Jacob Cordery, Valeria Moreno Festival and Nicole Ruf, interview with student filmmaker and directors of the 2025 Durham Film Festival

We speak with Jacob Cordery, a student filmmaker, and Valeria Moreno, a director of the Valeria Moreno Festival, as well as Nicole Ruf, directors of the 2025 Durham Film Festival, about the history of this student-led short film festival, which is supported by Durham University and the BFI (British Film Institute). Valeria Moreno and Nicole Ruf discuss the history of this short-film festival, which aims to showcase new talent and emerging student filmmakers from across the world. They highlight the vital role of the British Film Institute in supporting the festival, providing advice and serving on the jury annually. Jacob Cordery, a Durham-based student filmmaker who directed one of the films up for competition, ‘Tippy Toes” (UK, 2025), shares with us the process of making this film, inspired by a trip to Girona in Spain, but set in Durham. This 18-minute film is a nonlinear and complex love story between two students. The interview was recorded minutes before the award ceremony, where Aleks Dimitrijevic, representing the BFI, announced the winning film, “The Field’, directed by Davis Homenuck (Canada, 2025). The runner-up was “Before You Leave”, directed by Louise Thomas (UK, 2024). The popular vote award went to “On Strings”, directed by Tom Lee (UK, 2025).