Film Agency Honors Young British Filmmakers 2/28/05

The First Light Film Awards, the United Kingdom's version of the Oscars for young filmmakers, were held on February 23, 2005, in London. These awards recognize young British people, aged 5 to 18, who have produced outstanding short films.

Actor Sir Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Director Hugh Hudson (Chariots of Fire) were among the award presenters.

There were three nominees for Best Screenplay: Like Any Other Day, a drama about gang violence and race relations; The Catalyst, a story about two Internet friends who meet by chance; and Okey , a film that explores the impact of cultural forces on male-female relations.

Okey won the award for Best Screenplay.

The UK Film Council, a major agency for film in the UK, started the First Light Awards in 2001 to give young people the opportunity to create films while being mentored by professional filmmakers.

This organization provides government grant money and lottery money funds for the development and production of the youth films that are created in schools, colleges, youth agencies, production companies, and film clubs in the UK.