Filmmakers taste the big time in Big Apple

Nicola Irwin
2 May 2006

Student filmmakers are jetting off to New York after winning the European heat of an international movie competition.

A four-minute film entitled The Right To Write, produced by pupils at Eaton Bank School, Congleton, will now be judged against entries from other continents.

The film focuses on the work of Congleton woman Mae Winterton, founder of the charity Schools for Gambia, which aims to improve education in parts of Africa. Sixteen-year-olds Becky Lea and Tom Goodhew, both in Year 11, will represent the school in America at the world final held at the headquarters of competition organiser Panasonic.

The duo were chosen to fly out to New York at the beginning of the project in a vote by the team of 13 media students who produced the film.

At the European awards ceremony in Birmingham, pupils discovered how successful their film had been with the judges.

Tom, of Lower Heath, Congleton, said: "It was a complete shock. We found out we'd won the British heat and then two minutes later we found out we won the European heat. It was surreal.

"Within three minutes I knew I was going to New York in eight or nine days. It was one of the most jaw-dropping hours of my life.
"We were quietly confident about winning the UK heat but we didn't think about Europe and especially not reaching the world finals."
Becky, of Buglawton, added: "We never expected to win Europe. It's definitely exciting.

"I've always be interested in media and I love films. I want to be a writer when I grow up. It's always been an interest and this was a unique opportunity to be involved in something this big."

The project started last autumn when Panasonic invited the school to take part in the competition and provided £2,000 of video equipment to make a film entitled Global Citizenship from a Local Perspective.

Panasonic also paid for the 13-strong team to receive professional training on how to use the camera plus tuition in editing and filming skills from the BBC.

Globally, 461 schools and around 70,000 student have taken part in Panasonic KWN - Kid Witness News competition.

The trip will be the first time Tom has visited America but will be a return visit for Becky, who toured New York as part of a school history trip over the Easter holidays.

The film they made could even be broadcast on the giant Panasonic screen in the world-famous Times Square when they make the trip next week.

Headteacher Paul Roberts said: "It's an amazing achievement and it's created such a level of excitement within the school and reaffirms that all is good at Eaton Bank. To have got this far is absolutely wonderful; anything more now is a complete bonus."

Martin James, head of English and media, who will accompany the pupils, said: "It's a competition which has been running for five months and you get out of it what you have put in and they have put a huge number of hours and work." The trip has also encouraged the school to start fundraising for Schools for Gambia and pupils hope to raise enough money to build a well.