The Valley:
A Keeping
May 2026 — Nidd Films News
Nidd Films has now completed and submitted The Valley: A Keeping, a practice-led moving-image and research project developed through Mark Anthony’s MA in Producing for Film & Television at Teesside University.
Filmed within Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, the project explores landscape as memory, presence, and trace — approaching the valley not simply as backdrop, but as an active and lived environment shaped by time, weather, history, labour, ritual, and remembrance.
Alongside the moving-image work itself, the project continues to develop through research, reflective practice, and the creation of accompanying educational and heritage materials connected to the wider Nidd Films slate.
Future development will explore how The Valley: A Keeping may evolve within gallery, museum, heritage, and educational contexts — creating spaces where audiences are invited to sit, watch, read, listen, and reflect at their own pace.
Rather than offering fixed answers, the work continues to ask:
What does the land remember?
How does landscape hold human presence?
What traces remain after a life has gone?
— Nidd Films
Preparing for the Year Ahead.
December 2025 — Nidd Films News
December 2025 — Nidd Films News
As 2026 comes to a close, Nidd Films is entering a focused period of preparation ahead of the next funding and development cycle for Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor.
Alongside continued research and creative development, we are laying the groundwork for how the film will connect with audiences, partners, and supporters in meaningful and responsible ways.
This includes exploring future audience engagement and access models, community engagement, and ethical pathways for involvement that align with independent British filmmaking values.
Our approach for the year ahead prioritises:
• Careful, research-led development
• Long-term cultural and educational impact
• Sustainable production planning
• Transparent relationships with partners and supporters
Rather than rushing into production, Nidd Films is committed to building a strong foundation — ensuring that when funding opportunities arise, the project is creatively, ethically, and practically ready.
Further updates will follow as preparations continue into 2026, including development milestones and partnership conversations.
— Nidd Films
New: Impact & Partners Page Launched
November 2025
We’ve just launched our new Impact & Partners page, outlining how Nidd Films connects cinema with heritage, education, and community.
The page introduces our evolving approach to audience engagement — how stories move beyond the screen through workshops, local exhibitions, and partnerships across Yorkshire and beyond.
It also announces our Community Talks programme, beginning winter 2026, which will share the journey behind Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor and explore the history, research, and creative process that brought Mary-Jane Skaife’s story to life.
This marks the first step toward a wider immersive initiative launching in 2026, designed to reimagine how audiences experience film and place.
Project Update
October 2025
Development on Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor continues to gather momentum.
Two complementary versions are now in progress — a 15-minute festival cut, shaped for BFI Network and short-form festivals, and a 24-minute heritage version designed for educational and community screenings.
Our finance plan blends regional partnerships, in-kind university support, and ethical funding sources, aligning with BFI Network and Doc Society frameworks.
The next stage focuses on partnership development, composer outreach, and impact planning to ensure Mary-Jane’s story reaches both audiences and educators.
Sweetheart is more than a period drama — it’s about voice, memory, and belonging to the land.
Every story has a heartbeat. Ours still echoes across the moor.
Development continues through late 2025 as the project prepares for early 2026 pre-production.
— Mark Anthony | Nidd Films
Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor — Developed through Teesside University, MA Producing for Film & Television
Image courtesy of Nidd Films, 2025. Photographer: Angus Chau. All rights reserved.