Kell Bank CE Primary School, Fearby, enjoy success at Encounters Short Film Festival (From The Northern Echo)

Kell Bank CE Primary School, Fearby, enjoy success at Encounters Short Film Festival

8:44am Thursday 3rd December 2009

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DELIGHTED youngsters have had a taste of Hollywood-style stardom after a movie they made proved a hit with competition judges.

Their three-minute animated film about First World War soldiers took two top awards at the Encounters Short Film Festival.

Kell Bank CE Primary School, in Fearby, near Masham, North Yorkshire, was a winner in the Fresh Flix category – taking both the 12 years and under award and the audience award.

Their production, The Leeds Pals, was about the Great War soldiers who had a training camp in Colsterdale, just a few miles from the school.

It was entered into the festival by David Bunting, an animator who has worked with the award-winning Nick Park on projects such as Shaun the Sheep.

He worked with children at Kell Bank using a special animation camera and laptop which were paid for by Lottery funding.

All 26 pupils at the school worked on the film last summer, drawing and cutting out hundreds of soldiers, a train and countryside. They also sang a song that features in the film.

Six of the youngsters, together with school headtecher Kathleen Allison, travelled to Bristol to see the film being screened at the festival.

And back home, following its success, pupils found themselves being interviewed by TV and radio.

“It was all very exciting for the children. They had a great time,” said Mrs Allison.

“It was a wonderful experience for them and one they won’t forget for a long time.”

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