Film the House 2019: Top Prizes on Offer as Parliamentary Film Competition Reveals New Best Film Direction Award
LONDON, Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Entries for Film the House 2019, Parliament's annual cross-party film competition, are now officially open. This year's competition heralds the addition of the Directors UK award for Best Film Direction for under and over 16s, as well as prizes for Best Film Script and Best Short Film.
Film the House is an annual Parliamentary-based competition which aims to find the filmmakers and scriptwriters of tomorrow. Now in its seventh year, the competition was created to invite and showcase the best young UK talent in filmmaking. The competition also provides a fun and innovative way to highlight the importance of – and urgent need to protect – intellectual property (IP) rights in an increasingly digital age.
Each year, the best upcoming creators from around the country submit entries across a range of categories including Best Film Script (under and over 16) and Best Short Film (under and over 16).
This year, Film the House are pleased to announce the addition of the Directors UK award for Best Film Direction (under and over 16). Entries will initially be shared with MPs before an expert industry panel of leading figures from across Britain's creative landscape chooses the finalists. The winners are announced at an awards ceremony in the House of Commons and prizes include private screenings, mentoring from film industry professionals, and classification of the winning films by BBFC as well as a cash prize.
This year's competition is expected to be bigger than ever before, and entries must be submitted by 19 December 2019. The competition enjoys widespread support from industry and is sponsored by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), Directors UK, Disney, Lionsgate, The Motion Picture Association, Sky, Viacom and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Commenting, Steve Smith, Chair of Directors UK and Director of The Graham Norton Show said: "We're delighted to be part of Film the House and to introduce a new award: The Directors UK Award for Best Film Direction. We look forward to being inspired by the submissions from all over the UK. So, to those budding auteurs out there with ambition and vision, we encourage you to pick up a camera – even the one on your phone - and start shooting. Film the House aims to raise awareness of the value of intellectual property for creators. For working freelance directors this is particularly important as the royalties generated from copyright are a vital source of income. At Directors UK our aim is to protect directors and their copyright, ensuring they can sustain careers and continue to make films for others to enjoy."
Commenting, Lord Dobbs, writer and executive producer of House of Cards: "Those who work in our creative industries are world beaters, singing way above the scale and generating more than £101.5 billion a year for the U.K. economy. While audiences around the globe lap up this tremendous creativity with more enthusiasm than ever, it's never been more important to protect those who make it all happen. That's where Film the House comes in. It's a fantastic way of celebrating the newest generation of creative artists, while also highlighting the importance of intellectual property rights and engaging MPs with their constituents. I'm delighted to have been a part of last year's parliamentary celebrations - so much fun - and I want to encourage any budding filmmakers to get involved with this year's competition. Make it happen!"
Notes to editors
About Film the House
Film the House was set up by former MP and IP adviser to the David Cameron, Mike Weatherley. The competition was set up to:
"Educate parliamentarians about the importance of the creative industries to the British economy and how, without protecting intellectual property, we are putting important industries and revenue streams in jeopardy."
Film the House was launched as a fun way to educate parliamentarians and young people about the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy and the many ways in which we can nurture and protect our creative industries. It is now one of Parliament's largest competitions and is just one of a number of initiatives that is aimed at significantly raising awareness of the need to protect creativity and copyright by bringing together young filmmakers and parliamentarians.
Film the House is intended to showcase the 'best' filmmakers and scriptwriters from across the UK – with particular emphasis on young participants and people who have not yet been noticed and realised their potential. It is also a way for participants to meet their local MP and to learn a little more about how 'Parliament in Westminster' works.
Film the House is being run by its industry sponsors which includes:
ALCS, Directors UK, Disney, Lionsgate, The Motion Picture Association, Sky, Viacom and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Parliamentary sponsors for the competition include:
Rt Hon Sir Kevin Barron MP (Chair of the All Party Film Group), Lord Tim Clement-Jones (Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group) and Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP (Chair of the All Party Writers Group).
The following organisations are also supporting the competition:
Alliance for IP, British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), British Film Institute (BFI), British Copyright Council (BCC), British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC), Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), Educational Recording Agency (ERA), Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Into Film, Luther Pendragon, Society of Authors, Writers' Guild of Great Britain.
About the sponsors
Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers' work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity, ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 100,000 members, and since 1977 has paid around £500 million to writers.
Directors UK
Directors UK is the professional association of UK screen directors. It is a membership organisation representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 7,000 members - the majority of working TV and film directors in the UK. Directors UK collects and distributes royalty payments and provides a range of services to members including campaigning, commercial negotiations, legal advice, events, training and career development. Directors UK works closely with fellow organisations around the world to represent directors' rights and concerns, promotes excellence in the craft of direction and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.
Disney
Disney, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International.
Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive games and location-based entertainment, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure.
The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the voice and advocate of the six major international producers and distributors of films, home entertainment and television programmes. We are champions of IP rights, free and fair trade, innovative consumer choices, freedom of expression and the enduring power of movies to enrich people's lives. To do so, we promote and protect the intellectual property rights of our member companies and conduct public awareness programmes to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting film and television industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike.
Sky
Sky is the UK's largest pay-TV broadcaster with 23 million customers as of 2018, providing television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom.
Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences and drives conversation and culture. It is home to a leading portfolio of global television, film, digital, live events, merchandise and studio production brands, including Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Channel, VH1, VIVA, BET and Paramount Studios. Paramount produces many of its films in the UK including recent releases Allied and Mission Impossible: Fallout, and the forthcoming Rocketman. Viacom is also proud to own UK public service broadcaster Channel 5 which delivers high-quality original UK drama, history and children's programmes, as well as trusted news and current affairs.
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company and a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. A WarnerMedia Company, the Studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD and Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation and broadcasting. The company's vast library consists of more than 75,000 hours of programming, including nearly 7,000 feature films and 5,000 television programs. In the UK, Warner Bros. has the broadest footprint of businesses outside of the US, including; Warner Bros. Television Production UK (formerly Shed Media), Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, TT Games, Rocksteady Studios and WB De Lane Lea.
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