Winners announced in young filmmakers’ Covid Challenge

Covid Challenge filmmakers

The winners of a Kent Film Foundation challenge for young people aged 13 to 19 have been announced.

The foundation  is a Ramsgate based charity that offers free weekly film workshops for young people. They announced their Covid Film Challenge when the world went into lockdown and their weekly film clubs had to close.

The resulting selection of films from more than 400 submissions concluded with an online film festival held for a month and hosted by Strangelove Film Festival. It was screened as part of the Ramsgate International Film and TV Festival and was a challenge set for young people to make and submit films either inspired by lockdown and/or shot during the constraints of lockdown.

The festival celebrated not only young filmmakers from around the world but also  reminded people of the courage and perseverance through the last 12 months or so, and how we continue to strive as a community around the world.

And the winners are:

The BEST FILM award goes to Paula Szczyrba in the age 14-16 category for her film, SIXTY

The Best Film Award is sponsored by Violet Pictures, a Thanet based production company and specialist documentary distributors and a regular partner in screening events with Kent Film Foundation. The award brings with it a cash prize of £150 and a year’s worth of one-to-one free mentoring with professional filmmakers.

BEST FILM RUNNER UP Prize goes to Charlton John Jocson in the age 17-19 category for his film, QUARANTINE DAYDREAM

This is sponsored directly by Kent Film Foundation with a cash prize of £50.

The Audience Awards, voted by the viewing audience are sponsored by STRANGELOVE with a cash award of £100 each and they are:

10-11 year olds – Evangelina Sarett for PLEASE STAY

14-16 year olds – Musa Ahmed for THE ERROR

17-19 year olds – Christian Pasat for 42

Each winner receives a cash prize sponsored by Strangelove. Strangelove supports the work of Kent Film Foundation and congratulated all the filmmakers who submitted work. Strangelove is looking forward to being live again with two days of film events at the Quarterhouse in Folkestone, September 17-18.  Kent Film Foundation is currently in discussions about continuing a partnership with Strangelove in opening a dedicated channel for their young filmmakers.

Kent Film Foundation thanked the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, without their continued support for the work of the Foundation locally during these times, this online festival would not be taking place.

The foundation’s youth film workshops are now resuming, initially remotely; face to face workshops will start in September at Ramsgate’s Pie Factory Music. Anyone interested in the free film clubs should email [email protected]

The organisation has recently submitted a bid to Thanet District Council for a Community Asset Transfer of Ramsgate’s Granville Cinema to transform it via a Green Build into a community arts centre.