Young Acton filmmakers win awards

A group of talented young creatives from Acton have been crowned winners of a west London film competition.

The team from Bollo Brook Youth Centre, in Stratford Road, Acton, won the community award in the West London Creative Enterprize Zones 2024 film competition. The University of West London also received an honorable mention for technical excellence.

The competition provides a platform for teams of young people to work with an industry specialist to learn skills in the film sector, create a film from scratch and showcase their passion for West London.

The neighborhood is part of the Mayor of London’s Creative Enterprise Zones program and, in partnership with Old Oak and the Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), has the potential to create thousands of jobs in related industries, along with affordable studio space.

A great place to be creative

Thirteen teams from educational institutions and community groups across West London entered the competition, each creating a unique approach to the theme ‘West London: a great place to be creative’.

For their entry into the competition, the Bollo Brook team planned, scripted, acted, shot and edited their own film called ‘The Hidden Sounds of South Acton’ which uses a first person narrative to share their experiences of living in South Acton and the opportunities the youth center has opened up.

For some of the young creatives, this was the first time they used professional equipment. Megan O’Connor, who regularly attends the youth center and was part of the winning filming team, said the key to the process was access to professional editing software. She added: “The opportunity to edit, which I built for the love of animation, and grade color using color theory was a really nice experience.”

Stimulating creativity

The young people also shared their ambitions to pursue their creative interests and continue working in the industry – be it animation, art or film. While for some it was a natural process after completing animation courses, others told us that their creative flair was fostered by teachers and mentors.

For their prize, the team can visit the virtual production center at Sony Pinewood Studios and Arri in Uxbridge – the world’s largest camera supplier to the screen industry.

Enter television and film

Councilor Louise Brett, the council’s Cabinet Member for Decent Living Income, attended a screening of the films on Thursday 9 May where the winners were announced. She said: “Well done to Acton’s youth centre, Bollo Brook, for their victory in this exciting competition. I really enjoyed watching the short films and meeting the young and promising filmmakers who created them.

“We are fortunate to have a large amount of creative talent in the district and we are looking to nurture this talent and provide more opportunities for local people. If you are interested in a career, job or training in the film and TV sector, save the date for the CEZ careers fair and skills festival on 15 July 2024 at Wembley Box Park.”