Film industry experts, MPs and Peers celebrate British film-making talent.
The winner of the first annual Film the House competition was announced by industry experts in an awards ceremony at the House of Commons last night.
Film the House is a national competition for budding UK film makers, directors and script writers that aims to raise political awareness of the importance of intellectual property to the film industry. The competition invited members of the public to enter their films and scripts, the best of which were nominated by local MPs.
Patrick Ryder, 33, a film-maker from Harrow who shot his action film Cerberus on a £50 budget was the overall winner of the competition. He was nominated by Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West.
Patrick said: “My aim was to create an engaging, original and engrossing short film on a minimal budget but to the highest quality I could.” Patrick won a place at a networking event where he can meet with film financiers; a week’s work experience at NBC Universal; a one-hour masterclass on music for film; an exclusive tour of the new YouTube studio and a chance to meet the YouTube team, as well as an HD video camera.
Five other runners-up won other prizes including hardware, film screenings for their friends and family, cinema tickets and DVD packages.
Founder of the competition, Mike Weatherley MP said: “I am delighted that the competition has attracted such spectacular entries and it has been an excellent night to see the best British filmmaking has to offer. The competition received over 1,000 hours of film from over 70 constituencies.
“It is clear that the UK is full of fresh talent, and it is more important than ever that we develop a sustainable market for film - we need to value those who create movies and those who invest in our film industry for the benefit of the UK economy.”
Susanna White, Director of Parades End, Boardwalk Empire, The Diary of a Nobody, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Generation Kill, Jane Eyre and Bleak House said: “The UK has a vibrant film and television industry, which I’m proud to be part of, but if we want this success to carry on we need to ensure there is a continued investment in British content and fair rewards for creators, including directors and writers. It’s not about lining our pockets it’s about being able to afford to go on to make more films and programmes for audiences to enjoy. Protecting copyright is crucial to ensuring that this is possible. I hope that Film the House will help to raise awareness of this.”
