Summary:
In order to celebrate World Environment day and to highlight the increasing awareness of environmental issues amongst its youngest filmmakers, First Light Movies is premiering some of its latest short green films on its award winning website.
More Information:
http://www.filmstreet.co.uk/
BIRMINGHAM YOUNGSTERS' GREEN FILM CELEBRATES WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
In order to celebrate World Environment day on Tuesday 5 June and to highlight the increasing awareness and importance of environmental issues amongst its youngest filmmakers (primary aged); First Light Movies is premiering some of its latest short green films as part of an environmental special on its award winning website www.filmstreet.co.uk.
First Light Movies, the UK Film Council’s filmmaking initiative for young people aged five to 18, has notice a recent rising trend in its applications to make films with an environmental theme from some of its youngest filmmakers. Three films that discuss green issues have been funded by First Light Movies in its latest funding round, (seven films in the last two rounds) all of which will be made by groups of children from primary schools, illustrating the importance of these issues to some of the youngest members of our society.
Following in the footsteps of more high profile eco-documentaries such as Leonardo Di-Caprio’s 11th Hour and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth young filmmakers are very much at home using film and new media as a way to express what’s important to them.
The films featured in the online cinema on www.filmstreet.co.uk include Recipes for Making Rain, a charming environmental film made last year by Year 4 pupils from Birmingham’s Allens Croft Primary School with Fierce! Festival. Set in an allotment against the soundtrack of the children’s own green poem, which they wrote with the help of Birmingham’s poet laureate (2003/2004) Roz Goddard, the film blends drama with animation as two children attempt to make it rain. Allens Croft Primary School is based in a disadvantaged inner city area where high percentages of its pupils are eligible for free school dinners.
Film Street is also screening Waving Goodbye to Rubbish made in 2002 by seven then 11-year-olds from Scotland working with Edinburgh Film Workshop Trust. This delightful animated short accurately captures the atmosphere of the beach whilst focusing on the destructive effects of beach pollution.
First Light Movies is delighted to be able to celebrate World Environment Day through the work of its young filmmakers and hopes the films are able to increase awareness of the important environmental issues raised. World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. To find out more and for ideas about how to get involved you can visit http://www.unep.org/wed/2007/english/
First Light Movies places the young people at the heart of the creative process and as a result all the ideas come directly from the young filmmakers. They will be involved with every aspect of the production process from drawing storyboards and writing the scripts to directing and lighting the films.
First Light Movies’ latest funding round saw the Birmingham-based organisation make National Lottery awards worth over £160,000 to 17 groups across the UK. Over 550 young people aged between five and 18-years-old will be involved in writing, shooting and editing their film projects.