Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
Congratulations to Dale Forder from St Luke's CE Primary School in Northampton, England, Steve Swindon from TAPE Community Music and Film in Llandudno, Wales, and St. Colmcille's High School in Crossgar, Northern Ireland, who have all been named Filmmaking Champions (sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd.) at the 2025 Into Film Awards. The award was presented by Elizabeth McGovern and Celyn Jones.
Our Filmmaking Champion category celebrates those individuals or groups that facilitate and support young filmmakers to find an outlet through filmmaking. Their passion and tireless work provides endless inspiration to young people across the UK, supporting them to gain the skills and confidence to tell their own stories through film. Find out more about these inspirational figures below.
Dale Forder from St Luke's CE Primary School
Northampton, England
Dale has been supporting young people's filmmaking since 2021. He started working on film projects during the COVID lockdown, when working with youth theatre groups and needing to find alternate ways for them to be creative without directly working in large groups, as well as a way to demonstrate their progress to parents. Dale now runs an extra-curricular film club at St Luke's CE Primary School in Northampton. The club is available to children across years 1-6, with the older children often helping the younger ones, helping them learn responsibilities and the importance of helping others.
Dale strives to give the young people as much creative freedom as possible and encourages them to only create films that help tackle topical issues of importance to young people. Previous films include You Are Enough, a film about exam stress and secondary school anxiety; Dyslexia & Me, a documentary/drama hybrid exploring children's understanding of dyslexia (which won Best Film - 11 and Under at the 2024 Into Film Awards); and their most recent project, Navigating The Net, which is about internet and computer safety.
"Supporting young people's filmmaking is important to me as it's a medium that can shape their educational and creative lives from a young age", explained Dale. "With today's technology there is almost nothing we can't do, so I can really listen to their ideas and find ways to show it on screen. Also, it's such an accessible and relaxed way to create work with young people, there is no live stage anxiety or gruelling rehearsal process. If we make a mistake we simply start again."
I'm thrilled to win this award with Into Film. It's a pleasure and an honour to be recognised for the work I do.
Dale Forder
Steve Swindon from TAPE Community Music and Film
Llandudno, Wales
Steve runs TAPE Community Music and Film, a community arts charity in North Wales that he started 17 years ago, where filmmaking is a cornerstone of their work. A lot of TAPE's recent work has been with young people at Ysgol Y Gogarth, an additional learning needs school in Llandudno.
Working with 16-19 year olds with a wide range of additional needs, Steve strives to be a creative advocate for the ideas and ambitions of the young people he works with. He is committed to creative inclusion and encouraging new ways of working, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to have their ambitions and ideas heard and explored through film. Pupils there have been supported to set up their own production company, Hope Productions, and their film Battery - a perfect example of Steve's work in action - was nominated for Best Film - 16-19 at the Into Film Awards 2024.
"Winning this award is incredibly special", said Steve. "My role is simply to be a creative advocate for the ideas and ambitions of the young people I get to work alongside. Being a supporter for the realisation of their amazing ideas and boundless enthusiasm is a genuine privilege."
I am committed to creative inclusion and encouraging new ways of working in order to give as many people as possible, the opportunity to have their ambitions and ideas heard and explored.
Steve Swindon
St. Colmcille's High School
Crossgar, Northern Ireland
Based in a small, rural community, where young people face a number of challenges, and limited access to opportunities and the arts, St. Colmcille's has gone above and beyond in using film to broaden the horizons of its pupils and open up a world of possibilities. In February 2022 the school began a cross-circular project focused on the use of film. Departments across the school worked together to provide pupils with a range of transferable film-based skills, weaving filmmaking into normal lessons, and ultimately seeing each class create their own films.
Now, each year they host a glitzy premiere evening, complete with red carpet, a limousine, photo booth, ‘paparazzi' and popcorn, giving the young filmmakers and the wider community - a unique and unforgettable experience.
In 2024, their film Cereal Killers was nominated for Best Film 12-15, and ultimately won the Audience Choice Award.
"Our young people have faced a range of challenges in recent years", explained Victoria Polley, a teacher at St. Colmcille's. "We have witnessed an increased number of pupils seeking support for anxiety and mental health concerns, which are exacerbated by the current economic and social climate. Against the backdrop of dwindling budgets and a cost-of-living crisis, our young people have experienced a significant reduction in the provisions and opportunities for challenging creative skills. It is inspirational to watch our young people letting their imaginations sing and we are privileged to work with them."
"We are absolutely delighted that the hard work and dedication of our pupils and staff has been recognised by Into Film."
Victoria Polley, teacher at St. Colmcille's High School
