This past weekend, Felix Massouras and I travelled up to Belfast to see Nothing Gold Can Stay screen as part of the Cinemagic Film Festival for young filmmakers. This is the first major festival entry that Red Boots Productions has received, so it was crucial that we were there to see it on the big screen alongside a wide variety of incredible films.
After a nine-hour overnight ferry journey from Liverpool, we landed in Belfast for the festival. There were some incredible shorts screened alongside Nothing Gold Can Stay, and it was great to see the screening packed out. After the festival, we networked with fellow filmmakers in the foyer before seeing the sights of Belfast and enjoying the city.
The next day was the award ceremony. Due to the quality of the other work in the festival, I had no expectation of winning anything. However, I was delighted to receive a Highly Commended award for Young Filmmaker of the Year in the Drama category.
The award made me reflect on the long hours spent making the film, especially during production, when I was juggling a part-time job six days a week while building a studio house set so the film could be completed on schedule, alongside the all-nighters spent on the sound design. It is a massive honour to receive this recognition, and a great step in the right direction for Red Boots.