On Monday, we held the finalists event of the Childnet Film Competition 2015 at the BFI Southbank in London. The event was a huge success with over 50 young people travelling from across the UK to see their films on the big screen!
To tell us a little bit more about what happened at the event, Eleanor, 16, who is currently doing work experience with us, has brought together her highlights.
Childnet Film Competition 2015
On Monday, Childnet co-ordinated an event to showcase the internet safety based films made by young finalists from the Childnet Film Competition. The event was a really good opportunity to celebrate the work of the young people and create awareness of concerns online.
The event kicked off at 10:30am! The children were ecstatic to be greeted by a goody bag full of gifts. Many of the faces lit up at the sight of colouring books and popcorn, the latter of which many joyfully munched through during the screenings.
Prior to the screening, the young people had the opportunity to take part in a number of activities. There were statements for which the young people choose whether to agree or disagree, a board for naming the film competition monster (who is now known as Arti) and a place for people to write comments about the day and competition.
The films themselves were all shown in the theatre and I personally was very impressed both with the quality and with the innovative ideas that some of the young people came up with. The judges all introduced themselves and gave a little bit of background about themselves. It was inspiring to see five different roles in the media that were represented, especially as the finalists could get an idea of how to develop their creativity. Additionally, it was useful to hear an interview with the young people from each categories following the films. This provided a little more insight into the origins of each idea, the process of creation and what had been enjoyed most during creation.
When the prizes were received, the finalists were elated! No matter whether they had come in third or first, the young people looked amazed at receiving the awards. Although seemingly shy on stage, many gasps and delighted laughs could be heard when things such as a green screen, a camera and a gift certificate emerged. The equipment would provide the young people with opportunities and film experience that couldn’t otherwise be possible.
After prize giving, everyone went back to the main room where lunch was provided. The general feedback was that the event was very successful. Some company representatives expressed a keen interest in using the films to create awareness not just for children but also to educate parents and to be used by teachers as learning resources. PhonePayPlus representatives, who were there in support largely of the PhoneBrain category, were thrilled with the event and its outcomes. A number of others that I personally talked to felt that the event provided a brilliant opportunity and catalysed the production of some beneficial films from the young people.
Personally my highlight of the day was talking to the young people and hearing their responses to questions concerning their film production. What I found most interesting was that the majority had most enjoyed coming up with a concept or key tips in order to get the message across. While the actual film making process was enjoyed across all groups, the way in which each presented their idea for online safety was more prominent.
I would love to return next year to see more young people involved in such a stirring and inclusive event.
To find out who took home the top prize in each category visit: https://www.childnet.com/resources/film-competition/2015
