Tyneside Cinema to screen award-winning short film by young filmmaker

Short film: ‘Kitman’, made by Alex Ayre, Northern Stars Film Academy graduate

Winner of Berwick Film Festival’s Chris Anderson Award for Best Young Filmmaker

Screening from Friday 25 October with The Selfish Giant at Tyneside Cinema

Watch ‘Kitman’ online: www.tynesidecinema.co.uk/kitman

Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema is giving audiences the chance to see the award-winning short film ‘Kitman’ before every screening of new release The Selfish Giant from Friday 25 October 2013. ‘Kitman’ was made by 19 year old Alex Ayre, a graduate of Tyneside Cinema’s Northern Stars Film Academy and won the prestigious Chris Anderson Award for Best Young Filmmaker at last month’s Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival. ‘Kitman’ is a seven-minute documentary about Tony Kennedy, who volunteered for the Blyth Spartans Football Club for two decades. As kitman, Tony looked after the team’s kit and dressing room until he retired in 2012 after more than 1,000 games. Football fan Alex first saw Tony on the touchline at a Blyth Spartans match, and wanted to tell the story of the man who has become a local legend among players, officials and supporters. Alex said, “I’m really chuffed that Tyneside Cinema has decided to show ‘Kitman’ as part of their public programme. Tony is such an interesting character with some fascinating – and very funny – stories about his history at the club and he was so warm and welcoming when I approached him about the documentary, which made shooting ‘Kitman’ a really fantastic experience. I hope audiences at the Tyneside enjoy watching the finished film on the big screen.”