Film awards’ focus falls on Fife primary school’s budding movie-makers

FORGET the Oscars. A primary three class from Fife has been nominated for one of the UK’s most prestigious film awards.

Granny Mac’s Meringues, a film made by a group of 66 children from Burntisland Primary School, has been shortlisted for the Best Film by Under 12s at the prestigious First Light Awards, whose judges include Oscar-winning directors such as Danny Boyle and Sam Mendes. The film, which follows the exploits of the Queen when she travels to Hisland Island to buy a hat from the famous milliner Hettie McHattie for the Royal wedding, features clay model animation and was made by the children during a two-month class project last year.

“There were so many things for the children to get involved with,” said teacher Liz Whatmore, who led the film project. “They were involved in model-making, script-writing, set building and doing voiceovers. It was a great experience for them and they all got a great feeling of confidence and self-belief from taking part.

Some of the children involved in Granny Mac’s Meringues have issues including dyspraxia, global developmental delay and Asperger’s syndrome. However, Whatmore said that when it came to film-making, nothing held them back.

“To make a film, none of that really matters,” she said.

“It reaches out to every child whatever their ability, whatever their behaviour, and whatever their capabilities are.

“Every child had a part to play.”

The seven-year-olds worked alongside animation firm Red Kite Productions, and six of them will travel to London in March to attend the awards ceremony at the British Film Institute, where they will rub shoulders with judges including artist Sam Taylor-Wood, Harry Potter producer David Heyman, and actor Jason Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.

Another Scottish film, Modern Love, which was made by a group of 34 young people aged between seven and 20, also from Fife, has also been shortlisted for a First Light Award in the category of Best Drama.

Nadia Bernard, 19, who was just 17 and a sixth-year student at Auchmuty High School when she directed the film, which explores delicate issues of sexual identity, said: “It was such a great experience and it’s made me realise that this is what I want to do for a living. I think ‘well, if I was able to direct something like this at 17, what can I do in the future?’ ”

She is now studying for an HND in Television at Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy.

First Light was established in 2007 to provide a platform for young film-makers across Britain, giving them the chance to work with industry professionals and find out more about how film-making works.

Barbara Broccoli, chair of First Light, said: “Film-making amongst young people across the UK has never been more popular. It is vitally important that young people from all backgrounds have a creative voice.

“The future of the British Film industry will benefit from the creative talents that have been nurtured by First Light and celebrated at the First Light Awards.”