STUDENTS from Wem met a galaxy of stars and directors when they won a national film award in London this week.
The team of young people from the Thomas Adams School won the award for `best comedy’ for their film ‘Dirty Secret’ at the 2008 First Light Movie Awards held at the Odeon in Leicester Square yesterday.
Their winning entry was written by Ben Welch and was produced by Thomas Adams students aged 14-19.
The glitzy ceremony, described as ‘a BAFTA night for young people’, was presented by Davina McColl and judges included Kevin Spacey, Orlando Bloom, Alan Rickman, Edward Fox and Michael Winterbottom.
The Thomas Adams students were delighted to receive their award from Ralf Little of Royal Family fame and Nira Park, producer of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead.
Little declared “the film had excellent comic timing and a witty screenplay” while Park observed the film was “inventive and showed real imagination”.
It was the first time a film from the West Midlands had been nominated for the prestigious award.
Thomas Adams pupils also had the distinction of representing the only school or group to be nominated in two categories as they were also in the running for `best animation with their film ‘City Scape’.
Professional animator Steve Box described it as being ‘very ambitious and sophisticated’ but it failed to pick up a prize.
Other award presenters included Sir Ian McKellen, Jim Carter, David Harewood, Jessica Hynes, who starred in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, Anna Popplewell who is in the new Narnia film, BAFTA-winning film director Shane Meadows and Culture Secretary Andy Burnham.
Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli said how impressed she was by all the entries. “The young filmmakers have made me laugh and cry with their honesty, passion and integrity,” she said.
Neil Hemming, headteacher of Thomas Adams School, was thrilled with the award.
“it’s a fantastic achievement for the school. It’s shown the school in the best possible light with staff and students working together positively and with enormous creativity, to achieve such a brilliant outcome.”
