About Electric December 2013
For 2013 Electric December has gone global, accepting (and receiving!) entries from around the world making this the widest reaching online showcase of young emerging talent we've seen since Electric December began fifteen years ago. This annual short film festival for young people boasts a strong selection of 24 short films which can be watched and enjoyed on this site.
This year's Electric December films were co-curated by the Watershed and a group of 18 to 25 year olds taking part in this year’s Future Producers program. Future Producers is a talent development opportunity for 18 to 25 year olds who want to learn more about the creative industries, and a select group of this year's budding producers chose to make Electric December their main project. They watched all the submissions, short-listed them and discussed their choices with students from New College Swindon. Through these discussions, the Future Producers chose which films would receive awards, and also brainstormed ways of expanding the Electric December audience through social media, Watershed's cinema screens and the Bristol Big Screen. They also worked with the Watershed and a local graphic designer to remodel the Electric December website.
Prizewinners 2013
The Magic Tyre
by Year 6, Yeo Moor Junior School (Clevedon)
Best Primary School Film (supported by FilmClub)
Year 6 students at Yeo Moor Junior School in Clevedon made the film after taking their SATs exams in Summer 2013. The idea for the film was entirely their own.They were supported by Steve Gear from Calling the Shots, Gillian Sweet-Bartley and their teacher, Pippa Gribben. The class made the film as part of the Curzon Community Cinema’s Start program under the guidance of Cathy Poole, and it was funded by the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts.
Zombie School: A Survival Guide
by Sawston Village College
Best Secondary School Film (supported by BFI)
This film was made at Sawston Village College with funding from First Light. The majority of young people in the film were linked to the school’s inclusion facility, Compass House. The young people were mentored by professional film-maker, Peter Harmer, from Stories-Projects in Film.
Titanic Sweded
by Christopher Barton, Luke Duffy, Jennifer Curran, Jackson Nash, Bethany Lowdon
Best Comedy (supported by FilmClub)
The Sweded team of friends decided to make their own version of Titanic, based on their own ideas and budget. The end result is a hilarious short with an acapella soundtrack.
Forest
by Agnieszka Konarska
Best Animation (supported by Aardman)
Forest is a German/Polish co-production, made by Electric December veteran Agnieszka Konarska. Agnieszka is now 19, and has been making animations since she was 12. Last year she won Electric December’s Best Animation Award for Hunt (Polowanie), and she has just been accepted into film school in Poland.
Brought to you by the Future Producers 2013
Joanna: I am a maths and philosophy graduate currently living in Bristol. I have a keen interest in cinema, and have been working freelance for a radio station dedicated to independent cinema for the past two and a half years. Working on Electric December, and with the Future Producers, has given me an insight into a part of the creative industries I’ve not really experienced before, which is invaluable. It’s also been a great way to meet an interesting group of people!
Nicola from Chepstow, South Wales. Working on Electric December has been a great insight into production within the Arts. From getting to know the ins and outs of producing live and online events, to watching all the creative submissions and connecting with the online film community, it's been a blast. Future Producers has brought me so much confidence and really enhanced my skills - I look forward to putting them to use as I pursue a career in events and production.
Twitter: @nicola_woody
Rosie has been a Bristol resident for little over a year now, but has found activities such as the Future Producers programme to be a perfect introduction into such a vibrantly creative city. The skills she has acquired from the programme has given her a taste of the excitement that comes with contributing to projects of this level, and she is eager to see where it will take her in the new year.
