First Light to help 50 young Scottish filmmakers

Over 50 young filmmakers from across Scotland have been selected from thousands of entrants to benefit from almost £15,000 of lottery money to make and star in digital films.
The money from First Light, the UK lottery-funded programme, has been awarded to Streetwork Youth Team in Edinburgh; Fife Council Community Services and Tullochan Trust in Balloch.
This latest funding gives Scotland the chance to repeat its success at the next First Light Film Awards. At the first ceremony, held earlier this year in London's Leicester Square, Scottish films won four of the nine categories, including Best Documentary and Best Comedy.
The First Light scheme gives the next generation of filmmakers the chance to get their first foot on the ladder by learning valuable skills such as scripting, acting, shooting, producing and editing.
Over the next few months, 20 projects up and down the UK will use grants of between £1,000 and £36,000 from First Light to produce more than 40 films, involving almost 1000 young people from all over the UK.
Catherine O'Shea, Director of First Light said: "It is remarkable that in only two years, we have reached a stage where each round of funding consistently brings a wealth of fantastic ideas. I feel very confident that this round might produce some of the best First Light films of all."
Steve McIntyre, Chief Executive of Scottish Screen added: "First Light gives youngsters the chance to 'get the feel' of filmmaking.
It is the ideal way to develop and encourage the next generation of filmmaking talent and Scotland has been quick to take advantage of this excellent scheme."
To date First Light has enabled almost 6,000 young people to work with organisations and filmmakers to write, act, shoot and produce over 350 films, covering a myriad of topics and genres, using digital film technology.
First Light was launched in May 2001 to fund and inspire the making of short films, reflecting the diversity of young people's lives.
(GB)