ALUMNI STORIES
Athan Johnson( Class of 2024), winner of the Earth Stories‘ Local Filmmaker’ award.
24 | FOREVER Keele
ALUMNI STORIES
Local environmental film-making success
Athan Johnson( Class of 2024), winner of the Earth Stories‘ Local Filmmaker’ award.
Launched at Keele University, the Earth Stories Film Festival is a student-led, international celebration of youth storytelling on climate and environmental themes. Supported by the Keele Key Fund and alumni donors, the festival invites filmmakers aged 25 and under to share short films that explore nature, sustainability, and hope.
Rooted in Keele’ s interdisciplinary ethos, the festival brings together students from across disciplines to organise and curate the event – showcasing how creativity and collaboration can inspire action for a better world.
What was your motivation and inspiration to create the film? Was there a specific moment or event that sparked the idea?
I felt inspired to make the film since I regularly hiked around Silverdale and Apedale Park. I was always interested in how much the area changed, and when I saw there was a local category in Earth Stories, I saw an opportunity to explore the history of the area.
What message were you most passionate about conveying?
A key message I wanted to share was how our environment isn’ t a lost cause. We’ ve caused a lot of harm in the past and in the present, but there are organisations looking to create change, and relatively small projects like this restoration can have a huge impact. As a society we need to support this and raise awareness; that’ s how we can help.