Hollywood came to Pembrokeshire last week when the Torch Theatre hosted the eighth Pembrokeshire Schools Film and Animation Festival.

A total of 25 schools took part in a three-day programme of workshops and screenings from Aardman, Film Club, Planet Sunday and Pembrokeshire Education Advisory Service.

Young film-makers arrived early on Friday to soak up the atmosphere of the Oscars-style event with interviews and photographs on the red carpet followed by a screening of their films and animations in the cinema.

This year’s entries showcased a wide range of movies ranging from spectacular special effects action adventures, adaptions of Shakespeare classics, modelling clay and cartoon animation to documentaries and music videos. Every school entering had the opportunity to see their film shown on the big screen and then vote for their favourite in the Western Telegraph Audience Award.

Other awards were given by the festival’s judging panel of film-makers - Greg David (Planet Sunday), Sharron Harries (Curious Ostrich Productions), Simon Worley (Beach Media) and Janice Jenkins (Pembrokeshire College).

Film Festival director Duncan Whitehurst said: “Every year we have seen the standard of films and animations improving, helped by the links we have made with film industry professionals. Pembrokeshire schools have been inspired to have a go at film and animation because it enables children to learn technical skills and apply creativity and imagination to subjects across the curriculum.

“Teachers have discovered that through film-making young people learn through experience and can develop confidence and practical team-working skills.

"Showcasing schools’ films at the end of the year is a way of celebrating the success of completing a project and gives film-makers the opportunity to see each others’ work and share ideas.”

Many of the entries screened at this year’s event will go forward to represent Pembrokeshire in the Media4Schools Welsh Film Awards at Cineworld in Cardiff in November and this year’s films can be viewed online at www.pembrokeshirefilm.org.

The winners were:
Best Animation (Primary): Ysgol Casblaidd;
Best Film (Primary): Neyland Community School;
Curriculum Award (for best script, planning and editing): Stackpole VC School;
Best Film or Animation (Secondary): Danny Tose from Ysgol y Preseli;
The Independent Young Film-Maker Award: Rowan Petersen from Ysgol Casblaidd;
The Western Telegraph Audience Award: Lucy Lloyd and Niall Mills from Greenhill School.

 

View our picture gallery here...