IdeasTap launches Ideas Fund Shorts, £40,000-worth of funding to help young people realise short film projects.

 Recognising the wealth of talented young filmmakers in the UK, IdeasTap is offering eight awards of £5,000 each for the most original, engaging ideas. Entries must be for films no longer than five minutes and can include documentaries, conceptual pieces, trailers for features, music videos, fashion films and animated shorts.

 Aiming to make the funding process easier for young people, the Ideas Fund is dedicated to providing opportunities for up-and-coming talent.

Deadline: 15 December 2009

The International Community Film Forum (ICFF) and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education in the West Midlands (NIACE) supported by Screen West Midlands are seeking short films dealing with issues of cultural diversity depicting adults or families (not children solely).

A selection of films submitted will be screened during Adult Learners’ Week in May 2010 as part of NIACE’s Cultural Diversity Weekend at a suitable venue in the West Midlands.

For further information on how to submit your DVD please contact Dr Ian McCormick - ian.mccormick@easynet.co.uk. You can find out more about Adult Learners’ Week and Cultural Diversity Week end on www.wmld.org

Deadline: 5pm on 30 September 2009

BBC Blast have partnered up with BAFTA to give you the opportunity to learn the skills needed to make TV happen. So if you want a chance to win £3000 to make a TV programme and have it shown on BBC2 and you’re aged 16-19 and have a passion for TV, this is your chance!

Submit your short programmes (less than five minutes in length) by 30th September 2009 focusing in particular on editing, scriptwriting, composing music, or DoP. Entries can be any genre, including Factual, Drama, Comedy and Entertainment.

The eight winners, two in each category, will secure a bursary of £3000 to work with industry BBC or external production company over a six month period to produce a new piece of work.

Four out of the eight finalists will be nominated for a Screen-Skills award and the winner will be announced at the TV Craft Awards in May 2010. In addition to the placements, nominees and winner will also receive inspirational meetings and ongoing mentoring respectively with BAFTA mentors.

The new films that the winners created during the scheme will be celebrated at a special event held at BAFTA in November 2010 for filmmakers and industry and opinion formers.

Full information: www.bbc.co.uk/blast/screenskills

ANIMATE!

Saturday 3 October, 11am - 4pm

Young people aged 12 - 16 years can learn how to make their own short films as part of an animation workshop at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum this autumn. The workshop which takes place on Saturday 3 October from 11am - 4pm is part of a regular series of events which offer young people the opportunity to work with a professional film maker to explore animation, film making and digital media.

Participants will work as a team to come up with an idea for a story, create characters and shoot their animated film. The finished film will be screened as part of the Art Gallery & Museum’s Thursday Flickers programme. This informal weekly event provides a platform to showcase work by local film makers. It will be a fantastic opportunity for participants to see their films on a big screen and to show them to friends and family. Participants will also receive a DVD of their film to keep.

The cost is £3 per person. Places are limited, early booking is recommended, please call 01926 742700.

Further information - Call Vicki Slade, Curatorial Officer, on 01926 742701 (victoria.slade@warwickdc.gov.uk) or Emma Lewis, Publicity Officer, on 01926 742709 (emma.lewis@warwickdc.gov.uk).