FilmG 2022 awards ceremony on BBC ALBA focuses on filmmaking winners from across the Highlands
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A Gairloch youngster, an Inverness man and a city-based dance school have won awards in the prestigious Gaelic short film competition FilmG 2022.
The short film Am Buaile Dubh which takes a look around Am Buaile Dubh (Blackfold) on the outskirts of Inverness, has secured the best performance award for the film’s producer and narrator, Eòghan Stiùbhart, in the open category.
Eòghan (40), from Inverness, is a Gaelic teacher with over 5000 followers on Instagram for his Scottish Gaelic learning videos. He’s also an advocate for men’s mental health.
He said: “Am Buaile Dubh is a crofting and forest area very high up and I went there a lot through lockdown, it’s a great place to be outdoors and get exercise. It allows me to be in a little world of my own and helps my mental health.
“It’s within five miles of my house yet it’s quite wild and exposed. I often run there and back or go for walks to clear my head.
“I did some research into the old maps and discovered a lot more people stayed there in the old days and came that way as drovers with cattle, there used to be a road to Inverness.
“I was really interested to find bronze age huts and boundary stones which separate the land that was owned by two big families who owned much of the Highlands.
“I’ve also enjoyed finding out what the Gaelic place names mean and it’s helped me to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of history.
“There’s been a long continuity of people who have been there before and will come after which makes you realise you’re part of something bigger.
“For this film I wrote a monologue about what the place means to me and I paired this with my own and old images and maps to illuminate the place.
“Winning this award was a real surprise and honour, it was really cool to win the big metal G!”
Eòghan's award was announced at a special BBC ALBA awards ceremony on Friday night when 17 prizes were awarded.
Cheryl Heggie School of Dance (Inverness) + Sìne na Screen’s film Thòisich e le Sreothart! (It started with a sneeze!) won the people’s choice award.
This film is about the dancers at the Highland Games who are registered in a mix up of competitions after the registration official sneezes, breaks his glasses and scrambles to gather the flying paperwork.
Undaunted, the dancers compete in traditional events (tossing the caber, baking competition, tug of war and hill race) with an entertaining take on each event.
One of the dancers is tossed in the air instead of the caber.
Other dancers enter a giant inflatable cake into the baking competition, and the swords come out to intimidate the opposing team in the tug-of-war.
But when the bagpipes start the dancers know that the reason they have come to the games is to dance, and they all gather on the stage to enjoy a Highland Fling.
All the children in the film are fluent Gaelic speakers from Gaelic Medium Education at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis and Inverness Royal Academy. The adult participants are a mixture of native speakers and learners living in Inverness.
Filmmaker Sìne NicFhionghain from Inverness, said: “We wanted to make a film where as many people involved in the Highland Dancing school, dancers along with friends and family, had the opportunity to be part of a fun project and use their Gaelic.
“There were 43 cast members along with numerous props and we only had a short time to film so we had to be organised. It was very cold on the main day we filmed, so all the cast were happy to dance together to warm up in the end scene! One of the dancers broke her ankle the day before so we had a last minute substitute.
“We would like to thank all those that voted for us in the run up to the FilmG awards. Every vote is appreciated and we hope you all enjoy our film. We had great fun planning and shooting the film and we hope it brings a smile to your face!”
Many of the winners were brought into the FilmG studio by video link to accept their award and chat with programme hosts and champions of the competition, Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald.
The specially-created awards programme will be shown on BBC ALBA will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer for 30 days from Friday.
Films followed this year’s competition theme Lorg, which means search, find or trace.
And with over 90 filmmakers attempting to find the winning formula, the judges had a tough job whittling down the entries over multiple days.
A film about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world from beyond the cold, dark glens and high above the clouds, Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch in his film Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe) by Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch secured the prize for best documentary (12-17).
Parker Dawes (14), a pupil at Ardnamurchan High School in Strontian, West Lochaber, scooped three awards – best young filmmaker, best film fluent speakers and best production, for his slapstick spy thriller Spies-R-Us.
Parker said: “We chose the spy topic because it was opposite to the film we made last year which didn’t win any prizes.
“We were interested to see if an action film could get different results – and it worked! I created a storyboard and we had crash mats so everything was well planned.
“I’ve always loved filmmaking and I’ve always looked up to FilmG. I’m really happy to get these awards because my friends and I were so sad when we didn’t win last year. It was great to be on that podium as a winner.”
An animation by Alina Brust from Edinburgh won best film in the Open Category, the first time an animation has won this prize in FilmG.
