This is the 9th time that David Austin is returning to judge the Childnet Film Competition, find out more about his role at the BBFC and thoughts on judging the Film Competition.
David Austin OBE is the Chief Executive of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). David makes executive decisions on behalf of the Board of Classification and is responsible for BBFC policies, management of the BBFC and external relations with the industry, the public and other relevant organisations.
Why are you a supporter of the Childnet Film Competition?
Protecting children from unsuitable content is key to the BBFC’s role and the Childnet Film Competition is an engaging and creative way of encouraging children to think about online safety issues, while learning how to produce their own short films. The BBFC has an active education programme and encourages young people to engage with film and film making as a vehicle for learning, creativity and enjoyment.
Why is film so important to teach important messages around online safety?
Film is an inspiring medium for all ages and for children in particular it brings to life important messages and in making their own films, it allows them to express themselves in a less conventional way than say writing an essay in the classroom. Engaging children in this way creates a memorable experience and helps them take on board ideas and information.
What have you enjoyed most about being a Film Competition judge?
The Childnet Film Competition always delivers a very diverse and thoughtful array of short films. It is endlessly rewarding to see children of all ages work in groups, and on their own, to bring their ideas or thoughts on an issue to life through film.
What will you be looking for in a winning film
The competition is a great chance to be creative and work with friends or classmates in new ways. I’ll be looking for films that use interesting or fun techniques to get across the key messages of the competition.
In addition to being a judge on the day, how else do you support the competition?
We’ll be supporting the competition by promoting it on the BBFC and CBBFC website for children, as well as tweeting about it to our twitter followers.
What does it mean to be BBFC rated?
A BBFC age rating means your film was examined by the BBFC in line with the BBFC Classification Guidelines, which are based on public opinion. A BBFC age rating and BBFCinsight lets viewers know what age group a film is suitable for and the key classification issues in it, for example, mild threat or bad language.
In your opinion, why enter the Childnet Film Competition?
The competition encourages children and young people to be creative, learn new film making skills, learn about BBFC age ratings and help promote positive messages to other children and young people.
