First Light Movies Awards 2008
Next Generation Of Filmmaking Talent Gets Ready To Shine
Britain's next generation of filmmakers, writers and actors have been nominated for the First Light Movies Awards 2008 - the UK's very own Mini Oscars®.
A galaxy of stars including Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, Kevin Spacey, Nira Park and Alan Rickman are to judge films made by young people from schools, youth groups and other organisations who are vying for awards in nine categories including Best Screenplay and Best Animation.
This year's crop of winners will be revealed during the awards ceremony, supported by the UK Film Council, at the ODEON Leicester Square on 4 March. The ceremony will be hosted by Big Brother presenter Davina McCall, who will be joined by a star-studded supporting cast of celebrity presenters.
First Light Movies provides funding and expertise to help five to 19-year-olds, throughout the UK from all backgrounds, create their own films using National Lottery money from the UK Film Council.
This year First Light Movies has teamed up with Virgin Media and FilmFlex to support the annual awards, to offer young filmmakers the opportunity to see their films on TV.
All of this year's First Light Movies Awards nominated films will be available for millions of homes across the UK through Virgin Media from 4 March.
Customers of Virgin Media are able to view the films, free of charge, through the FilmFlex service in Movies on Demand. Last year's First Light Movies Awards films have been seen more than 42,000 times since summer 2007 by Virgin Media customers.
First Light Movies chief executive Pip Eldridge says: "The 2008 crop of movies made by young people from across the UK are all brilliant. We've got everything from documentaries about knife crime and critical environmental issues to an hilarious comedy about a boy who can't stop growing.
"I'm delighted that once again we've managed to attract such a prestigious judging panel to watch these films and I can't wait to discover who they pick to scoop one of our sought-after awards.
"It's also wonderful that the young filmmakers' work will be broadcast through Virgin Media and the FilmFlex Movies on Demand service, meaning that even more people can watch these fantastic films!"
A mysterious murder at the manor in Belfast; the tale of some disgruntled seals in the Orkneys; some pretty serious knife crime in London; and a parkour documentary from Wales make up some of this year's nominated films.
Stewart Till CBE chairman of the UK Film Council says: "First Light continues to do excellent work in hundreds of communities across the UK, discovering and inspiring the UK's next generation of filmmakers. I'm really excited by the talent on show in this year's films, they are probably the best yet, and that is saying something".
First Light Movies Awards 2008 Nominated Films
Best Animation supported by CFC Framestore
City Scape
Thomas Adams Media Arts, Wem, West Midlands
This avant garde animation, made by a group of 10 to 18-year-olds, explores three intertwining stories that converge in a shop hidden between a vast animated cityscape.
Lights Out!
Sanday Community School, Sanday, Scotland
This charming claymation film follows the Orkney seal's quest to switch off the lighthouse light. Interspersed with funny and tender moments this delightful film was made by a group of 11 to 14-year-olds.
The Return
ISCA College, Exeter, South West
A group of eight young filmmakers aged 16 unearth a tutor's zombie plot! A few gory and visceral moments coupled with humour and great animation makes this a succinct and witty animated tale.
Best Comedy
Horsepower
Fairbridge in London, London
This wacky documentary turns traditional comedy on its head when it follows a group of 14 to 16-year-olds as they attempt to break the world record for running 100m in a pantomime horse costume!
Dirty Secret
Thomas Adams Media Arts, Wem, West Midlands
This hilarious film made by a group of 14 to 18-year-olds follows Brian as he suddenly finds that his clothes and his bed are too small for him as he goes through a mysterious growth spurt.
Tired Ed
Wind & Foster, London
If Ed could he would sleep all day; he sleeps at his desk at work after he's practically slept walked there! As this drama, made by a group of 16 to 18-year-olds, unfolds so does the hilarity of the situation.
Best Documentary
The Child and Me
Mobile Media Club, Swindon, South West
This documentary charts a group of 11-year-olds as they prepare to make the journey from primary to secondary school.
And It's Goodbye to Care
Strange Boat, Edinburgh, Scotland
This heart felt documentary, made by a group of 11 to 16-year-olds, explores the young filmmakers' aspirations and emotional attachments to their home island of Islay alongside opportunities available to them on island.
Running Free
Flycatcher Films, Abergavenny, Wales
This fast-paced documentary follows a group of parkour obsessed 14 to 16-year-old lads from Pontypool as they travel to London's Southbank, a hot spot for the new French sport.
Best Drama supported by Gartner
Polaroid
Compulsive Community Pictures, Chichester, South East
This is a creepy drama about a guy whose horrific flashbacks become clear when a knife salesman comes to the door. Made by a group of 14 to 17-year-olds this film is not for the faint hearted!
Mobile Bullies
Middlesbrough Media Zone, Middlesbrough, North East
In this modern technological era bullies have found a new way to antagonise their victims; through mobile phone texting! This uncomfortable and disturbing drama was made by a group of 10 to 15-year-olds.
