Student James' director ‘Oscar’

BEST director James Thompson at the Clapperboard Awards ceremony

OLDHAM College student James Thompson won the best director title at a star-studded ceremony for young filmmakers.

The 19-year-old from Heywood picked up the gong at the Clapperboard Awards ceremony at The Lowry, Salford Quays, for the short film Chain of Events.

Benidorm actor Crissy Rock hosted the event which celebrated the achievements of filmmakers aged from 13 to 19 from the North-West and the Midlands.

Presenters and guests included BBC Director North Peter Salmon and stars from Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Waking the Dead and Candy Cabs.

Ten short films exploring sexuality and gender, substance misuse, hate crime, knife crime and anti-social behaviour competed for the honours.

Professional writers and production companies worked with the filmmakers and the judging panel included Shameless creator Paul Abbott

He said: “Clapperboard is a unique project where young people come up with ideas to tackle issues that affect them and their communities. They then take control of the whole project from script to screen with the guidance of industry professionals.

“The awards ceremony is a celebration of their work and a great opportunity to integrate young people from Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Birmingham.

“Once again, this year’s films are outstanding and being a judge wasn’t an easy task. There’s a wealth of creative young talent in this region.”

John Eccles, production manager at Oldham College added “Chain of Events tells the story of a life-changing event.

“Following a series of bullying incidents, the main character Jimbo is assaulted by a gang in a discriminatory attack. He is reluctant to take revenge on his attacker but the actions of his friends spiral out of control.

“The project was undertaken by students with real passion. Supported by production company BakerMedia, they gained new skills in film production and development. In addition students created the closing music which is an original piece of music based on the film’s themes.”