Where next for the fast growing Rob Knox Film Festival?

Rob Knox Film Festival 2011

HOLLYWOOD scriptwriter Ben Trebilcook dropped the famous names as he arrived for this year’s short film festival awards evening.

He said both directors knew about and had been supportive of the event.

Scriptwriter Ben Trebilcook

Mr Trebilcook, from Welling and one of the festival judges, added: “I am hoping they might become involved in the future.”

Asked about the standards at this year’s festival, he said: “The films are a better quality and genre.

“These are professionally made films, and it is becoming very difficult to judge.

"I think this festival is really going to take off.

"Mick Wearing (the festival director) has done a fantastic job."

Festival director, Mick Wearing

Mr Trebilcook, is currently producing a martial arts film with a twist, called Candy with martial arts champion Zara Phythian, as well as actors Hugo Speer, Jason Flemyng and Graham Cole.

He hopes to start filming in the UK and Turkey in late summer.

Mr Trebilcook, who has been involved with the festival for the past three years, said: "The films submitted this time round were outstanding.

"The quality of the acting was amazing."

He added: "We intend the Rob Knox Festival to be much bigger next year.

"I am getting the word out about the festival, to some big names in Hollywood who I have worked for and am in touch with, including Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise."

And the winner is...

THE awards evening was hosted, as always, by Bexleyheath’s Cineworld, which even rolled out the red carpet for guests this year.

The 2011 festival attracted more than 200 films, compared with just 50 last year.

Entries came from across the world, including Brazil, Japan and Africa.

Even so, there were 21 films entered by Bexley residents, 69 films made by young people and 61 with a clear social message.

The festival, since it was renamed in 2009 following the murder of teenage Sidcup actor Rob Knox, has teamed up with the Rob Knox Foundation, the charity set up by his parents in Rob’s memory.

Rob's brother and dad, Jamie and Colin Knox

Its aims are to educate young people about street violence, respect and citizenship and support young people interested in drama and the arts.

Of this year's 200 entries the panel of judges, which included Ben Trebilcook, writer Colin Fancy, actor Graham Cole and Rob’s brother and actor Jamie Knox, 49 were chosen for free screenings around the borough.

But there were just eight winners on the night.

Remembering Rob

Opening this year's festival, Sally Knox said the Rob Knox Foundation was becoming more and more involved with the annual film festival which now bears her son's name.

Rob's mum, Sally Knox

She said: "I cannot think of a more fitting way to remember Rob.

"He loved film, it was his life.

"If he is sitting up there now and watching, he would be really proud."

Best Director Award

Edilberto Restino, who won best director for his atmospheric Nazi-era film, A Brunette Kiss, broke off filming to fly in specially from Brazil for the awards evening, missing the screening of his film but arriving just in time to receive his award from Mr Trebilcook.

He said: "I was going to come back to England a month later, as I am producing and shooting in Brazil.

"But when I got the news from the festival, I decided to come and I pushed back my production to shoot the first part quickly and leave the rest for when I return."

Edilberto Restino receives the best director award from Ben Trebilcook

Mr Restino told News Shopper: "I think it is very important you go and pick up the award in person, because it is the least you can do for a team which has worked hard to bring a festival to life, the same way my team worked to bring the film to reality."

He added: "It is a great time to make contacts as well."

Mr Restino said he had entered the Rob Knox festival because "I liked the idea of a festival connected with an organisation that is looking to make life better for teens and young adults.

"In Brazil we have many problems with criminality by teens and young adults.

"We need more organisations to help them find a purpose in their lives."

Best Bexley Film Award

The award for best Bexley film went to Cameron Holt, 17, from Bexleyheath, who produced stunning images of Bexley’s most iconic locations such as Danson House, Hall Place and Foots Cray Meadows, set to a piece of music called Soarin, by Jerry Goldsmith.

He received his award from teenage Sidcup actress Jacqueline Jossa, who plays Lauren Branning in the BBC soap EastEnders.

Cameron Holt receives his award from Eastenders actress Jacqueline Jossa

She said: "I am really happy to be presenting this award because I come from Bexley.

"All the films have been really great."

Best Community Film Award

Best community film went to Walking Away which showed how small changes in attitudes could change life choices for troubled but bright teenager, Falaize.

Actress Kirsty Thorpe, who played Falaize, collected the award with director Michael Linge, from Aly Harold, a director of one of the festival sponsors, Diviniti Publishing.

Ms Harold said she was honoured to present the award because of the connection with the Rob Knox Foundation.

Kirsty Thorpe collects the best community film award

She said the festival was a great opportunity for film makers to present their work to the world.

Ms Harold confessed: "I don't know anything about film; what it takes to have an idea and how to put it all together and get it onto the screen.

"But I do know it takes inspiration, creativity and passion."

And she urged the audience: "When you leave here tonight, I hope you will feel a bit inspired to do a little bit about life or have a little more passion about someone or something in life."

Ms Harold also praised the Knox family, saying: "They have taken the saddest and gravest event and turned it into something bigger and brighter - the Rob Knox Foundation."

The 99 per cent Award

The 99 per cent award portraying young people in a good light, went to Gareth Fient, 17, from Sidcup for his film 3,000 miles.

