International acclaim for film celebrating region’s mining heritage

A film celebrating the region’s rich coalmining history, created with involvement from a Teesside University academic, has received international recognition.

Since its release last year, In the Veins has earned numerous accolades, including most recently a Broadcast Tech Innovation Best Use of Archive award.

Nominated alongside documentaries from Sky, the BBC and CNN, the judging panel felt the locally produced film was 'a masterclass in sensitive, human-centred archival storytelling’.

Dr Ben Lamb, Senior Lecturer in Media in the University’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law, commissioned Yorkshire and North East Film Archive to produce In the Veins, which traces the story of coal and its connection with communities across the region.

The short film, released in 2024 and created with funding from?the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Accelerator Account, uses over a century of archive footage. It brings to life memories which reflect the communities, relationships and heritage connected to the industry.

Soon after its release and screenings across the North East, the film was shortlisted for numerous awards, in addition to the Broadcast Tech Innovation award which celebrates the vital role of technology in creating outstanding productions.

These include being shortlisted in the Best Use of Footage in a Short Film Production category of the 2025 FOCAL (Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries) International Awards, which celebrate the achievements of archive producers, researchers and consultants worldwide.

In the Veins was also shortlisted for an Archive Production award in the FIAT IFTA Awards in Italy, bringing recognition from the world-leading professional association for those engaged in the preservation and exploitation of broadcast archives.

It has also been selected as a case study in the National Archives 2025 review.

Dr Lamb said: “We have been taken aback by just how far and wide and deeply this film has resonated with people all over the world. It's a tribute to all the community curators we worked with who have successfully ensured the film emotionally connects with people with varying relationships to former coalmining communities.

“Just to be nominated alongside all the huge films we have been up against is an achievement in and of itself.”

Graham Relton, Co-Director, Head of Access, Yorkshire and North East Film Archive at York St John University, said: “We witness time and again the powerful effect our films can have, allowing audiences to feel as if they have a ringside seat to witness history unfolding.

“Thanks to the collaborative nature of the project, In the Veins has been one of the most powerful films we have produced. To be recognised by our archive and wider film industry peers is great, but knowing we’ve connected with coalmining communities to tell their story with integrity and authenticity is the real win.”

In the Veins can also be viewed online.

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