Interview By : Rosie Callaghan
On a rare sunny afternoon in Sunderland, I met Chris J. Allan over jasmine tea and a tiramisu frappé at a Starbucks off Wessington Way. It was post his first day based at the new Sunderland Culture House - the start of a fresh chapter, not just for Chris, but for the city’s cultural future. Armed with his shiny new laptop and draft posters for the festival’s tenth anniversary, we talked all things Film n Sunderland - and how far both have come.
Back in 2015, when Sunderland was still in the running for the UK City of Culture title, the council launched a portfolio of creative initiatives to showcase what the city had to offer. Though Sunderland didn’t win the title, many of those projects, including the Sunderland Shorts Film Festival - outlived the bid and became lasting legacies.
Now celebrating its 10th year in 2025, the festival has grown from a promising experiment into a globally recognised event - a BIFA qualifying platform, ranked in the Top 100 of over 13,000 festivals on FilmFreeway. Each year, it draws in cinephiles, curious locals, and filmmakers at all levels of their career. And it does so with warmth, accessibility and community at its core.
Sunderland Shorts proves that short films are more than industry calling cards - they’re vessels for powerful, punchy storytelling. Previously with pay-what-you-feel tickets and its free public workshops, the festival makes cinema open to all. Its programming challenges stereotypes of “highbrow” or “pretentious” indie films, favouring storytelling that resonates, surprises and invites reflection.
Whether it’s Oscar-winning titles like Parasite screening in Cineworld or no-budget local comedies created by groups like Metroland, every film shown at Sunderland Shorts is part of a wider mission: to champion diverse voices, inspire local talent, and put Sunderland on the creative map.
The festival originally launched with help from cultural consultant John Gann and DC Shorts, underpinned by a belief that Sunderland needed a platform for cinema. Chris, who had been teaching film in London at the time, returned to the North East after being asked to volunteer as a reviewer and host Q&As. That invitation turned into something much bigger - a new purpose, and eventually, leadership of the festival.
In 2019, the council handed over the reins to Chris following the retirement of Ann Tye, the festival’s founding director. He pitched a vision for a refreshed, grassroots-led festival that brought emerging filmmakers to the fore. Then came COVID. But instead of pausing, Sunderland Shorts pivoted - hosting a virtual edition via Facebook and keeping audiences connected with cinema during the quietest of years.
As someone from Fulwell myself, a proud homegrown creative with roots in the same place as Fullwell 73, the production company behind The Kardashian’s and countless football docs (plus my fave doc ever In The Hands Of The Gods - watch it or else) - I can’t help but feel proud. I’m a recent film graduated Manchester Met, and still live there now, but I feel a deep pull back to the North East. Sitting in that Starbucks with Chris, hearing about the evolution of a festival born in the same streets I grew up on, reminded me just how much creative promise this city holds.
Now, with the Culture House as its HQ and a growing reputation on the international festival circuit, Sunderland Shorts is set to do more than just screen films. Chris and the team hope to commission new work, foster new partnerships, and continue supporting early career filmmakers like Lucy Rose of Candle & Bell, and Mark Kenny.
This year, Sunderland Shorts is celebrating a decade of storytelling. Over 200 short films and music videos will be screened across seven days - a milestone not just for the festival, but for the city’s creative evolution. As Chris puts it: “Short films aren’t just stepping stones - they’re entire worlds. And Sunderland deserves to host them.”