Result! North East nostalgia wins an award and here's how you can get in on the exciting Memory Lane trend

Champions! A film archive which features rare cine footage including work from Sunderland and Hartlepool has won an international award.
The Yorkshire and North East Film Archives have won two prestigious awards. © FOCAL/SA ImagesThe Yorkshire and North East Film Archives have won two prestigious awards. © FOCAL/SA Images
The Yorkshire and North East Film Archives have won two prestigious awards. © FOCAL/SA Images

The Yorkshire and North East Film Archives won two trophies at the annual FOCAL International Awards ceremony in London including the Footage Company of the Year and the Best Use of Footage in a Short Film.

NEFA won the Footage Company of the Year title after judges were looking for companies who had introduced new initiatives that had benefited their business and audiences, especially during the pandemic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In October 2020, the Archive launched its new website and content management system. It was built and developed during the first lockdown with Imagen, who are experts in smart video management solutions.

Some of the Yorkshire and North East Film Archives team with Ben Jones of Science Photo Library, who presented the award on behalf of Footage.net. © FOCAL/SA ImagesSome of the Yorkshire and North East Film Archives team with Ben Jones of Science Photo Library, who presented the award on behalf of Footage.net. © FOCAL/SA Images
Some of the Yorkshire and North East Film Archives team with Ben Jones of Science Photo Library, who presented the award on behalf of Footage.net. © FOCAL/SA Images

Collections Manager, Megan McCooley said it had enhanced NEFA’s management and care of its collections and ‘has transformed the way in which we deliver to audiences’.

The Yorkshire Film Archive was established in 1988 and merged with the North East Film Archive 10 years ago.

Its collection include footage of local news as well as the works of amateur filmmakers, cine clubs, and home movie makers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Archives have also supported artists and film makers across the North as well as leading on and editing ‘Lost Connections.’ This short film draws on a century of archive footage from the 12 UK regional and national film archives.

Archive Manager Graham Relton gives the acceptance speech and is accompanied by Collections Manager, Megan McCooley. © FOCAL/SA Images.Archive Manager Graham Relton gives the acceptance speech and is accompanied by Collections Manager, Megan McCooley. © FOCAL/SA Images.
Archive Manager Graham Relton gives the acceptance speech and is accompanied by Collections Manager, Megan McCooley. © FOCAL/SA Images.

It was the winner of the ‘Best Use of Footage in a Short Film’ at this year’s FOCAL International Awards.

Archive Manager, Graham Relton said: “To be recognised by your peers within the global film archive community is a real honour, and

to come away with two FOCAL Awards was quite surreal.

"We are immensely proud of the whole team, past and present staff, volunteers, trustees and wider stakeholders who have all played their part in the success of the organisation over the last 34 years.”

Sally Phillips, Actress and host of the 2022 Focal Awards with Graham Relton,  Megan McCooley, and Ben Jones. ©FOCAL/SA ImagesSally Phillips, Actress and host of the 2022 Focal Awards with Graham Relton,  Megan McCooley, and Ben Jones. ©FOCAL/SA Images
Sally Phillips, Actress and host of the 2022 Focal Awards with Graham Relton, Megan McCooley, and Ben Jones. ©FOCAL/SA Images
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Clare Morrow, Chair of the Yorkshire and North East Film Archives praised the ‘hard work, passion and dedication of all of our staff which we are delighted has been recognised by these two awards’.

The excellent NEFA has also shared some of its work with the Sunderland Echo including a chance to view the trams of Sunderland as they used to look.

It also recently shared footage of a day at the seaside in Seaton Carew.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

NEFA has a huge catalogue of over 70,000 items of original film, video tape, and born-digital material.

Its team has painstakingly taken on the task of preserving, cataloguing, and digitising these vital collections of reminders of our past.

Read More
Remembering the day USA president Jimmy Carter visited Sunderland's glass-makers...

To find out more about the collection of NEFA films, go to www.yfanefa.com

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And to watch the Watch the award-winning Lost Connections production, visit