Bradford is one of the UK’s youngest cities with a significant portion of its population under 25, and this season championed the bold and blistering spirit of youthful northern characters, actors, film-makers, writers, and mavericks. Punky and poetic, powerful and punchy, this season celebrated Northern Youth in all its glory.

The season was curated for Bradford 2025 by Bradford-set feature Flesh and Flamingos about queer northern youth. His passion in complex and daring stories about youth drive this rebellious and raw season.

The selections in Northern Youth spanned several decades, from a ’60s British New Wave classic celebrating teenage rebellion, to a provocative contemporary film debut about consent. These 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, this season of films celebrated northern youth in all its complexity – championing diversity, the individual experience, and both the frailty and wonder of being on the cusp of adulthood.