Young Sunderland film makers honoured by Dame Irene Hays

A group of young Wearside film-makers has been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Washington Young Film Makers Collective was awarded a Tyne and Wear High Sheriff’s Award for Services to the Community at a ceremony at the Stadium of Light.

Young film makers Anderson Groves and Alice Brooks accepted the award on behalf of the group.

The award was presented by the High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear, Dame Irene Hays. The ceremony was hosted by BBC Look North’s Jeff Brown.

Also there was SAFC midfielder Dan Neil, Michael Barrass from Sunderland Culture and Sunderland’s Businesswoman of the Year, Louise Bradford of Creo Comms.

Washington Young Film Makers Collective is part of Arts Centre Washington’s Creative You programme. The group writes, shoots and edits its own films, learning about the equipment and techniques along the way.

The group recently hosted a short film screening event as part of Arts Centre Washington’s Bright Lights Youth Arts Festival, screening all seven films they have made to date, alongside other selected short films.

The Film Makers Collective meets at the Washington Millennium Centre on Mondays between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and is free to attend.

Matt Blyth, Culture and Heritage officer at Arts Centre Washington, said: “The High Sheriff showed great interest in what the Young Film Makers Collective are doing.

“Members were thrilled to meet Dame Irene and the award recognises the group’s hard work, talent and dedication.

“It’s really exciting to think about the future of film making in the city and we hope that we are playing a small part in inspiring a new generation of film makers.

"The group has now produced seven short films to date from alien invasions to vampire detectives. They are in the middle of shooting an eighth, all of the groups films are available to view on Sunderland Culture’s You Tube channel.”

Creative You is supported by Sunderland City Council’s Washington Area Committee.

The Tyne & Wear High Sheriff Awards Fund was established as part of the Community Foundation in 1993 and awards tens of thousands of pounds to local community groups annually.

The fund is open to organisations working with young people aged 10-25, helping them develop new skills or overcome personal challenges.

To view some of the collective’s films, visit Arts Centre Washington’s website.