- Breakthrough British film talent honoured in Parliament

LONDON, March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Film the House 2019 winners were announced this week at the Film the House Awards ceremony at the House of Commons. The next generation of scriptwriters, directors and filmmakers were celebrated at an evening event attended by MPs, Lords and members of the film and television industry.

The competition is run annually by MPs in conjunction with industry professionals and provides a fun and innovative way to highlight the importance of intellectual property rights to both creators and MPs. This year's competition received parliamentary sponsorship from Lord Clement-Jones, Giles Watling MP and Wes Streeting MP.

This year, the competition received entries from over 80 constituencies across the UK in a range of categories including Best Script and Best Short Film, with both under and over 16 categories. The competition also saw the addition of the Directors UK award for Best Film Direction for under and over 16s.

An expert industry panel of leading figures from across Britain's creative landscape chose the finalists, including Jane Lamacraft, screenwriter; Helen Lederer, screenwriter; Kay Stonham, screenwriter; Bill Anderson, director; Lotus Hannon, director; Christine Lalla, director; Caroline D'Silva, MPA; Murray Perkins, British Board of Film Classification (BBFC); Charlotte Tudor, the Walt Disney Company; and Nigel Warner, MPA. Winners of the competition received prizes including mentoring from industry professionals, a private screening of their film for friends and family, and a certificate of classification by BBFC.

The competition enjoys widespread support from industry and is sponsored by Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), Directors UK, Lionsgate, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Sky, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

We're delighted to announce that the winners of the Film the House 2019 competition are:

Best Film Script Under 16

Freya Hannan-Mills – Swallow (Angela Eagle MP)

Jane Lamacraft, screenwriter and judge said: "Swallow is a sensitive and authentic piece of writing with rarely seen, clear-eyed honesty. We loved the evocative, poetic language and the writer's command of different styles. A young writer with an old soul."

Best Film Script Over 16

Bertil Nilsson – Repair (Meg Hillier MP)

Kay Stonham, screenwriter and judge said: "Repair is a subtle yet powerful piece of writing that gives us a vivid insight into the way the character experiences the world and forces us to confront how odd and unnatural some of our current habits are."

Directors UK Best Film Direction Under 16

Morgan O'Connell – Haven (Greg Hands MP)

Directors UK judges said: "Haven has such heart and a desire to communicate something other than what we have already seen. The film has an authorial vision that is passionate, inventive and bold which, accompanied by great framing and highly articulate use of the camera, deftly reveals a state of mind."

Directors UK Best Film Direction Over 16

Souvid Datta – Gladiators on Wheels (Tulip Siddiq MP)

Directors UK judges said: "Gladiators on Wheels is a beautiful story, inventively told. We were all amazed by this unique film – it is visually stunning, with superb photography and excellent pacing that captures a visceral sense of adventure and exhilaration, but also the very human drama of overcoming fear."

Highly commended

Julien Cornwall – The Lost Scot

Best Short Film Under 16

Freya Hannan-Mills – Swallow (Angela Eagle MP)

Member of the judging panel Caroline D'Silva, Motion Picture Association, said: "Swallow is a simple concept, brilliantly executed, that captivates and draws you in emotionally and physically. Skilful cinematography and production design perfectly complement a powerful acting performance and script."

Best Short Film Over 16

Lanre Malaolu – The Circle (Meg Hillier MP)

Member of the judging panel Charlotte Tudor, the Walt Disney Company, said: "The Circle is a unique, intelligently shot and thought-provoking short film that combines documentary filming with a fluid and poetic narrative using movement and dance. It is moving and resonates deep to the core, and reminds us of the importance of friendship, community and brotherhood."

Helen Lederer, writer, comedian and Film the House judge said:

"It was a pleasure to be part of a competition that helps celebrate up-and-coming British film talent. Creative competitions like Film the House are an integral way for new creators to get involved in the industry while at the same time highlighting the importance of IP to MPs and creatives alike. Congratulations to the winners and shortlist of this year's competition, we hope to see much more of you all in the future!"

Lord Clement-Jones, Film the House sponsor, said:

"Intellectual property (IP) is a vital way of making sure that creators are properly rewarded for the artistic works they produce. This is as true for film and other visual media as it is for books, fashion or music. Film the House is designed to highlight the importance we place in Parliament on IP and on good IP protection and enforcement. We hope that for their part, creators will respond by taking part in future Film the House competitions and demonstrate the huge audiovisual and writing talent that we have in this country."

About the sponsors

About the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society

The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers' work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity, ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 100,000 members, and since 1977 has paid around £500 million to writers.

About Directors UK

Directors UK is the professional association of UK screen directors. It is a membership organisation representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 7,000 members – the majority of working TV and film directors in the UK. Directors UK collects and distributes royalty payments and provides a range of services to members including campaigning, commercial negotiations, legal advice, events, training and career development. Directors UK works closely with fellow organisations around the world to represent directors' rights and concerns, promotes excellence in the craft of direction and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive games and location-based entertainment, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure.

About the Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the voice and advocate of the six major international producers and distributors of films, home entertainment and television programmes. We are champions of IP rights, free and fair trade, innovative consumer choices, freedom of expression and the enduring power of movies to enrich people's lives. To do so, we promote and protect the intellectual property rights of our member companies and conduct public awareness programmes to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting film and television industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike.

About Sky

Sky is the UK's largest pay-TV broadcaster with 23 million customers as of 2018, providing television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom.

About ViacomCBS

ViacomCBS delivers premium content to audiences across traditional and digital platforms worldwide. It owns the Paramount Pictures film studio, the CBS Entertainment Group, TV network brands MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central and Paramount Network, Pluto TV, Showtime, Channel 5 in the UK, Viacom18 in India, Network 10 in Australia, and Telefe in Argentina. Through television, streaming and digital content, studio production, publishing, live event and merchandise ViacomCBS connects with billions of people across more than 180 countries.

About the Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company and a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. A WarnerMedia Company, the Studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD and Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation and broadcasting.

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SOURCE Film the House