'The Lonely Polar Bear' wins Best Animation - 11 and Under

28 Jun 2022 in Into Film Awards

3 mins
'The Lonely Polar Bear' wins Best Animation - 11 and Under

Congratulations to young filmmaker Alex, from Edinburgh in Scotland, whose film The Lonely Polar Bear has won Best Animation - 11 and Under (sponsored by Walt Disney Motion Pictures, UK) at the 2022 Into Film Awards. The award was presented by actors Anson Boon and Thaddea Graham.

A charmingly made stop-motion animation, The Lonely Polar Bear sees the titular bear having no option but to head south in search of a new home when the ice at the North Pole begins to melt as a result of climate change. 

The film was created after Alex joined a free online filmmaking course provided by Screen Education Edinburgh, which gave him his first steps into filmmaking.

I enjoyed learning how to make the animation and everything you have to do, for example making the storyboard. The filming took some time, but it was worth it in the end!

Alex - Into Film Award Winning Filmmaker of 'The Lonely Polar Bear
Best Animation - 11 and Under winner Alex receives his award on stage

The film was created entirely by Alex, who first went about writing a story outline and storyboard, before proceeding to build sets and models out of the materials he had available to him. That included the rhubarb patch in his back garden - and its resident snails!

For the protest scene, Alex was able to use an audio recording taken from a real-life children's climate change protest that he had attended. This brings some authenticity to the scene that only helps to reinforce the film's message, and he and his dad recorded additional music on their own ukuleles.

The Lonely Polar Bear

This Video is part of: Into Film Awards

Articles relating to our annual Into Film Awards, including all the nominees and winners from past years.

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