FIFTEEN young movie-makers who used five-minute films to play a starring role in telling their own story of growing up in Bradford have been rewarded for their creativity and talent.
The Born in Bradford Age of Wonder project challenged budding Steven Spielbergs aged 11 to 18 to combine images, animation or phone camera footage in a short movie.
Zooming in on issues ranging from healthcare to career prospects, the films offered a first-hand glimpse into what life is like for youngsters living in this year’s UK City of Culture and the youngest city in Europe with more than a third of its population under 25.
Run under the theme of My Life, My City, entries came from every corner of the community and all those who signed up to take part were offered a learning pack and invited to drop-in sessions offering help and advice on film-making.
Prizes of up to £500 were on offer and entries were assessed by a panel of industry experts, including local film director Louisa Rose Mackleston, University of York’s head of film and television Matt Brannan and portrait photographer Carolyn Mendelsohn.
Winner Zahra celebrated the diversity of Bradford in their movie and said:
My city is so special because of its diversity, and I wanted people to see how amazing it is when we all come together. I believe compassion is the key to understanding and accepting each other, and I hope my film inspires others to stand against racism and see the beauty in everyone, no matter where they come from.
Winning team Ben, Daniel, Vaugh, and Aaran said participating had been an inspiration to explore the city – and opened their eyes to the possibility of a career in film-making.
The My Life My City competition process was really brilliant and good fun,” Ben said. “We learnt new skills and the filming helped us find new places in Bradford we had never seen before. The workshops were great and interesting; Pishdaad helped us go out of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to develop new skills and think about going onto doing more things within the film industry.
Fellow prize-winner Krishna, agreed, saying:
I really enjoyed this opportunity in the competition. I had quite a lot of fun making my movie and it also allowed me to work on my film-making skills as it is something I haven’t done before.
As well as their prizes, all 15 winners have been offered a day at the University of York’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies, giving them hands-on experience of television production – including how to create their very own TV show.
Matt Brannan, Head of Film and Television, at the University of York, and judge of the competition said:
Each video demonstrated impressive skills in short-form storytelling, which I hope they all continue to build in any future creative work planned.
Next month, everyone who entered the competition will also be invited to bring their families to a special Oscar-style celebratory event where the winning 15 films will be shown.
They will also feature on the big screen in Centenary Square as part of the celebration of Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture 2025.
Project director, Pishdaad Moderassi, said:
It’s been hugely rewarding working with youngsters and seeing their enthusiasm for telling their own stories of growing up in Bradford in their own way.
Images and film footage are now firmly embedded in modern youth culture so it’s important to see how positive that can be. Who knows where we’ll be in 50 years’ time but, thanks to projects like this one, our grandchildren will find it easier to look back through a lens and see what life was like in 2025.
Each and every entry deserves credit for their effort and creativity and we hope they’ll take some pride in knowing their work is interwoven with the city’s celebrations this year.
Winning videos will be available to watch via Born In Bradford’s YouTube channel.
Information on future opportunities and projects led by Born in Bradford Age of Wonder will be shared on social media platforms tagged @BiBAgeofWonder