Among those watching the special screening alongside young film makers and proud parents were two Hollywood celebrities… well at least local agency look-a-likes! Scunthorpe Young People's Film Festival , a regional partnership project between ѿý Blast, Creative Connexions and North Lincolnshire Council encouraged youngsters between the age of 11 and 19 to create and submit short films. With support from ѿý Blast, Screen Yorkshire and local industry artists, youngsters in schools, colleges, youth centres and the probation service expressed their creative talents to produce films of the highest quality.
 | | Award ceremony |
Over 40 films, ranging from 45-second animations to a 20-minute documentaries were submitted. For the gala evening, 18 films were short-listed into three categories: animation, fiction and documentary. Each category was split across two age groups; 11-15 and 16-19 year olds. James Harper, one of the short-listing judges, said: "all films were rich in quality and the competition highlighted the creative talent of young people in the region". Eleven year olds Ben, Matt, Jamie and Josh, members of local rock band Zero Hour, set the tone of the evening with a rocking performance in the cinema foyer.
 | | Is it really Angela and Johnny? |
Tuxedos and ball gowns were aplenty as the red carpet welcomed the eager audience into the cinema. The local mayor even got into the creative spirit by occasionally breaking into a shuffled dance to the vibrant rock beat. The Scunthorpe “Golden Girder” awards were the prizes on offer for the tightly contested categories as the screenings got underway. The atmosphere was tense, rivaling the BAFTA’s or Hollywood Oscars! The six category winners were: 11-15 Animation - Alec Catley 11-15 Fiction - Hull Youth Council 11-15 Documentary - Foxhill School Technology College 16-19 Animation - Adrian Desforges and Zachary Osta 16-19 Fiction - Chris Willerton & Ian Smith 16-19 Documentary - Scunthorpe Youth Offending Team The audience then had the almost impossible chance of voting for the People’s Choice Award which went to the superbly creative animated dance film “Funky Town” by Adrian Desforges and Zachary Osta. If your aged 13-19 and want to explore, create and showcase your creative talents, visit the BLAST website: bbc.co.uk/blast Watch out for the BLAST truck visiting Scunthorpe later in 2007. | 
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