The 11th First Light Awards

THIS YEAR’S JUDGES INCLUDE: Danny Boyle, Edgar Wright, Danny Leigh, Laura Haddock, Jason Isaacs, David Heyman, Sam Mendes, Talulah Riley, Sam Taylor-Wood, Myanna Buring, Sam Clafin, Rebecca O’Brien, Tom Hooper, Frank Passingham, Emma Hindley, Roger Goldby, David Yates and Gary Lewis

Now in their 11th successive year, First Light is proud to present the 2012 First Light Awards at the BFI Southbank, an inspirational celebration of the next generation of British filmmakers.

On 5 March 2012, celebrity supporters (TBA) and talented young people from around the UK will be making their way to London to celebrate their filmmaking successes at the most prestigious young filmmakers’ event of the year.

First Light helps young people from all backgrounds develop skills, talent, creativity and confidence by giving them opportunities to create their own short films with the help of industry professionals. The films the young people create cover many topics and genres, and make use of today’s accessible digital technologies to tell their stories with them in control. The roles of cast and crew would have been undertaken by various members of the young people in the group. Each would have had the opportunity to write, act, shoot, direct, light, edit, produce and screen their own film.

The films explore a wide range of issues, such as female genital mutilation, homelessness and the lost youth of young care-givers, through creative story-telling, including the story of a stammering trainee Samurai and one man’s elevator journey with Kharon, carrier of souls, to local concerns such as the disappearance of Kosher bakeries in Leeds and the story of a local boxing trainer in Merthyr Tydfil.

The young filmmakers come from across the UK and a wide variety of social backgrounds and experiences – including those with refugee status, young offenders and those from deprived areas – with each filmmaker imparting a unique aspect if themselves into their films.

Barbara Broccoli, First Light Chair, remarked: ‘Filmmaking 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.’

To learn more about this year’s exciting entries, please visit the First Light website where you can see this year’s nominated films and cast your vote for The Audience Award 2012