Festive Cheer for UK's Young Filmmakers Thanks to GBP100,000 Lottery Bonanza

Festive Cheer for UK's Young Filmmakers Thanks to GBP100,000 Lottery Bonanza LONDON, December 29/PRNewswire/ -- - 29 films to benefit from seasonal funding including a Romeo and Juliet-style musical, the adventures of a boy who dreams of meeting Britney Spears and a comedy thriller about a mobile phone with evil intentions More than 400 young people across the UK are full of festive cheer thanks to GBP100,000 of National Lottery funding enabling them to make and star in 29 digital short films. The funding from First Light, the UK Film Council's young people's filmmaking initiative was announced today. The films cover a wide range of stories including 'Young Sainttts', a 'Romeo and Juliet' story with a breakdancing theme; The Elusive Cheviot Bushmonk, a comedic search for a legendary inhabitant of the Northumberland Moors; Hex, a fantasy animation about a boy who discovers he has magical powers; Flashback, a comedy horror set in (and made by) a school for dyslexic students; and Taking Over, an animated thriller about a group of children who find and reassemble a smashed up mobile phone but unwittingly revive an evil force. Projects in Motherwell, Edinburgh, Stirling, Gwynedd, Bridgend, Middlesbrough, Northumberland, Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Swindon, Colne, Bristol, Lewes, Essex, London and Reading will all benefit from this Lottery funding. First Light enables five to 18 year olds across the UK to make short films under the guidance of professional filmmakers. Young people learn a range of filmmaking skills, including scriptwriting, producing, editing, acting, sound, lighting and directing. First Light also helps to improve their communication and team working skills. The 2005 First Light Film Awards, the annual celebration of the best of First Light filmmaking, will take place on February 23rd 2005 at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London. John Woodward, UK Film Council Chief Executive Officer said, "It's great that more than 400 young people across the UK will be able to get their first taste of filmmaking thanks to this Lottery funding. "First Light gives young people the chance to let their imagination run wild and channel their creativity into making films while learning valuable skills. "Several of the young people involved in First Light projects have gone on to win awards for their work - this funding means that more young people from across the UK will have the chance to follow that success." Pip Eldridge, First Light Chief Executive Officer said, "Judging by the wide range of exciting themes covered by the UK's young filmmakers, 2005 is already shaping up to be a memorable year for First Light." To date, First Light has enabled almost 8,500 young people to work with organisations and filmmakers to write, act, shoot and produce over 550 films covering a myriad of topics and genres, using digital film technology. List of funded projects attached. www.firstlightmovies.com www.ukfilmcouncil.org Notes to Editors: 1) First Light 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 is an initiative supported by the UK Film Council with Lottery funding and managed by Hi8us First Light Limited. 2) The UK Film Council is the lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. We invest Government grant-in-aid and Lottery money in film development and production; training; international development and export promotion; distribution and exhibition; and education. Our aim is to deliver lasting benefits to the industry and the public alike through: - creativity - encouraging the development of new talent, skills, and creative and technological innovation in UK film and assisting new and established film-makers to produce successful and distinctive British films; - enterprise - supporting the creation and growth of sustainable businesses in the film sector, providing access to finance and helping the UK film industry compete successfully in the domestic and global marketplace; - imagination - promoting education and an appreciation and enjoyment of cinema by giving UK audiences access to the widest range of UK and international cinema, and by supporting film culture and heritage. List of funded projects (Round 11) NORTH EAST Glendale Gateway Trust, Northumberland The community development trust will work with a ten-strong group of 13 to 17 year olds to make The Elusive Cheviot Bushmonk. This live action comedy, which was awarded GBP3,100 by First Light, follows a respected environmentalist as he sets out across the Northumberland Moors to find the legendary Cheviot Bushmonk. The Barnardos Secos Project, Middlesbrough Up to eight young people aged between 15 and 17 years old will produce a modern drama about relationships, told from the perspective of a teenage girl. The film Loverboy has received a grant of GBP4,000. ARC, Stockton-on-Tees The Arts Council / local authority funded arts organisation will help thirty 12 to 18 year olds create Tales From The Tees. This comedy drama tells the tale of a young boy who escapes the troubles of teenage life by fantasising about having an alter-ego, called Teesman. Teesman, who is part cool-dude and rapper, part sensitive geek, has earned the project a grant of GBP4,000. Bridge and Tunnel Productions, Newcastle-upon-Tyne A group of eight Persian young people, aged between 11 and 16 years old, will make Kooch Kids with their grant of GBP4,000. Kooch Kids ('Kooch' meaning 'migrant' or 'nomad' in Persian) will be a docudrama exploring stories of migration. SCOTLAND Macroberts Arts Centre, Stirling Young Sainttts, to be created by up to twenty 10 to 16 year olds, will use Romeo and Juliet as its inspiration. The dance-influenced romantic comedy features two rival factions. Gibby, the leader of 'The Young Saints' falls for his opposing leader's sister, leading to a potential explosion of violence. Can the suggestion of a 'dance-off' avert gang warfare between 'The Young Saints' and 'The 3 T's'? The project was awarded GBP4,000. Media