MUMBAI: The UK Film Council is offering young British filmmakers an opportunity to take part in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games under the banner of Film Nation, announced as one of the first cultural projects to receive funding from the Olympic Lottery Distributor via the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).
Film Nation will receive £3 million of Lottery funding to support a string of cultural activities which will give young people the chance to get involved in making and showing films that reflect contemporary society. The latest digital technology will make these activities accessible for young people UK-wide.
Run by the UK Film Council in partnership with national and regional partners, Film Nation comprises:
• Film Nation Shorts, a UK-wide shorts filmmaking competition for young people;
• Film Nation Dreams, a documentary film project following young Olympic and Paralympic contenders;
• Olympic Schools Film Week, an Olympic schools film week showing films from the Olympic nations; and
• London International Film Talks, a programme of master classes with some of the world’s greatest filmmakers.
The whole Film Nation project will culminate in the opportunity for those who have participated in the different strands to make a film with the world’s best cinema talent.
UK Film Council CEO John Woodward says, "£3 million of cash, a good set of partners and a great plan – all in all, this is very welcome news for the film community. Our focus will be on young film talent from across the UK and also on tapping into the skills of some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers. As such, the Film Nation project underlines the UK Film Council’s commitment to giving people from all over the country opportunities to access, create and celebrate great films."
Film Nation will be delivered through the partnership of the UK Film Council, Skillset, the British Film Institute, Scottish Screen, Northern Ireland Screen, Film Agency for Wales, Screen England (the nine English Regional Screen Agencies), Film Club, Film Education, BAFTA, the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association and First Light Movies.
The Film Nation Shorts Competition will celebrate sport and the spirit of the games. The young filmmakers will work alongside professionals in the making of more than 20,000 films celebrating sport, participation, achievement and excellence in the spirit of the games.
Dreams will follow the stories of young people as they pursue their ambitions in the build-up to the games. The project will include a social networking site with user-generated content, blogs and video podcasts and provide a fascinating archive as part of its longer-term legacy.
The Olympic Schools Film Week will introduce children and young people to contemporary and archive cinema from all five continents. Screenings will be accompanied by talks from filmmakers and athletes explaining their respective approaches to excellence, endeavour and teamwork, and supported by educational resources available to download.
London International Film Talks will bring a programme of talks and master classes with some of the world’s leading filmmakers to venues in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast, all of which will be made available online to an international audience.
