FILMG TAKES "THE UPPER HAND"

FilmG, MG ALBA’s ground breaking Gaelic online short film competition will officially launch today (Tuesday 1st June) for the third year, with this year’s theme ‘Làmh an Uachdar’ (‘The Upper Hand’) being revealed.

BBC ALBA presenters, Fiona MacKenzie and Calum MacAulay will join pupils of Ardnamurchan and Mallaig High Schools to launch FilmG 2010, during an afternoon of celebration at Ardnamurchan High School in Strontian. The Ardnamurchan pupils took the upper hand in last year’s competition when they won Best Film in the Young People’s category in FilmG 2009.


Also in attendance will be Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, who said, “One of the appeals of FilmG is that it is easy to enter, for Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers. It offers a window for novices, enthusiasts, amateurs and those already working in media to showcase their talent on screen, and success in the competition can open doors to more opportunities. FilmG’s first winner has been shown at film festivals all over the world and is currently showing in Bangalore, while some of last year’s winners are now starting to develop their next short films with us. FilmG opens doors to new experiences and opportunities in the world of Gaelic digital media, and we encourage as many people as possible to take part.”

The competition is open to all over the age of 12, to make three to five minute short films in Gaelic. Non Gaelic speakers and learners are particularly encouraged to get involved and have fun with the language through this creative project. Two distinct categories exist, one for films submitted from the 12-17 age group, the other for adult submissions, with an array of awards available in each. The top prize in the 12-17 age group is for Best Film - £1,500, while some of the fantastic prizes on offer in the Adult category include Best Drama - £2,500 and Best Documentary Film - £2,500.

The FilmG 2010 website will go live today with full details of this year’s competition, all the categories and prizes, and how to enter. The deadline for entries is 19 November 2010.

As in previous years, the competition will also be offering training and development support in the form of online video tutorials and hands-on workshops. Details of these will be posted on the website throughout June.

All winning films and finalist entries from FilmG 2009 are available to watch at www.filmg.co.uk.