Castlebay Celebrates FilmG Award At Launch Of Gaelic Short Film Competition 2009

This week, pupils of Castlebay High School joined BBC ALBA presenter Fiona MacKenzie to launch FilmG 2009, MG ALBA's innovative Gaelic online short film competition during an evening of celebration at Castlebay High on the Isle of Barra.
BBC Radio nan Gaidheal presenter Janice Ann MacKay made a special guest appearance on stage and also interviewed the winners for popular young people's programme, Aileag.
MG ALBA awarded the pupils their trophy for their short, An Dusgadh (The Awakening) which won the Best Film award in the Young People's category in the inaugural competition. Due to adverse weather conditions, the Castlebay pupils had been unable to travel to Inverness in February for the FilmG awards ceremony. Their win was celebrated instead at a special school ceremony last night.
Alasdair Morrison, Chairman of MG ALBA, said: "I am delighted to be presenting the pupils from Castlebay High School with their Best Film award. It was a shame the pupils could not be at the awards ceremony but I am pleased they have been able to help us launch FilmG 2009, which is now open for entries.
"The FilmG competition is aimed at uncovering creative talent for BBC ALBA. I was hugely encouraged by last year's standards and everyone involved with the channel was delighted at the extent of the creative talent in the Gaelic community. The theme for FilmG 2009 is Gaisgeach, or Hero, a fitting theme for our times and I am sure this year's competition will uncover future champions for Gaelic and more real gems for Gaelic media."
Iain Maclean, Producer at Whisky Galore Film, who initiated the remake of Whisky Galore said: "It is wonderful to see such impressive creative talent bring electricity to filming in the Western Isles as well as the Gaelic community throughout Scotland. I am sure all of last year's entries will act as a catalyst for all the higgen and currently gifted film makers we will see in FilmG in 2009."
The FilmG 2009 website has now gone live with full details of this year's competition and how to enter. The deadline for entries is November 20 2009. The competition will also be offering training and development support in the form of online video tutorials and on-site workshops. Details will be posted on the website in early May.
FilmG 2008 was MG ALBA's first Gaelic online short film competition. The competition was a huge success attracting over 50 entries and uncovering some really impressive new talent, with entries being received from as far afield as Canada and Alaska.
The Highlands and Islands were particularly well represented. Winners in the Young People's category included Portree High School for Surighe air astar - Disaster! with Mallaig High School student Megan MacLellan taking Best Performance for An Rathad Dachaidh. Best Film in the New Entrant Category went to Inverness based director, Seonaid MacDonald for Oidhche Shathaime and Glasgow and North Uist based director Uisdean Murray took the Professional award for Suibhleachan.
The competition was open to all over the age of 12 to make three to five minute short films in Gaelic. Non Gaelic speakers and learners were particularly encouraged to get involved and have fun with the language through a creative project. The project was generously supported and endorsed by film industry professionals including Bafta winning directors Don Coutts and Annie Griffin, as well as Still Game and Eilbhis star Greg Hemphill.
All winning films and finalist entries from FilmG 2008 are available to watch at: www.filmg.co.uk.
(KMcA/BMcc)