First Light-funded Beacon Hill Film Project wins Best Arts Project at The National Lottery Awards 2010
North Tyneside film group take home National Lottery Award honours
First Light and The Beacon Hill Film Project in North Tyneside are celebrating after being voted the UK's Best Arts Project at The National Lottery Awards 2010.
The result was announced live on primetime BBC television on Saturday 4 September from London's prestigious Roundhouse. The show was hosted by John Barrowman, and the award for Best Arts Project was presented by star of the recent drama Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch.
Other celebrity guests at this year's event included Tess Daly, Amir Khan, Larry Lamb, Alex James, Matt Baker, Julia Bradbury, Sacha Parkinson and William Roache MBE.
Accepting the award for Best Arts Project, Will Sadler, Project Manager of the Beacon Hill Film Project, said: "It is an absolute honour to have won this award and for all the young people involved in the project to receive national recognition for their hard work and dedication. Lottery funding through the UK Film Council's First Light initiative has been crucial to our project; enabling the development of these amazing films and the nurturing of creativity. The Awards have given us a great opportunity to highlight how we've put our funding to good use and show anyone who has ever played the Lottery, the difference their money makes. The work of these incredibly talented young filmmakers speaks for itself. We have received fantastic support throughout all stages of the competition and I would like to thank everyone who has voted for us."
Leigh Thomas, First Light's CEO said "This is fantastic news for the young filmmakers and the Award is thoroughly deserved. The Beacon Hill Film Project exemplifies First Light's work – using filmmaking to engage young people in creative activity that gives them the opportunity to learn new skills and tell their own stories."
The National Lottery Award for Best Arts Project is the latest in a string of awards received by the project. Earlier this year, the project won both the National Young Filmmakers Award and a First Light Award for Best Original Music, sponsored by PRS for Music. It has received accolades from figures across the world of film, including film critic Barry Norman, actors Toby Jones & Jason Isaacs and film composer David Arnold.
On arriving back in North Tyneside after their primetime TV appearance, the young filmmakers were keen to show off their latest trophy. Eighteen-year old Luke Zuccaroli said: "I am very ecstatic that we won and very proud to win this after everyone's hard work"
Connor Rathbone, also 18, said "We jumped up and down when we won, my mam was very excited as well." And Stephanie Nicholas added: "Thank you everyone for your support"
The Beacon Hill Film Project is a partnership between Beacon Hill Business and Enterprise College and Arpeggio Films. Funded by First Light, the project has given young people with disabilities in North Tyneside the chance to develop filmmaking skills.
First Light is a national organisation, based in Birmingham, which helps young people produce their own films. The organisation distributes £1.1 million of National Lottery money, through UK Film Council funding as part of the Young Film Fund, each year.
First Light places the young people at the heart of the creative process and as a result, all ideas must come directly from them. They will be involved with every aspect of the production process from drawing storyboards and writing the scripts to directing and lighting the films, alongside industry professionals.
The short film The Pirate and the Mermaid can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/9iTEzD
For further information please contact:
Angela Hughes, Communications Manager
T: 0121 224 7511
E: angela@firstlightonline.co.uk
W: www.firstlightonline.co.uk
Notes to editors
- First Light is the UK's leading initiative enabling young people to realise their potential via creative digital film and media projects. It operates a number of youth funding schemes including The Young Film Fund, the UK Film Council's Lottery funded filmmaking initiative for five to 19 year olds. For guidelines and information on how to apply, go to www.firstlightonline.co.uk
UK FILM COUNCIL (www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk)
- The UK Film Council is the Government-backed lead agency for film in the UK, supporting the UK film industry, celebrating UK film culture and nurturing UK film talent at home and abroad;
- Since its creation in 2000 the UK Film Council has backed more than 900 films, shorts and features, which have won over 300 awards and entertained more than 200 million people around the world;
- Its support develops new filmmakers, funds exciting new British films and gets a wider choice of films to audiences throughout the UK. It also invests in training British talent, promoting Britain as an international filmmaking location and raising the profile of British films abroad. In addition, it funds the British Film Institute;
- Films backed by the UK Film Council include Man on Wire, Nowhere Boy, Fish Tank, In the Loop, Happy-Go-Lucky, Adulthood, Bend it like Beckham, The Constant Gardener, Gosford Park, Red Road, St Trinian's, This is England, Touching the Void, Vera Drake and The Wind that Shakes the Barley.
- Current UK Film Council funding initiatives include:
- the world's first Digital Screen Network, which has invested in 240 digital screens in cinemas across the country, increasing film choice, bringing the 3D experience to a wider audience, and ensuring the UK has more digital screens than any other European country;
- over 200 film societies and independent regional film venues;
- UK film festivals, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and the Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival;
- Skillset, the UK skills and training industry body for the creative industries;
- First Light, which has given 30,000 children and young people the chance to get involved in filmmaking; and
- FILMCLUB, an after school club which gives children in 7,000 schools free weekly access to classic and popular films.
