FOR ENTRIES THAT EXPLORE RACE & BEAUTY STANDARDS, AND CELEBRATE FEMALE EMPOWERMENT

07 June 2022: Two exceptional groups of girls from the Greater Manchester area are set to walk the red carpet having been nominated at the 2022 Into Film Awards, which celebrates the best young filmmakers and use of film in education across the UK. The four filmmakers from Skills 4 All in Oldham and an Into Film Club from Eden Girls Leadership Academy in Central Manchester will attend a star-studded ceremony at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square on 28 June. The Awards are hosted by film education charity, Into Film, who engage with over half of UK schools and count Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Lowden, Michael Sheen and Naomie Harris among its Ambassadors.

Mia, Serena, Miyoko and Kieran from Skills 4 All Ltd are nominated in the Best Film 12-15 category for their short, Shades of Beauty, which explores notions of beauty, representation and race, as a young girl looks at a range of glossy magazines and doesn’t see herself reflected in any of them. Skills 4 All ran a 12-week programme to help build the skills of potential filmmakers, running sessions on everything from storyboarding to sound techniques. Two of the nominees have now recruited their own filmmaking teams within their school, working independently to create a film about online safety and gaming.

Miyoko said; “I hadn’t known what I wanted to do in the future, but when I was invited to this club, it really showed me what I was able to do! It brought me new skills and knowledge, and I just really fell in love with it! I love filmmaking.”

Meanwhile, the group from Eden Girls Leadership Academy are nominated for Into Film Club of the Year and use film to discuss a variety of wider issues within society. They often focus on stories of female empowerment, particularly ones that allow their female members of colour to see themselves on screen. The club is a safe space for students to come, meet friends, access wellbeing strategies and use film as a strategy to discuss the world around them.

The group said; “We are in shock but absolutely thrilled at our nomination! Our Into Film Club is important to us as it allows us to see ourselves represented on screen and we hope it encourages others to engage with more diverse films or even to start up their own film club!”

The Into Film Awards honours incredible Into Film Clubs, inspiring educators and talented young review writers as well as a host of remarkable films submitted across six filmmaking categories. This year’s films cover a wide range of themes and topics including the impact of lockdown on mental health, the intersection of race and beauty standards in the UK, Ukrainian cultural identity, climate change and environmental protection, managing OCD, anti-bullying, the importance of kindness and the anniversary of integrated education being introduced in Northern Ireland.

The Into Film Awards are made possible with support from the film industry through sponsorship and supported by the BFI using National Lottery funding, thanks to National Lottery players and the UK film industry through Cinema First. The National Lottery raises £36 million each week for good causes across the UK.

Previous celebrity presenters at the event include Lily James, Daniel Craig, Amma Asante, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, David Walliams, Will Poulter, Tom Davis, Malachi Kirby, Bill Nighy, Gwendoline Christie, to name a few: https://www.intofilm.org/awards

Lily James said of the Into Film Awards: “Joining a group of like-minded young people creating their own stories and then knowing that they will be seen and appreciated is the real deal, and it gives them the impetus to keep making films and nurture that talent”.