LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: CO-OPERATIVE CALLS FOR ENTRIES TO 2013 FILM FESTIVAL

Budding young Danny Boyles and Kathryn Bigelows who dream of making a movie are being urged to submit their short films to the 2013 Co-operative Film Festival.

Young people, aged 22 and under, have until Friday, 31 May, to get their entries in for the prestigious annual festival. It will be held in partnership with Bradford’s award-winning National Media Museum on Wednesday to Friday, 17 – 19 July, 2013.

Entries to the festival, which is now in its 47^th year, should be no more than six minutes long and will be viewed and selected by a panel of film and media professionals.

There are no categories to limit the imagination, and film makers are encouraged to tackle issues that concern them, through drama or documentary, animation or comedy, to music video or silent movie.

Not only will the film makers get to see their work on the big screen at this major national venue, but they can also take part in events and masterclasses hosted by film experts, and receive feedback on their film.

Festival organiser Laura Boonham, The Co-operative Group’s National Projects Assistant, said: “The Co-operative Film Festival keeps going from strength to strength, with the quality of films and the talent on show during the event getting better and better every year – and the 2013 festival promises to be no different.

“This major national film festival has helped showcase the talents of thousands of youngsters, from across the UK and Europe, and we urge both experienced movie-makers and those who have never made a film before to give it a go.”

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Head of the National Media Museum, added: "We are delighted to be working in closer partnership with The Co-operative Film Festival this year and welcoming it back to the National Media Museum in Bradford, the world's first UNESCO City of Film.

“We can't wait to see what stories young people across the UK want to tell through film and to give them the opportunity to see their work screened in our unique surroundings, home to the world's earliest colour film and the first moving footage ever created in the UK."

In the run-up to the festival, the latest news can be found on the Festival website at www.co-operative.coop/filmfestival, on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecooperativefilmfestival or via Twitter by following @coopfilmfest. Films can also be entered online – see the website for further details.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR SCI-FI-LONDON’s ALIEN ABDUCTION FILM,

 “THE SEARCH FOR SIMON”, HAS BEGUN – AND YOU CAN BE A PART OF IT!

Internationally recognised as one of the world’s most highly regarded and successful launch pads for genre movies, the UK’s leading genre event, SCI-FI-LONDON, has now taken its own giant step into world of movie production with the crowd-funded sci-fi comedy feature, THE SEARCH FOR SIMON, directed by Martin Gooch (Death) and starring Tom Price (Torchwood), Carol Cleveland (Monty Python), Simon Jones (The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy) and Sophie Aldred (Doctor Who) with a guest appearance by gaming legend Ian Livingstone. And you are invited to join in the final countdown to raise vital funds to finance the movie’s post-production via the crowd-funding website, Indiegogo.com.

In return for any pledges made, the filmmakers are offering a variety of cool and unique perks, ranging from signed DVDs of the completed film, official T-shirts and tickets to the movie’s world premiere screening and after-show party to copies of exclusive not-available-anywhere-else deck plans of the top secret “Shroomship” and having your name included in the movie’s closing credits!

THE SEARCH FOR SIMON is a comedy science-fiction feature film about a man named David and his lifelong search for alien life. When David was 10 years old, his younger brother Simon disappeared from his life forever. His father told him that Simon “now lives with the space people”. A year later, David’s father died and his mother refused to talk about what really happened. As a result, David dedicates himself to investigating extra-terrestrial phenomena, looking for the space people and the truth he knows must be out there.

Described by director and co-writer Martin Gooch as, “Shaun of the Dead rubbing up against The X-Files with a little Blair Witch Project, UFOs and a Sherman tank thrown in for good measure…” the film will also feature music by The Priscillas and Captain Sensible of The Damned.

Although the final countdown to the film’s completion has now begun, there is still time to get involved in THE SEARCH FOR SIMON before the Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign ends on 3rd April 2013. Simply go to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-search-for-simon, choose your pledge and become a part of sci-fi movie-making history.

THE SEARCH FOR SIMON will premiere at the 12th SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival at London’s BFI on 3rd May 2013. For further information, stills, updates and more, please visithttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-search-for-simon.