Lochaber Pupils Venice Bound for UNESCO Festival

Issued by Electrify Marketing & Communications on behalf of MG ALBA

Two pupils from Lochaber High School will be attending the UNESCO CIAK JUNIOR International Film Festival at the end of May, in an opportunity of a lifetime.
 
Lochaber High School will be representing Scotland at the Italian festival, with their Gaelic short film ‘Origami’, which won the Best Youth Film at the 2019 FilmG Awards.
 
The powerful and stylistic film ‘Origami’ focuses on bullying, but unusually gives the viewer a look at life from the bully’s perspective and culminates in an unexpected and uplifting twist. The school pupils wrote, starred and directed the film with support from independent filmmaker, Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacKinnon, originally from Scalpay in the Western Isles.
 
Pupils Floraidh Stevenson and Faye MacKinnon will travel to Venice to attend the festival. Due to an illness, Floraidh wasn’t able to attend the FilmG Awards so is delighted to have been chosen for this trip.
 
She said: “Making Origami was such a fun and creative experience for all of us. I got to direct the film and also had a small part in it, but unfortunately couldn’t make it to the awards ceremony, so this is a great consolation prize! I can’t wait to see the entries from other countries and hopefully meet some other young filmmakers.”
 
FilmG’s Project Manager, Flòraidh Forrest will also travel to Venice with the group. She said:
 
“We are thrilled to be given this opportunity and are proud to be taking such a meaningful and creative film with us to represent Scotland on this international platform. When young people have the opportunity to travel and see other cultures it can help in developing creativity and offers them the opportunity to gain a stronger sense of their own identity, language and culture. Something we are keen to encourage in young Gaelic speakers today.”
 
Funding this trip are MG ALBA who see the potential for the CIAK JUNIOR competition to be incorporated within the FilmG competition. Communications Manager Murdo MacSween said:
 
“Seeing Gaelic content, made by young filmmakers, appear at an international festival like this is hugely inspiring. It proves again that FilmG is a fantastic opportunity and that Gaelic can lead to amazing experiences.”
 
The festival takes place in Venice on the 24 & 25 May, follow FilmG social media channel’s for regular photo and video updates. And to watch Lochaber’s film Origami, visit the FilmG Website http://filmg.co.uk/gd/films/1826/
 
Sgoilearan à Loch Abar a’ dèanamh air Fèis Film UNESCO ann an Venice
 
Gheibh dithis sgoilearan aig Àrd-sgoil Loch Abar cothrom air leth a bhith an làthair aig Fèis Film Eadar-nàiseanta UNESCO CIAK JUNIOR aig deireadh a’ Chèitein.
 
Bidh Àrd-sgoil Loch Abar a’ riochdachadh na h-Alba aig an fhèis anns an Eadailt, leis an fhilm ghoirid aca, ‘Origami’, a ghlèidh an duais airson Film Òigridh As Fheàrr aig Duaisean FilmG 2019.
 
‘S e burraidheachd prìomh chuspair ‘Origami’ ach, gu h-annasach, ‘s ann bho thaobh a’ bhurraidh a tha am film drùidhteach seo a tha a’ tighinn gu crìch ann an dòigh thaitneach ris nach eilear an dùil. Sgrìobh na sgoilearan am film, bha iad nan cleasaichean ann agus chaidh a stiùireadh leotha cuideachd le taic an riochdaire film, Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacFhionghain, a bhuineas do Scalpaidh na Hearadh.
 
Bidh na sgoilearan Flòraidh Stevenson agus Faye NicFhionghain a’ siubhal gu Venice airson an fhèis a fhrithealadh. Cha b’ urrainn do Fhlòraidh a bhith an làthair aig Duaisean FilmG air sgàth tinneis, mar sin tha i air a dòigh glan gun deach a taghadh airson an turais seo.
 
Thuirt Flòraidh: “Fhuair sinn uile spòrs agus eòlas cruthachail à Origami. Fhuair mi fhèin cothrom a stiùireadh agus fhuair mi pàirt bheag ann, ach cha b’ urrainn dhomh a dhol gu cuirm nan duaisean, mar sin chan eil an dàrna duais seo cho dona idir! Tha fadachd orm gus am faic mi na filmichean à dùthchannan eile agus tha mi an dòchas gum faigh sinn cothrom coinneachadh ri luchd-film òg eile.”
 
Bidh Manaidsear Pròiseict FilmG. Flòraidh Forrest, a’ siubhal cuide ris a’ bhuidhinn gu Venice. Thuirt i:
 
“Tha sinn air ar dòigh glan gun d’ fhuair sinn an cothrom seo agus tha sinn moiteil às an fhilm bhrìghmhor chruthachail a tha sinn a’ toirt leinn airson Alba a riochdachadh gu h-eadar-nàiseanta. Nuair a bhios cothrom aig daoine òga a bhith a’ siubhal agus a’ faicinn chultaran eile, thèid an cuid cruthalachd a neartachadh agus bidh barrachd tuigse aca air am fèin-aithne, an cànan is an cultar fhèin. ‘S e sin a tha sinn fhèin ag iarraidh brosnachadh ann an Gàidheil òga an latha an-diugh.”
 
‘S e MG ALBA a tha a’ maoineachadh an turais seo agus iad den bheachd gum biodh luach ann nan rachadh a’ cho-fharpais CIAK JUNIOR fhilleadh an lùib co-fharpais FilmG. Thuirt am Manaidsear Conaltraidh, Murchadh MacSuain:
 
“’S e adhbhar brosnachaidh dha-rìribh a th’ ann an susbaint Gàidhlig a th’ air a dèanamh le luchd film òg agus air a taisbeanadh aig fèis eadar-nàiseanta mar seo. Tha seo a’ dearbhadh a-rithist gur e cothrom air leth a th’ ann am FilmG agus gu bheil an t-uabhas comasach ma tha a’ Ghàidhlig agad.”

Bidh an fhèis air a cumail ann an Venice air 24 is 24 An Cèitean – lean FilmG air na meadhanan sòisealta airson nan dealbhan is bhideothan as ùire. Agus tha Origami le Àrd-sgoil Loch Abar ri fhaicinn air làrach-lìn FilmG http://filmg.co.uk/gd/films/1826/