UK MPs celebrate next generation filmmakers at Parliamentary Awards Event

A film about a young WWI soldier who fled the battlefield has won Best Short Film Under 19 at the prestigious Film the House filmmaking competition run by MPs. Saul Bell-West who was nominated by Selaine Saxby MP for his film Deserter, walked off with a top prize at the awards ceremony in Parliament.

Julian Knight MP, who chairs the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, presented the award to a crowd of MPs, peers and industry representatives in the annual awards ceremony at the House of Lords last night. Young budding filmmakers including Taiyo Yoshida won Best Film Script Over 19 for his film Get in the Groove, nominated by Vicky Foxcroft MP, and Charlotte Roberts won Best Film Script Under 19 for her film If you have been murdered please press 3, nominated by David Rutley MP. Judges said: “tenderly shot, these films stopped me in my tracks, took my breath away and have stayed with me ever since.”

Winners received Film the House trophies, cash prizes, a certificate of classification for their film from the British Board of Film Classification, as well as future mentoring sessions from industry screenwriting professionals, including a meeting with a professional director, courtesy of Directors UK.

Now in its fifth year, the annual film and scriptwriting competition for UK-based student and independent filmmakers is intended as a fun, innovative way to highlight the importance of intellectual property rights among creators, policymakers and the general public.

This year entries were submitted from 136 constituencies across the UK to local MPs, giving parliamentarians an opportunity to engage with young creatives in their constituencies and providing the creative community with a vehicle to highlight the importance of respect for copyright to continued investment in creativity and the Creative Industries, which contributed £115.9bn in Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2019 – greater than the aerospace, automotive, life sciences and oil and gas sectors combined.

Absolutely Fabulous star Helen Lederer hosted the Film the House awards ceremony, joined by film industry representatives, politicians and the finalists themselves. The late MP and campaigner for the creative industries Mike Weatherley was remembered for his key role as founder of Film the House. Judges praised winning entries for “concise story-telling, powerful visuals and well-drawn characters” making scripts hard to forget.

This year’s competition returns as an in-person event, following a hiatus during the pandemic, with cross-party support from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones and Conservative MP Giles Watling. Categories included Best Script and Best Short Film, with both under and over 19 prizes, as well as Best Film Direction for under and over 19. An expert industry panel of leading figures from across film and TV chose the finalists, including Trevor Albery from Warner Bros, Directors Mo Ali and Bill Anderson, and Charlotte Tudor from Disney.

Other winners included Freya Hannan-Mills who won Directors UK Best Film Direction Under 19 for her film I’ll Be Back Tomorrow nominated by Dame Angela Eagle MP. Rosie Westhoff also won Best Short Film Over 19 for her film Our Sister, nominated by Stella Creasy MP.

Stan McCoy, EMEA president and managing director of the Motion Picture Association, commented: “It was fantastic to gather again in person to celebrate the winners of this year’s Film the House competition. The competition is consistently an outstanding example of the up-and-coming filmmaking talent that we have in the UK, and a vital opportunity for those in the film industry to nurture that emerging talent. As ever, all of the entries were of an extremely high standard and it speaks to the importance of fostering younger talent in the creative industries. I look forward to seeing some of the finalists’ work in cinemas one day soon!”

Film the House commented: “The creative industries are one of the UK’s biggest successes. It’s our job to nurture that creativity, which means protecting copyright and enabling the UK’s homegrown talent to flourish. This competition is so vital for raising awareness of IP whilst celebrating the creators of tomorrow.”

Helen Lederer, writer, comedian and Film the House compere said: “It was such a pleasure helping to celebrate up-and-coming British film talent. Creative competitions like Film the House provide an opportunity for creators to get involved in the industry. They also highlight the real importance of IP to MPs and creatives alike. Huge congratulations to the winners and shortlist of this year’s competition. We look forward to seeing much more of you all in the future!”

Lord Tim Clement-Jones said: “Intellectual property (IP) is a vital way of making sure that creators are properly rewarded for the artistic works they produce. This is as true for film and other visual media as it is for books, fashion or music. Film the House is designed to highlight the importance we place in parliament on IP and on good IP protection and enforcement. We hope that for their part, creators will respond by taking part in future Film the House competitions and demonstrate the huge audiovisual and writing talent that we have in this country.”