Two students from the University of Northampton are preparing to showcase their work at this year’s Northampton Film Festival (NFF), after both being shortlisted for screenings at the event.
Creative Film, Television and Digital Media Production current student, Samuel Birch, and recent graduate, Mira Nagib, will present their short films Balls and A Wishing Star respectively, celebrating fresh local talent and storytelling.
Courtesy of Sam, ‘Balls’ is a comical one-minute short film which follows two besotted pool balls, who chase each other around the streets of Northampton, channelling the film’s core message: ‘Romance is just a matter of rolling in the right direction.’
Created during his time at University with fellow students Dylan Barras and Caitlin Nguyen, Sam explains: “We decided to use pool balls as the subject of our film, and we decided that the idea of two balls chasing each other and falling in love seemed like a fairly simple concept that could be fun to explore across various locations in the town.”
He adds: “It’s a fantastic feeling to have a film screened at local festival and it’s a real privilege to be involved with NFF as they celebrate the 5th anniversary of the festival. As most of us are local to Northampton, we are very aware of how important the festival is to the creative area and the town in general.
“To be included is not just a great honour for us as students and film makers, but it presents us, and others like us, with the opportunity to experience a wide range of films at the festival and network with other creative individuals.”
Based on the novel ‘’The Agapéd Bearer’, Mira will present ‘A Wishing Star’, the tale of a mysterious light choosing 13-year-old Lisa as the new bearer of the rare Agapéd Magic, binding her to a destiny she never imagined. Guided by the Keeper of Stars, she must journey to Haim Gana, where her extraordinary fate awaits.
“I have always dreamed of adapting my favourite novels for the screen, and this project felt like the right moment to begin,” explains Mira.
“A Wishing Star was born from my desire to create a film adaptation that stayed faithful to the original story while allowing me creative freedom as a director.
“There was something special about guiding performances, translating the written story into visual language, and watching each creative choice slowly build the world of A Wishing Star. Despite the long nights, working with a team that truly believed in the vision made the process both inspiring and creatively fulfilling.
“This was my first festival submission, and having A Wishing Star selected for the Northampton Film Festival is incredibly rewarding. Seeing the audience experience a project I’ve spent countless nights building, piece by piece, is both surreal and deeply fulfilling.
In its fifth year, Northampton Film Festival exists to showcase local films and films from around the country that fit the vibe of our town and county: a place of Rebels and Revolutionaries, Misfits and Mavericks, Creatives and Changemakers.
Mira and Samuel are two of the five University of Northampton students and graduates whose films have been shortlisted from hundreds of submissions, with dystopian and science-fiction offerings from Ethan Taylor and Nataniel Teper.
Ethan’s ‘KAIROS’ offers an emotive confrontation of mortality, memory and the meaning of connection as a wounded engineer clings to life in the aftermath of an accident aboard a spaceship, his only connection that of the ship’s faltering AI K.A.I.R.O.S.
Nataniel’s ‘Mindfall’ is set in a world where everyone has an mind enhancing chip, and those who aren’t able to afford it are segregated from society and known as the blanks. The film follows protagonist Morgan as he tries make his way into the city to experience nature for the first time, which takes a turn for the worst and leaves him in an eternal nightmare.
Deputy Head of the School of Culture and the Creative Industries, Anthony Stepniak – who taught both Mira and Sam – said: “It’s fantastic to see the work of our students and graduates hitting the ‘big screen’ again at Northampton Film Festival.
“The screenings mark an exciting milestone for both Sam and Mira as they begin their careers in film, while showcasing the growing creative talent emerging from Northampton.
Mira and Sam’s films will be screened at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus as part of Northampton Film Festival at 5pm and 7pm on Tuesday 3 March 2026. Limited tickets remain and can be booked via the Northampton Film Festival website.