Junior Filmmakers is a film-making program aimed at introducing young people in Milton Keynes to the skills of making films.
Young people learn research and interview skills, ideas and script development and writing, casting, crewing, pre-production management, camera techniques, filming and editing.
Junior Filmmakers provide a red-carpet premiere as an opportunity to engage with families and the community and distribute the films online and to schools.
The team celebrate and reward the filmmakers with certificates of completion. They also create learning experiences and opportunities for young people by taking them on trips and organising lectures with industry figures.
Junior Filmmakers started on January 3rd 2013 and have worked with thousands of children and young people in and out of schools in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Oxford, Barking and Bedford to produce more than 150 films and hold over 100 film premieres. They have also provided work experience opportunities for young people from schools in Milton Keynes, including, Shenley Brooke End, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes College, Hazely Academy and Webber Independent School.
Junior Filmmakers believe in the ability of filmmaking to educate, create change and empower participants as well as communities. Over the last 10 years, Junior Filmmakers have tackled hard and difficult social issues such as knife crime, bullying, peer pressure, road safety, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse among others whilst also making films just for fun, but in all cases young people get an opportunity to explore and develop their creativity.
Junior Filmmakers 10th year anniversary will be celebrated on 10th March 2023 at Cineworld Milton Keynes with the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Cllr Amanda Marlow. At the celebrations, Junior Filmmakers will launch the ‘Junior Filmmakers Book of Scripts’ which hosts 39 film scripts written by young people over the years.
Junior Filmmakers will also launch a brand new heritage sports project funded by the Heritage Fund UK. The project will feature sports heroes/heroines past and present from Milton Keynes. More information about the sports project is on their website here.
All past and current pupils of Junior Filmmakers are invited to attend the celebrations on March 10th. Attendance is free, however, registration is mandatory via their website here.
