The season opens with an award-winner that pulls no punches, introduced by Bradford-born director Dominic Leclerc. Bradford’s own Shaun Thomas (BIFA Best Supporting Actor) joins us post-film to talk raw truths, youth identity, and what it means to grow up northern.
Vibrant with the ecstasies of being young and fleetingly free, this Cannes prize-winner from British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker is an honest take on female friendship and first sexual experiences. Buzzing with the excitement of new horizons, Mia McKenna-Bruce shines in a star-making performance.
- Director: Molly Manning Walker
- Cast: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas
- Language: English
Joining us at the screening:
This screening will be introduced by Dominic Leclerc, the Bradford-born, raised and based director of Sex Education, Skins and Shameless, and the upcoming Bradford-set feature Flesh and Flamingos about queer northern youth. Dominic has curated this season for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
The screening will feature a post-film panel discussion with Bradford-born actor Shaun Thomas, who won the 2023 Best Supporting Actor BIFA award for How To Have Sex.
Northern Youth—Northern Youth is a celebration of northern young identity in cinema. Bradford is one of the UK's youngest cities with a significant portion of its population under 25, and this season champions the bold and blistering spirit of youthful northern characters, actors, film-makers, writers, and mavericks. Punky and poetic, powerful and punchy, this season celebrates northern youth in all its glory.
The season is curated for Bradford 2025 by Dominic Leclerc, the Bradford-born, raised and based director of Sex Education, Skins and Shameless, and the upcoming Bradford-set feature Flesh and Flamingos about queer northern youth. His passion for complex and daring stories about youth drive this rebellious and raw season.
The selections in Northern Youth span several decades, from a '60s British New Wave classic celebrating teenage rebellion, to a provocative contemporary film debut about consent. The stories transport us from the back streets of Salford, to the majestic Yorkshire moors; from the Liverpool of a teenage boy's lyrical imagination, to the underbelly of Nottingham's council estates. The stories are unique and bursting with youthful spirit: from a group of '80s skinheads exploring their collective and individual identity, to a teenage girl in Yorkshire pushing at the realms of her sexuality, from a young northern rebel boldly defying authority, to a group of adolescents navigating their bodies and emotions on their first clubbing holiday. Together, these films celebrate northern youth in all its complexity—championing diversity, the individual experience, and both the frailty and wonder of being on the cusp of adulthood.
This season is part of Bradford: A City of Film, a programme of independent film across the Bradford District. Co-Produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and National Science and Media Museum with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.
