Filmmakers from Uxbridge College trained up by Chocolate Films are among those taking over 1000londoners.com this month, with the short film John to be featured from 15 October.
1000londoners.com features the most in-depth and expansive documentary series ever produced about the city and was the winner of the Best International Web Series at Archipelago Film Festival 2014 and nominated for Raindance Best British Web Series 2015.
The new unique collection of 13 shorts has been shot, directed and edited by a total of 60 young filmmakers including 10 from Uxbridge College on the BTEC Level 3 Creative Media Production course. They all took part in Chocolate Films’ We Are West London funded by Heathrow Community Fund, Communities for Youth, as Young Ambassadors. The films were produced during 1000 Londoners workshops facilitated by filmmakers from Chocolate Films, and every Thursday, Saturday and Monday in October one of these films will be premiered on 1000londoners.com.
Students from Uxbridge College, The Green School for Girls in Hounslow, and A.P.P.L.E Arts Centre, Acton Park, have created the six films for the Youth Takeover, producing an inspiring slate of short documentaries about people living in West London.
The Youth Takeover season launched on 1 October with Faris, a three-minute film by Uxbridge College students, about Faris Tamimi, who teaches the traditional Palestinian folk dance 'Dabka'. The film, completed on a five day workshop, was devised, shot and edited entirely by the students. Faris is based in Hillingdon and rehearses with the group at Nadi community centre in Park Royal, where footage for the film was shot.
Another group of students from Uxbridge College produced John, which was filmed at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in London. John Windsor, who is from Hillingdon, has been repairing famous buildings throughout London since he was 16 years old, working as the lead specialist on historical landmarks also including Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral. John’s daughter Hannah was among the students involved in making the film.
David Lashbrook, Media Lecturer at Uxbridge College said: “The 1000Londoners project with Chocolate Films ran as part of a live brief with first year Level 3 Creative Media Production students at Uxbridge College. The aim of the project was to complete a three minute personal profile documentary on someone who considers themselves a Londoner based in the Hillingdon area.
Chocolate Films, in partnership with the Heathrow Community Fund, were able to offer a number of students the opportunity to receive documentary filmmaking workshops, access to professional equipment, and work experience at their studios in London.
The project benefited the students by allowing them to gain an insight into the media industry and valuable work experience. As a result they were able to develop their employability skills, and produce two high quality videos which will assist them in future applications for both industry and university.
The feedback that the College received from Chocolate Films was very positive and we hope to work with them again in the future.”
1000 Londoners Young Ambassadors offers young Londoners aged 15-25 the opportunity to gain more experience in preproduction, production, postproduction, event production and marketing. The Young Ambassadors meet once a month to discuss future production decisions, develop filmmaking skills and produce 1000 Londoners films.
The filmmakers for Faris were Jake Butler, Jan Kazmierczak, Klaudia Kurzeja, Aarti Thakkar, Ezzideen Abou-Daya and the facilitator from Chocolate Films was Ross Dickson.
The filmmakers for John were Hannah Windsor, Ashleigh Clayton, Armanpreet Kapoor, Christian Sewell and Sadaf Sadat. (Pictured above: (left) Hannah Windsor (19) and Ashleigh Clayton (17) filming footage at the Royal Chelsea Hospital.)
* To see the Faris go to http://www.1000londoners.com/londoners/faris/
* To see John in advance of its launch on October 15 on 1000londonders.com go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozAKUJ8WDSo
