Our latest Film of the Month winner is 'School Alone'

We are very excited to announce that the latest winner of our monthly Film of the Month competition is School Alone, made by 6 young people aged 5 to 14 from Leaways School in Clapton. Our Special Mention goes to Newsflash, made by Agah, aged 15, from Enfield. This thought-provoking film, set against the liminal world of the London Overground, analyses and critiques the media and our responses to it.

This boisterous and humorous film, inspired by Home Alone, follows three pupils who are given detention and accidentally left behind when the school closes for the festive holidays. Trapped inside the empty building, the trio must band together to survive the festive break, sneaking through silent corridors, outsmarting vigilant security guards and racing against time to find a way out before Christmas is lost forever. We caught up with the young people that made School Alone about their experience making the film and winning Film of the Month. 

How does it feel to win Film of the Month?

We don't usually win stuff like this, so it makes me feel proud. It shows that what we made actually meant something and other people thought it was a good project! (Harvey, 11).

What/who are your filmmaking inspirations?

I like watching Marvel and action films and stuff with strong characters who don't give up. I like films that make you think about life after you finish watching them. (Rheos, 10)

What was the experience of making the film like for the group?

At first it was a bit chaotic because everyone had ideas and we all wanted them in. But after a while we started listening to each other more. It actually made us work like a proper team and in the end make a funny film. (Jaxson, 10)

What were the challenges in making this film, and how did you overcome them?

Staying focused was probably the hardest part. Sometimes we would get distracted or disagree, but we had different roles so everyone had a focus. (Jai'Varn, 11)

What was your filmmaking process? How did you go about creating this film?

We started with brainstorming ideas and talking about what message we wanted. When we knew it was ‘Christmas themed' we wanted to make a parody of our favourite Christmas movie, so we wrote it out properly and changed bits that didn't work. Editing after we filmed it took longer than we thought, but that's when it really started to look professional! (Harvey, 11)

What did the group enjoy most about making the film?

I liked being on camera and seeing how scenes look different once they're filmed. I also liked seeing everyone take it seriously. It was kind of embarrassing when the school watched it, but I did love people laughing and reacting to it! (Lea, 10)

What would you do differently next time?

I think we would plan even more before filming. Maybe do a proper storyboard so we waste less time deciding on the day. We would also try to get more creative camera angles. (Jai'Varn, 10)

What message would you like audiences to take from watching this film?

It's not meant to be a serious movie... it's supposed to be funny! We wanted people to laugh because it's a parody of Home Alone and just enjoy it. I think the main thing is about working together and you can see in the film that we enjoyed making it, and teamwork is what made it work. . (Rheos, 10)

What are you working on next?

We want to make something bigger and more emotional next time. Maybe something that focuses on real life struggles but also shows hope. I think we've realised we can actually do this properly now, so we want to push ourselves more. (Lea, 10)

Special Mention - Newsflash

Each month, we select a film that we feel deserves to be celebrated alongside the winning film. This month, we are delighted to give our Special Mention to Newsflash, made by Agah, aged 15 from Enfield. This is incredibly poignant, thought-provoking and experimental film, set against the liminal backdrop of the London Underground, critiques the media and our response to it.

In a dreamlike world of the London Underground, Agah examines the hypocrisy of newspaper headlines, social media, and the hidden oppression occurring globally. The film takes a swipe at politics and celebrity trivia.