The University of Sunderland this week hosted the Royal Television Society (RTS) North East and Borders Centre, Young People’s Media Festival(YPMF) (19 and 20 May 2015). The event covers Junior and Senior Events, celebrating work from students, schools and colleges throughout the North East, North Yorkshire, and Cumbria.
BBC TV’s Wolfblood star, Rachel Teate, hosted the event for juniors, while BBC senior producer and presenter, Chris Jackson hosted the senior event. Tony Edwards, Festival Director and Joanna Makepeace, Chair of the Judges, awarded the certificates to the winning teams and those commended. The specially designed trophies were presented by Graeme Thompson, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, University of Sunderland and Chair of the RTS North East and the Border Centre.
This showcase event for young filmmakers has been running in the region for more than two decades and has proved an important stepping stone for would-be producers and directors aged from five to 19. This year there were 30 entries, involving over 150 young people across both events, and they were judged for their creativity, storytelling, craft skills, originality and the creativity shown by the entrants.
Following the awards ceremony, the young attendees were given an opportunity to get hands on in the venue’s media centre, where they were able to use the equipment to record a female vocalist singing live. The events were an outstanding success with more than 200 people attending across the two days, including pupils, parents, staff and Governors.
Morgan Smith, Dylan Bulmer, Aaron Page, Tilly Woolley, Rebecca Anderson, David Buckley and Thomas Buckley from Usworth Colliery Primary School, Sunderland won the Junior Event prize with their film, Mike and the Mysterious Monster. Pupils from Year 5/6EB from Benton Park Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne were awarded a RTS Commendation Certificate for their entry, Home.
The Senior Awards were split into separate categories. The Drama Category was won by Bench, a film from Hartlepool Sixth Form College students, Matthew Appleyard, Doug Macaskill, Tom Curtis and Hollie Boynton-Briggs.
Matthew Appleyard and Doug Macaskill, with fellow Hartlepool Sixth Form College students, Josh Ingledew, Jordan Thornhill, Alice Gilhesry-Swan and Mark Tones, were also presented with a RTS Commendation Certificate in the Entertainment Category for Cope. The Category was won by Superdog, an individual entry from Jacob Crow.
In the Factual Category the winner was MUM, an entry from William Howard School student, Ellie Gray.
The Professionally Supported Category is designed to attract entries from those courses run for young people who have the benefit of support from professionals in the industry. This year the winner was I am Sam from Jonnie Knights, Caitlin Gill, Simon Ramshaw and Paige Lamb of Northern Stars, which is based in Newcastle.
The awards took place in the digital cinema of the prestigious David Puttnam Media Centre on the University’s Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s on the banks of the River Wear.
Graeme Thompson, Dean of Arts Design and Media at the University of Sunderland and Chair of the RTS North East and the Border Centre, said: “It’s a tremendous honour to host the North East and Borders RTS Young People’sMedia Festival. The young entrants have clearly shown their ability to creatively tell a great story though their excellent submissions. The awards inspire the next generation of filmmakers, but for me and the University’s Media team, meeting the entrants and seeing the work of these young film producers and directors is equally inspiring.”
Tony Edwards, Director of the Festival and member of the RTS Regional Committee, said: “‘I am always impressed by the high standard of creativity and enthusiasm that the young people of our region display in their entries to this Festival. This year, particularly, the standard was high and the judges of both Junior and Senior events had a difficult task in determining the winners. I think the most important thing about this competition is to give reward and encouragement to our young people’s creativity and commitment. An RTS Certificate is that recognition.”
In addition to the University of Sunderland, other sponsors for the event were Gateshead College, Teesside University, Northumbria University and the RTS.