The silver screen awaits! Teens could pick up Bafta sponsored film award

Two teenagers who as children dreamed of winning a Bafta sponsored film award are down to the final twelve.
Young film makers Jamie Coe and Gabriel SteeleYoung film makers Jamie Coe and Gabriel Steele
Young film makers Jamie Coe and Gabriel Steele

Jamie Coe, 16 and Gabriel Steele, 17, who both attended Sir Henry Floyd School have been friends for years.

And entering the Reed competition has been top of the pair’s agenda since they were nine-years-old.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Their submission, a three minute short film around the theme ‘the question’, impressed judges so much that it beat more than 500 other entries to make it on to the shortlist.

Jamie, who works as an apprentice marketing executive, and lives in Winslow, said: “We have been friends since we were little and I remember saying when we were about nine or ten that there was this competition that has just started and we should enter that one day.

“This who thing has been an amazing experience and it is so exciting to be shortlisted, most of the entrants are in their twenties or thirties so we have already done well.”

Jamie and Gabriel’s interpretation of ‘the question’ is a short film about a little girl asking lots of questions about life. The pair submitted their entries and were excited to learn that it sailed through the first round, before making it to final stage.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They could win in a number of categories, and the overall winner receives £10,000 and help to make their film making dreams a reality.

Jamie said: “We thought about it for ages there were thousands of different scenarios, but in the end we had the idea to make a mockumentary about a young girl going through that questioning phase.”

He added: “There were 570 entries this year and then last month we found out that we were in the final 50.

“Then we found out that we are in the final 12 which is just amazing, we are the top two per cent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This means we go to the awards at the same venue as the Baftas and attend the Bafta HQ ceremony.

“There are four awards and there is one for young film makers, so we hope we have a good chance, the winners of the main prize in the past have gone on to get actual film commissions, so it could be an amazing break.”

To find out more about the awards, and vote for Gabriel and Jamie in the People’s Choice category, visit www.reed.co.uk/film

Related topics: