First Light Movies Awards 2008 nominees announced

The nominations for the First Light Movies Awards 2008 have been announced with two West Midlands' films in the running for the prestigious awards. The nominated films are being judged by a panel of film industry giants and celebrities including actors Kevin Spacey, Orlando Bloom, Alan Rickman and Stephen Fry, producer Nira Park and directors Sam Mendes, Gurinder Chadha and Michael Winterbottom.

Both West Midlands nominations go to films from Thomas Adams Media Arts College in Wem. In the category of Best Animation City Scape, an avant garde animation, made by a group of 10 to 18-year-olds, explores three intertwining stories that converge in a shop hidden between a vast animated cityscape goes against Lights Out! by Sanday Community School, Sanday, Scotland and The Return by ISCA College, Exeter, South West.

In the Best Comedy award Dirty Secret follows Brian as he suddenly finds that his clothes and his bed are too small for him as he goes through a mysterious growth spurt. Its fellow nominees are Horsepower by Fairbridge in London and Tired Ed by Wind & Foster, London.

The Awards will take place on Tuesday 4 March at the ODEON Leicester Square in London. Virgin Media and FilmFlex have teamed up with First Light Movies to support the Awards. All of this year's First Light Movies Awards nominated films will be available for millions of homes across the UK through Virgin Media. Customers of Virgin Media are able to view the films, free of charge, through the FilmFlex service in Movies on Demand. Last year's nominated films have been seen more than 42,000 times since summer 2007 by Virgin Media customers.

Cast Your Vote!

You can also get directly involved with the First Light Movies Awards 2008 by voting for your favourite film in the Best Film by 12s and Under category. Visit the Film Street website to watch the nominees:

Munchatreeaforest Knoydart Forest Trust, Knoydart, Scotland
Young children, aged between five and nine-years-old, objectively explore and discuss, through this honest documentary, the destruction of the Knoydart Forest that makes up much of this area in the highlands.

The Amazing Adventures of the Plastic Bag Shoot it Yourself Productions, Brighton, South East
A group of seven and eight-year-olds investigate the problems that plastic bags cause to the environment. From interviews with the local vet and fishermen the young filmmakers chart the journey that a plastic bag can make and the harmful effects that it causes.

The Singing Banana Bomb Chocolate Films, London
A group of nine-year-olds created this charming and colourful animated tale of an inventor who creates a singing banana bomb that can shower civilians with food, music and money and brings peace to war-torn countries like Iraq.

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