Interview Scott Ramsden, MediaFish
We speak to the MediaFish member and Leeds Young People's Film Festival organiser
“MediaFish is a committee of young people from Leeds aged between 15 and 19, who are passionate about film. We were put together by Leeds Film - who host the Leeds International Film Festival and other film events in Leeds - initially to help organise the Leeds Young People’s Film Festival, but we are now involved in film related projects all year round.
“We organise everything to do with the the Leeds Young People’s Film Festival. We decide what films are screened, whether they are suitable age-wise, we plan the workshops and help design and market the brochure. The films shown are aimed for young people but range from children’s films to 18 certificate movies - so it’s not confined to just young people, there’s a bit of everything in there. We’ve been really busy this year and it’s definitely going to be bigger than the last. We are having a Harry Potter Day with a Harry Potter costume competition, so people will be dressed up during back to back screenings of the saga: a sight not to be missed!
“As I young film maker, I didn’t know anything about MediaFish and its presence in Leeds until recently, and I’ve been making films for years! I found out about it through an advertisement in the Leeds Express. I had an interview and the rest is history; I’m now an official MediaFish member. It’s opened up a flood of opportunity for me.
“We have visited many other film festivals and will be going to Sweden’s festival later this month. We also went to London earlier this year for the BBC Blast Festival - where we met up with similar groups from all over the country and got some ideas on how to promote the our own Film Festival. I think film could be a major thing in Leeds, like the music scene here, but it just isn’t publicised well enough and doesn’t get the advertisement it deserves. Leeds is a great place to make film, there’s plenty of history, lots of places to film and heaps of opportunity. There’s definitely a bigger future for film here - it just needs more advertising and more film events need to be happening around the city.
“I’d like to see MediaFish get bigger and get more publicity, putting us out there. We’ve had a grant of £30,000 to make two films later this year and we have written the scripts and are working in partnership with different groups around the city: one part acting; one part directing and editing. I’m currently developing a new website for us too. Basically the more promotion we get the bigger film can be in Leeds. MediaFish has opened my life and it’s such a brilliant opportunity for young people wanting to get into film.”
For more information see www.mediafish.org or www.leedsyoungfilm.co.uk
Posted on Wednesday 17th March 2010
Lee Bell
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