North East/Portuguese co-production set for regional premiere at Tees Valley Festival
Written by Peder Leufstedt Nystrom on 12th November 2026
The science fiction short film After Link will be shown at Teeside Valley Film Festival tomorrow (Friday, November 13), the movie’s first and last showing in the North East.
The film is a co-production between the North East and Portugal, featuring a Portuguese cast and filmed over the course of a week in Portugal, with a predominantly North East-based technical crew.
A shot from the movie After Link. Image courtesy of Catarina De Cèzanne
The director, Catarina De Cèzanne set out to create a ‘genre-bending’ film and a ‘portrait of our desire for connection’. She described it as a “film for our generation, who crave a time that will never come back” and as a “warm coming-of-age story in an era of digital disconnection”.
The film had its premiere at the MoteLX festival in Lisbon and has since been shown at over 50 other festivals worldwide.
Poster courtesy of Catarina De Cèzanne.
Despite most of the crew being based in the North East, Friday’s showing is its first and last in the region, with the film competing for the culinarily-inspired Parmo D’Or, for Best North East Film.
“We would like to thank Tees Valley International Film Festival for selecting us, and congratulate everyone who has been selected as well,” said De Cèzanne.
Image courtesy of Catarina De Cèzanne
She also welcomed the festival’s selection, highlighting the opportunity to celebrate regional filmmaking and connect with other creatives.
“We don’t see it as a competition, but rather as an opportunity to celebrate filmmaking, connect with fellow creatives and build new relationships, especially within our region,” she said.
De Cèzanne will attend the screening, alongside Matthew Robson, the film’s post-production supervisor.
After Link is now nearing the end of its theatrical release, as De Cèzanne is in talks with multiple streaming services to distribute the short online.