The film portrays an internet romance between two young people living in London and New York who wish so hard to meet in real life that miraculously both end up in London..but was the meeting just a dream?

Gareth Fient with Sally Knox

Presenting Gareth with his award, Sally Knox said: "This award is presented to the film which has done the most to raise the profile of young people, and I think it is a really important award.

"In the media we hear all about how bad young people are, but more than 99 per cent of kids are good."

She declared: "It is quite wrong in this country that we don't give enough credit to our young people."

Special effects

Special effects expert Mark Holt from Bexleyheath, who presented the award for best actor, told the audience there were very many different skills needed in the film industry.

He took one of the free workshops which ran in tandem with the festival and said it had been "a very good day".

From an engineering background, Mr Holt said he had been bitten by the special effects bug after seeing Star Wars at the cinema.

Mark Holt

Now, with films such as Nanny McFee, The King's Speech, Sherlock Holmes, In Bruge and Atonement to his credit, as well as television series such as Primeval, his skills are in much demand.

Mr Holt encouraged young people to get involved with the festival in any capacity.

He said: "It is one of the few ways you can demonstrate your talent.

"You can put it on your CV and it will be noticed."

He also encouraged anyone interested in working in the film industry to visit Pinewood and Shepperton film studios " and see the careers on offer".

Mr Holt added: "The rewards are great and you will travel the world."

Best Actor Award

The best actor award went to Reece Noi for his part in the accomplished film, Threads, about a mixed race teenager who discovers his white father is now a neo-Nazi.

Matt Taabu receives the best actor award on behalf of Reece Noi

It featured a number of familiar faces including actor Jamie Lomas who plays bad boy Warren Fox in the Channel 4 series Hollyoaks, and who portrayed Reece's father in Threads.

Reece was filming in Newcastle and unable to collect the award, which was received on his behalf by Threads' director Matt Taabu.

Best Actress Award

Rob Knox's younger brother Jamie, who is also a festival judge, presented the award for best actress.

It was won by Alex Childs for her role as the hard-up mum in the film £20.30p, portraying a single mum's struggle to afford football boots when her young son is promoted to the football team.

Jamie, now aged 20, who has been involved with the festival for three years, echoed the unanimous verdict that this year's films had been the best so far.

Best actress, Alex Childs

He said: "There were some difficult decisions."

Jamie added: "It humbles you to know the festival has got your brother's name on it and it is nice to see how much it has grown."

Presenting the award he gave "a big thank you to everyone. It means a lot."

Best Screenplay Award

Actor Graham Cole presented the best screenplay award to a Barnardo’s sponsored film, Innocence about a young girl getting her life back together after fleeing her abusive father, only to be forced into prostitution by an older man she meets.

No one involved with the film was available to collect the award, but Mr Cole told the audience: "This festival gets better and better every year.

"I saw about 22 of the films and they were very special this year."

Actor Graham Cole with the best screenplay award

He also had warm praise for festival director Mick Wearing.

Mr Cole said: "You need inspiration and he is inspirational.

"It is amazing all the work he does behind the scenes. He should be very proud."

Best Film of the Festival Award

The film Threads collected its second award of the night when it was declared best film of the festival and it was received from Colin Knox by its director, Matt Taabu.

Colin Knox presents Matt Taabu with the best film of the festival award

Mr Knox said the Rob Knox Foundation had sprung from an event no one would ever want to see.

He said: "When I was approached by Mick Wearing to ask if he could use Rob's name for the festival, we said 'yes' straight away.

"Rob was always out with a camera and made his own films with friends such as Aaron Truss, so it was a natural to say yes."

Mr Knox added: "If Rob's name was to go to anything it would be something like this because this was his environment.

"I take my hat off to everyone for making this festival so successful.

"It started off as just local films, but it is getting bigger and bigger.

"I hope it inspires people to get into the industry."

That's Entertainment

The evening was compared by two Pointless Taxi film club members Simone Capp and Matt Whittle, who proved themselves to be an adept double act.

During breaks in the screenings, the audience was entertained by young dancer Katie Waller; singer and harpist Clair Murphy, a former Pointless Taxi Productions member and now a Rose Bruford College graduate, accompanied on guitar by fellow graduate Callum Hughes, and Nicky Gummer, a singer with the Aspire choir based at Rob's performing arts school in Bromley.

Festival director Mick Wearing also paid tribute to the young people's film club, Pointless Taxi Productions, based at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, which he launched several years ago for 13 to 19-year-olds.

Many of its members have been heavily involved in the festival every year, as volunteers.

He said: "The kids at Pointless Taxi have been an inspiration to me.

"At the first festival, they entered 17 films."

To find out more about joining the club, call Saskia Delman on 020 8309 4155.

With thanks to...

There was also thanks to the Bexleyheath Marriott Hotel for hosting the after-awards party; the New Generation Church in Sidcup for hosting the festival's opening night; Danson Youth Club, Bexley College and Townley Grammar School for hosting the free film screenings and St Catherine's Catholic School for Girls, Bexley Council and Rose Bruford College for their help in organising the festival.