The Green Globes came to Islington last week (Friday 21 January) as Islington Council hosted a public screening for its Shortcuts film competition at the Screen on the Green cinema on Upper Street.The event was the final round of the short film competition whose theme was dedicated to alternative forms of transport. Local aspiring film directors have been exploring ideas around cleaner, greener ways to travel. Islington Council launched the competition in September 2004 to support the London-wide Good Going campaign.The top prize, £1,000 of camera equipment, was won by a film called ‘Busbug’. The maker of the winning film. Joel Cahen, said: “It was a 0-budget film partly made with a phone camera. With Busbug I tried to show the use and misuse of London buses.” “The film speaks for itself”. The film has been published on the internet and can be viewed at www.newtoy.org.A runner’s up prize of a full-board weekend hill-walking holiday for two in the Lake District, a film maker’s location heaven was won by Adam Aiken and Laura Watkins for a film about the convenience of small electric vehicles called ‘Metro Mickey’. The judges of the competition were the Islington based film directors David Betteridge, Ben Miller, General Manager of Blue Audio & Visual Michael Valentine, Councillor Bridget Fox and City University Cultural Industry Course Director Debby Dickenson. Councillor Bridget Fox, executive member for sustainability said: “Congratulations to Joel, I really enjoyed seeing his and all the other films that brought sustainable transport to the big screen. The choices we all make today will affect the environment in years to come - using green travel, such as buses, cycles or the tube is one way we all do our bit. This is a great way for young people to show their creative style while boosting greener transport choices in our borough."Debby Dickenson said:“I was happy to be one of the judges, because the competition is a great way of supporting the next generation film makers. It makes them think about how to embed values and attitudes in short films without limiting their creativity.”Chairman of Shortcuts Harry Leckstein said“Shortcuts offered young film makers in the borough the chance to explore real issues that effect our lives through a creative medium.”The film competition is just one of the ways Islington has been promoting sustainable travel in the borough. Islington has the largest car club in England, promotes car sharing to residents and is currently looking for recipients for the Golden Boot and Golden Cycle Commuter Awards.ENDS
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008