Tyneside Cinema and intu present the premiere of four short documentaries made by young filmmakers from Newcastle and Gateshead

Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy Gala Screening

Four films made by young filmmakers aged 15-19 years

Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 6QG

Wednesday 16 October, 17:30 – 19:00

A partnership between Intu Properties plc (intu Eldon Square and intu Metrocentre),

Tyneside Cinema and Northern Stars

Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema and intu are delighted to present the premiere of four short documentaries made by young filmmakers aged 15-19 years at the Northern Stars Documentary Academy. The films will be shown at a screening for family, friends and invited special guests at the Cinema on Wednesday 16 October, which will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers when they will talk about how they made the documentaries. Over the summer, seventeen young people from across Newcastle and Gateshead took part in the Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy, a free programme of workshops which gave participants the chance to work with leading industry professionals to gain hands-on experience of all aspects of film production. The Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy took place from July – September in Pop-Up Film School, Tyneside Cinema’s spectacular filmmaking facility at intu Eldon Square, and provided the filmmakers with training in how to direct, produce and edit their own documentaries. The four completed films were devised by the young people themselves, and include the story of a teenager’s experience of depression, a young footballer who has Cerebral Palsy, and a portrait of a free-spirited busker who performs in the North East, as well as a film about life in Newcastle’s Grainger Market. 18 year old Jordan Tindale, who took part in the Northern Stars Film Documentary Academy, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed writing and shooting the documentary. I feel I learned a lot about how the documentary industry works, and now understand the work that goes into planning and producing.” The Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy has been made possible by the support of Intu Properties plc, who co-own intu Eldon Square in Newcastle and intu Metrocentre in Gateshead. Their partnership with Tyneside Cinema began in 2012, when intu Eldon Square offered the Cinema an unprecedented opportunity to create a unique filmmaking facility in a shop unit on High Friars. Since it opened in July last year, Pop-Up Film School has presented an extensive programme of filmmaking workshops, with one of the films made at the studio going on to win the Chris Anderson Award for Best Young Filmmaker at the 2012 Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival. To find out more and to see some examples of the films made at Pop-Up Film School please visit www.tynesidecinema.co.uk/popup. The local success of Pop-Up Film School led intu to look at other partnership opportunities with the Cinema and the resulting development of the new Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy is now a key part of intu’s local community engagement strategy, focusing on support for young people in the North East. Alexander Nicoll, intu’s Director of Corporate Responsibility, said: “All our community initiatives are geared to offer support and opportunity to disadvantaged young people in the areas where our shopping centres operate. We value the partnerships we create with outstanding organisations like Tyneside Cinema and look forward to deepening our relationship with the Cinema and further helping to support their work with young people throughout the North East.” The Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy is the latest learning initiative from Tyneside Cinema, and follows the success of the Cinema’s award-winning Northern Stars Fiction Academy, which is now in its sixth year and has helped over 100 young filmmakers gain the skills they need to make their own short films. Their films have won awards at festivals across the UK, and graduates from the Fiction Academy have used their experience to secure places at university, gain employment in the film industry and make their own independent productions. Tyneside Cinema has also employed several graduates at Northern Stars Production, a video service which provides businesses and organisations with professional films made by young people aged 16-21. Mark Dobson, Tyneside Cinema’s Chief Executive commented: “The young filmmakers have worked incredibly hard to produce four original and exciting documentaries, and we are very proud to present the premiere of the completed films at Tyneside Cinema. This fantastic event would not have been possible without the Cinema’s flourishing partnership with intu, and we are very grateful for their generous support in helping us create both Pop-Up Film School and the Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy – two fantastic additions to the Cinema’s existing range of projects for young people to engage with film.” Northern Stars Documentary Film Academy is a partnership between Intu Properties plc (intu Eldon Square and intu Metrocentre), Tyneside Cinema and Northern Stars. The Academy was held at Tyneside Cinema’s Pop Up Film School, which is sponsored by intu Eldon Square with support from The Shears Foundation, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England, Creative England and Newcastle City Council.