North East Docs For Premier Before National Broadcast

Three north east documentary filmmakers are to have their work screened at a specially arranged premiere event before they are broadcast nationally to a potential audience of 8 million viewers.
Peter Adegbie, Hugh Kelly and Steve Carolan have made three extraordinarily revealing documentaries on different aspects of life in the north east of England that will be screened to an audience of 250 guests at Newcastle's Civic Centre on Friday 23 November 2007 before being broadcast on Community Channel in late 2007/early 2008.
'Made through Capture', the £40,000 Community Documentary Scheme funded and run by Regional Screen Agency Northern Film & Media in partnership with Community Channel, the documentaries focus on subjects as diverse as Newcastle's Czech Roma Community, the subtle struggle for control and the question of status in an African family, and a man with learning disabilities determined to become a martial arts hero. The documentaries are political, moving and provocative in turn.
Tom Harvey, Chief Executive, Northern Film & Media commented: "It is very important that we enable writers and directors to produce works that result in local voices and stories being broadcast on national television. Capture, our Community Documentary Scheme has done exactly that. We are very proud of the three documentaries that have been produced and I'm sure audiences will be intrigued by what they have to say."
Peter Adegbie, director of 'Same Faces, Different Stories' said: "I've always admired the Community Documentary Scheme and its aims; it has enabled me to realise my vision of 'building bridges across cultures' by showcasing an African family in the region."
Hugh Kelly of Swingbirdge Video and director of Roma: From Brno to Benwell, said:
"As a community filmmaker getting your programmes out to the right audiences is always a big issue. The Community Documentary Scheme for 2007 seemed a fantastic opportunity to explore and highlight the benefits - and tensions - that the newly arrived Czech Roma community are bringing to the area. I also wanted to be part of the scheme to push my programme making experiences into a new direction and gain more regular commissions for broadcast."
'Strangerous Pursuits' documents the last stages of Ged Watt's transformation from a mild mannered man with Down's Syndrome into the world's first learning disabled action hero.
Steve Carolan, director of Strangerous Pursuits said: "This journey took Ged and Shout Your Mouth Off into gyms and dojos all over the country to meet martial artists and stuntmen keen to give Ged the benefit of their experience as on-screen fighters and actors.
"Shout Your Mouth Off had just two months to bring out Ged's inner tiger, to turn him into a convincing action hero in the mode of Jet Li or Tony Jaa. Strangerous Pursuits reveals if the mission succeeded," he said.
Commenting on the scheme, Controller of Community Channel, Adam Perry, said: "The Community Documentary Scheme, now in its second year, has once again thrown up a rich mix of ideas and talent; three very different subjects, three very different approaches, three very rewarding films.
"In partnership with Northern Film & Media we have helped these talented filmmakers to deliver high quality, original work with the purpose of encouraging new voices and new talent from the region."
For further information:
www.northernmedia.org
(DS)