A film made by young carers in the North East has been nominated at the First Light Film Awards in the Young Voice category.
The young carers from Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough were funded by a Redcar charity to make their film ‘A Mile In Our Shoes’. They were also given support from The Junction and Middlesbrough FC Study Skills Centre.
First Light is a lottery backed organization that supports and encourages film making skills in young people.
The carers are aged between 12 and 16 years old and were given the chance to make any kind of film that they wanted, so they decided to make a documentary about their lives. They hope that the film will raise awareness about young carers and their day to day lives.
The Junction charity now uses the film to demonstrate and highlight the situations that young carers have to face.
Young carers project co-ordinator for The Junction, Eileen Cowle, said: “The film is extremely moving and inspiring, and we are so proud that not only has our Young Carers group made this movie, but that it has received national recognition from a judging panel which includes Oscar winners, Sam Mendes and Danny Boyle.”
Other films nominated in their category include Sticks And Stones by London-based Outreach Youth and Silent Scream which was produced by the charity Integrate Bristol.