastically collecting (almost) all the merch. She’s especially drawn to films that showcase diverse experiences and unique perspectives. When she’s programming, she can often be found watching short films with her cat, Jean-Ralphio, curled up beside her.
Jury
Our Jury of film industry professionals from around the world will determine who wins our coveted B’Oscar awards. Click here for more information.