Education, Edinburgh A nine-strong group of 12 to 18 year olds will make the fantasy animation Hex. Using their grant of GBP4,000, the group will produce a story about Daniel who discovers he has magical powers. Daniel is soon forced to use his powers against an evil demon hellbent on destroying him. FPS Media, Motherwell The media facility will produce Fast Forward, a selection of four films with 36 young people aged between 12 and 18 years old. The first will be a black and white slapstick film made in conjunction with Earnock High School's Deaf Unit. Accommodated Young People, a group of young people in care, will create a thriller about an individual with psychic abilities. When the individual prevents a fatal accident, will society embrace him or will fear exclude him even further? The third film, made with Sanderson High School, will chronicle a boy's adventurous dreams, which include meeting Britney Spears. The final film, to be made with Drumpark School, will be an animated comedy drama about healthy lifestyles. WALES Cwmni Tref Caernarfon Cyf, Gwynedd The animation Rafins will be created by up to 12 young people aged between five and 11 years old. Using mainly Welsh dialogue, the film takes its title from the Welsh name for 'scallies.' First Light funding for this film is GBP3,400. Valley and Vale Community Arts, Wales Eight under 15 year olds will work on Turn It Up, a drama about Asif, a young man from Africa living with his aunt in Cardiff. Due to constant bullying about his clothes and struggles with the English language, Asif dreams of telling his persecutors, through hip-hop, about his history. Turn It Up will be made with a grant of GBP4,000. LONDON Tribute Trust, West Dulwich Tribute Trust, which creates arts programmes for young people, will work with 20 young people aged between 10 and 18 years old on Snorkelboy. This romantic comedy is about a bubble blowing boy in a snorkelling outfit. First Light funding will be GBP4,000. Independent Photography, Greenwich On Da Endz will be a thriller produced by 20 young people aged between nine and 14 years old. The story follows a gang on an estate and the crime that one of them perpetrates. The grant received by Independent Photography, the digital media facilitators, for this project was for GBP4,000. Chocolate Films, Clapham Almost 100 young people aged between 13 and 18 years old will work on four films. The total grant for these films is GBP20,000. London/Africa is a drama inspired by contemporary African art, in particular the Africa Remix exhibition at London's Hayward Gallery. The issue-based drama A London Anthem will be shot in real-time on a South London council estate. Battersea Park will be an experimental animation inspired by the famous London park - the young people will work with Katy Dove, a contemporary video artist who currently has a solo show at the Pump House Gallery. The final film, Writing With Pictures, will tackle issues surrounding dyslexia. Queens Park New Media Centre, Queens Park Two groups of eight young people, aged between 13 and 16 years old, will make two films each, covering two themes. The first theme, titled Stress Test, looks at media coverage of teenage mental health and depression. The second theme, Park Bench, will result in animations based on a favourite communal area for teenagers, the park bench. The grant for all four films is GBP14,000. SOUTH WEST Nyland Special School, Swindon Making Choices will be made by an eight-strong group of ten and 11 year olds. This largely improvised drama will tie in with an Emotional Awareness Week that the school is running. The school has received First Light funding of GBP4,000. Action Time Vision Co-Operative Limited, Bristol The suspense drama Break will be realised by a team of ten young people aged between 12 and 18 years old. They will create a real time drama about a woman who awakes to find her house being burgled. When she realises the intruder is only 12 years old, what does she do? First Light funding for the film is GBP4,000. NORTH WEST Zumamedia Arts Ltd, Colne, Lancashire Up to 11 young people, aged between ten and 17 years old will produce the animated drama Journey Of The Mitre. The film, which has been awarded a grant for GBP4,000, follows the path of a football as it makes its way down a hill, pausing to note the characters and events it passes on its journey. SOUTH EAST Northease Manor School, nr Lewes Flashback, a comedy horror, will be set in Northease Manor School - a school for dyslexic students. A team of eleven 15 and 16 year olds will film the story that is set in the school's Great Hall. The Hall is rumoured to be haunted, a fact that attracts an intrepid group of students. They stumble across a message that they're unable to decipher due to their dyslexia. However, when bones are discovered underneath the floorboards the day after, does that message hold the key to the mystery? The film received a grant of GBP4,000. Reading Borough Council, Reading Over 50 five to 11 year olds will work on two films that have received GBP8,000 of funding. Is It Really Better? is a comedy drama set in what appears to be a deserted school apart from a group of initially delighted students. The absence of adults then begins to concern the pupils...Taking Over will be an animation about a group of young people who unwittingly find a mobile phone with evil powers. EAST Brentwood Performing Arts Group, Essex Twenty-four young people will work to create Destiny, a comedy docudrama about a mother and her son, who wants a toy gun. The mother sees the gun and imagines her son growing up to be a soldier. Consequently, she decides to buy him a chemistry set instead. Years later, we catch up with the son, who has discovered the formula that leads to the creation of the world's largest nuclear explosion. The grant for the film is GBP4,000. Source: UK Film Council Keith Gabriel, First Light, Tel: +44-(0)121-693-2094, Mobile: +44-(0)7958-985-395, press@firstlightmovies.com; Caroline Nagle, UK Film Council, Tel: +44-020-7861-7508 ------- Profile: International Entertainment