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We are very pleased to announce that Save Bobby the Fish is the latest winner of our Film of the Month competition. The winning film was made by young animators from Hilderthorpe Primary School's Into Film Club in Yorkshire, under the guidance of filmmaker Peter Snelling from production company My Pockets.
Save Bobby the Fish (engaging for ages 5+) is a charming film about sea pollution, in which Bobby, a short-sighted little fish, realises that all of his friends have disappeared and been replaced by odd, silent fish...
I loved everything about this. So clever, amazing imagery, lovely clear speech and great that the children are getting involved and interested in such an important topic.
Film of the Month Judge on 'Save Bobby the Fish'
If you're looking for more environmentally minded films aimed at young people, new documentary 2040 - which aims to challenge eco-anxiety with a positive outlook - is opening the Into Film Festival next week. Tickets are completely free, so check to see if there's availability at screenings near you!
We got in touch with the young filmmakers at Hilderthorpe to find out more about their winning film.
Congratulations on winning Film of the Month! How long have you been making films?
This was our first ever film! We have been watching and reviewing films for a long time and have always wanted to make one of our own, so we were really excited when we got to spend time making props and then having a whole day out of class in our film workshop.
How did you come up with the idea for Save Bobby the Fish?
We have been doing a lot of work in school about plastic pollution and ways to reduce this ourselves, and we wanted to spread the message to other people to make them know how not recycling plastic, or using too much, can really ruin the oceans. This is something we feel very strongly about as we want to make a positive difference to the world.
How do you think Save Bobby the Fish can help raise awareness for the environment?
We hope that people can see that plastic in the ocean kills fish and other sea creatures and we hope that people might stop and think.
What could people start doing today to help improve the environment?
You can make eco-bricks to put their plastic in, and these can be used to build furniture and other cool stuff. You can also use bags for life, so that plastic bags don't end up in the sea. And instead of using plastic straws, you can buy metal or bamboo ones.
How did you decide on the roles when you were making Save Bobby the Fish?
We all took an equal part to create the film because we spent quite a long time making all the props. We all made one of the plastic sea creatures you can see and also the backgrounds. We wrote the poem together as a brain storm and then everybody had a turn to say something so it was a big team effort!
If you could remake Save Bobby the Fish again what would you do differently, and why?
We would practise the voice over a bit more because it was a bit weird taking into the microphone!
What are some of your favourite animated films? Did any of them influence Save Bobby the Fish?
We like Pixar films, like Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, and the colours used in that for the coral reef is something we tried to create in our film. We like lots of Disney films too, like The Little Mermaid Flounder the fish is really cute and reminds us a bit of Bobby!
What three tips would you give a film club who are about to make their first ever animated film?
Listen to each other if you are working in a group, because everyone will have different ideas. Be prepared and make sure you know the story line and have all your props ready. But most importantly, have lots of fun!
Save Bobby the Fish will now be showcased to over 300,000 film club members online and all of our Film of the Month films are now on the Into Film YouTube channel, and they have won a £100 Amazon voucher for the whole club. Think you could win Film of the Month? Find out more about how you can enter our ongoing Film of the Month competition.
If you've been inspired by Save Bobby the Fish then make sure to check out the following films:
- Ponyo (2008, U, 100mins) Engaging for 5+
Magical Japanese animation about a fish who transforms into a girl after she is discovered trapped in a jar at the seashore.
- Finding Nemo (2003, U, 96mins) Engaging for all ages
The colourful world of the tropical sea is captured in all its glory in this moving and funny story of a lost fish.
- Earth (2007, PG, 96mins) Engaging for 7+
Poignant and entertaining nature documentary about a year in the life of planet Earth with narration from Patrick Stewart.
- A Turtle's Tale Sammy's Adventures (2010, U, 85mins) Engaging for 5+
A turtle's adventures travelling around the world looking for his true love and showing the damage done to the oceans.
