First Light movies project hunts for future Oscar winners

First Light movies project hunts for future Oscar winners
First Light, the UK-wide filmmaking scheme set up by the Film Council for young people aged between 7 and 18 years-of-age is on the hunt for the next Ridley Scott or Gurinder Chadha.
Birmingham-based production company Hi8us First Light (which has developed and coordinates the First Light scheme) has announced the third raft of Lottery investments in a number of initiatives, which will give young people a chance to make films.
Since its inception, First Light has already invested more than £1 million of Lottery money into more than 200 short films made by over 3100 young people with the help of over 80 local youth agencies, schools, colleges and film clubs across the UK.
Filmmaker groups being funded include:

• Media Education, Edinburgh, which is running 'Scotched Myths', a programme that will give young people from across Scotland the chance to reflect their culture in an interesting and innovative way. Six films made using a variety of digital film equipment will all be shown at a special local screening and at the end of the project will be screened to the Scottish Parliament.
• The 'Get a Life' film project, in the Hockley Heath area of Solihull, which is a collaboration between Solihull Youth Service, the Arts Development Dept and independent filmmaker Jonathon Lee. The film will be a fantasy adventure about life in the West Midlands.
• The Glasgow Media Access Centre, which is running an animation project called Same Difference encouraging better integration between young local people and refugees and asylum seekers living in Sighthill in Glasgow. The aim is bring them together and base the subject on their experience and perception of differences between people.
• Knowle West Media Centre, in South Bristol and Picture This Moving Image which have teamed up to work with artists and local young people on a slate of three films called collectively 'Way out Knowle West'. The projects will involve local young people by creating short animations and creative documentary/fantasy dramas. The centre will also be working with KWADS - Knowle West Against Drugs - a support group set up by local mothers.

A complete list of the latest round of investments is available at www.firstlightmovies.com
(SP)