Beautiful Life
Arpeggio Films, Whitley Bay, North East
A group of 16 to 18-year-olds, with learning difficulties, present a mixture of different scenes with a collection of endings taking the audience through a range of emotions. The young people have captured the essence of true drama underpinned by their own sense of humour.
Best Horror supported by Hammer Films
The News
Community Arts North West, Manchester, North West
This atmospheric film noir thriller about a murderer on the loose in Manchester was made by a group of 14 to 18-year-old refugees.
Mummy's Favourite Shoes
C Media Productions, Rotherham, Yorkshire & Humberside
This surreal horror, made by a group of 17-year-olds, focuses on a little girl who plays all day in her mummy's favourite red shoes. Every night she loses one of the shoes and we follow her into the chasm of darkness under her bed as she tries to find it.
Hysteria
The Nerve Centre, Derry, Northern Ireland
The posters for Hysteria seem that a wicked new DJ set could breathe life into the town's old nightclub, but when a group of 16 to 18-years-olds suffer fatally for their night out maybe it wasn't such a good idea!
Best Screenplay supported by EON
Father and Son
Clapperboard UK, Liverpool, North West
Made by a group of 12 to 13-year-olds from Liverpool, this drama explores the relationship between a father and son whilst focusing on modern-day slavery to coincide with this year's bicentenary of the abolition of slavery celebrations.
Tyne Traveller
OpenZone City Learning Centre, South Shields, North East
Things get exciting when a school history project, to trace his family tree, leads a lad to follow the path of his ancestors on an adventure through time. Made by a group of 14 to 17-year-olds leaves no historic North East stone unturned.
Seeing is Believing
Tornado Films, Port Talbot, Wales
Gemma is spending too much time with her new university mates and is neglecting her boyfriend. It's OK though as friend Sarah is on hand to help out – or is she! This classic love triangle drama was made by a group of 14 to 18-year-olds.
Best Film by 12s and Under as voted for on www.filmstreet.co.uk
Munchatreeaforest
Knoydart Forest Trust, Knoydart, Scotland
Young children, aged between five and nine-years-old, objectively explore and discuss, through this honest documentary, the destruction of the Knoydart Forest that makes up much of this area in the highlands.
The Amazing Adventures of the Plastic Bag
Shoot it Yourself Productions, Brighton, South East
A group of seven and eight-year-olds investigate the problems that plastic bags cause to the environment. From interviews with the local vet and fishermen the young filmmakers chart the journey that a plastic bag can make and the harmful effects that it causes.
The Singing Banana Bomb
Chocolate Films, London
A group of nine-year-olds created this charming and colourful animated tale of an inventor who creates a singing banana bomb that can shower civilians with food, music and money and brings peace to war-torn countries like Iraq.
Best Film by 13s and Over supported by Total Film
Murder at the Manor
National Deaf Children's Society, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Local detectives arrive at the manor to try and uncover who killed the victim, why. As the film, created by a group of deaf 14 to 18-year-olds, develops surely it's not just a simple board game amongst friends.
The ‘Stute
Cinetig, Cardiff, Wales
The Miners' Institute was the hub of any Welsh valley town, but when the pits closed down so did everything that went with it. A group of young filmmakers aged between 15 and 17 have unearthed a piece of oral history from the memories of past members of the ‘Stute.
Freedom Ain't Free
Chocolate Films, London
Influence by the work of artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy a group of 16 to 18-year-olds created this powerful docu-drama focusing on individuals' troubling stories as their worlds collide when ordering food in a chicken restaurant.
Best Mediabox Film
Georginas Day Out
Georgina Studd, London
This film follows 16-year-old Georgina, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, trying to plan a trip out of the house with her friends. Georgina shows the lengths that she has to go to arranging an outing and charts her day overcoming several obstacles.
Knife Crime
Amienata Sillah, London
In this challenging documentary 18-year-old Amienata Sillah investigates the reasons for knife crime in the UK and speaks to people who have been victims of, or affected by, such offences.
Sufferers
BEAT, Norwich, Eastern
A group of 15 to 19-year-old girls talk about their individual experiences suffering with eating disorders and how they battled to overcome their illness.
First Light Movies was launched in May 2001 to fund and inspire the making of short digital films, reflecting the diversity of young people's lives. First Light Movies is an initiative supported by the UK Film Council with Lottery funding.
To date First Light Movies has given more than 12,000 young people the chance to write, act, shoot and produce over 900 films under the guidance of professional filmmakers. First Light Movies works in association with youth agencies, schools, colleges, production companies and film clubs throughout the UK. Some young filmmakers have used First Light Movies as a stepping stone to gain work experience in the film industry.
For more information about First Light Movies and other projects log on to www.firstlightmovies.com
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