An Taigh Solais follows a shepherd who is trying to find a lost sheep and has to shelter with her flock in an abandoned lighthouse to escape a storm. Due to the pandemic Alina had no access to university facilities so she made the entire film in her bedroom.
Alina (23) said: “I’m inspired by the Scottish landscape and coastline, especially the lighthouse and the cliffs around St Abbs, one of my favourite places. And a lighthouse is a perfect setting for a weird and spooky story.
“Making this film was a great opportunity to combine my two passions of art and languages.
“I’m so grateful that all my hard work has paid off – as a Gaelic learner it feels like such a special achievement for me.”
Scooping the prize for best production (under 12), Coignear air Chall (5 Lost Souls) by Sandbank Primary School in Dunoon follows five school friends as they take a spooky journey to one of the town’s historic landmarks.
In the open category a short documentary called A' Mhuir (The Sea) about wild swimming by the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the Isle of Skye who take part in the sport, has picked up two separate awards, Film Duthchais and best director (Anna Garvin).
Emily Murray (21), from Lewis, accepted the FilmG award on behalf of the class.
She said: “Taking part in FilmG was a good opportunity to practice the skills we had learned in class, such as camera, sound and editing.”
Anna Garvin (23) from Oban, who is studying Gaelic in media at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye, said: “I feel very honoured to have won this. It was my first time directing and I learnt so much about the skills needed to direct from working on this film.
“Entering FilmG was a great opportunity to use all the technical and production skills we had learnt so far to create a film that would be shown to a public audience.“
And Eilean Lois (Lois’s Island) by Somhairle MacIain (Sorley Johnston) from Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, which follows him and his girlfriend, Lois, as they cycled the Hebridean Way in the summer and he teaches her to speak Gaelic on the trip won them the award for best student film.
Former Bishopbriggs Academy pupil, Sorley (19), who is studying Gaelic Media at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye, said: “I entered FilmG because I wanted to showcase a film that I had made myself while I was still on my course and had access to all the editing equipment and software.
“I’m planning on putting the prize money towards equipment of my own so I can continue to make films after my course finishes.”
Debbie Mackay, project manager at CGS who deliver the project, said: “It was another great year for entries, and we were especially impressed by the high level of storytelling and filmmaking skills amongst our youth categories. As the competition continues to grow, we see filmmakers push themselves to a higher standard year after year. It’s a privilege to be a part of the project.”
Iseabail Mactaggart, director of multi-platform content at MG ALBA, said: “FilmG has always been so important to Gaelic media as a whole and also to the individual filmmakers and groups who take part year after year.
“Seeing the talent coming through the ranks and refining their craft in order to pick up one of the coveted prizes is gratifying for all involved in Gaelic media, and testament to our ambition to continue to nurture an unrivalled Gaelic-speaking talent base both in front of, and behind the camera for years to come.”
All films from this year’s competition are available to watch on the FilmG website: www.filmg.co.uk
Further updates can be found on FilmG’s social media channels:
www.facebook.com/filmgalba/
www.instagram.com/filmg_alba/
Twitter: @FilmGAlba
FULL RESULTS:
Youth (Under 12) Category – Winners
Best Film (Under 12)
Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghleann Dail (Glendale Primary School)
Glasgow
Deiseil neo aindeiseil?
Things go wrong when a group of pupils try and play a game of hide and seek instead of learning about it. Where did Penelope go?!
Best Production (Under 12)
Bun-sgoil Thaigh A' Chladaich (Sandbank Primary School)
Dunoon
Coignear Air Chall
Five Children go to Kilmun on Halloween. Did they get away safely? They met a strange family – the Adams Family!
Youth (12-17) Category – Winners
Best Film (Fluent Speaker), Best Production, Best Young FilmmakerParker Dawes
Ardnamurchan
Spies-R-Us
Seumas McGuffin, the best spy in the world and friend Iain stole a secret file from the most secure facility in Scotland. Here’s what happened.
Best Film (Learners)
Àrd-sgoil Ile (Islay High School)
Islay
Easga Bhuidhe na Feidh
Is Easga Bhuidhe na Feidh as fearful as legend suggests? A group of Islay teenagers try to find out.
Best Performance (Iseabail MacRae)
Àrd-sgoil Phort Rìgh (Portree High School)
Isle of Skye
Cuidhteas
Three respectable wives in the Victorian Era plan a way to find independence from their husbands
Best Documentary
Anndra Cuimeanach
Gairloch
Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe
Sometimes we have to leave the cold, dark glens and climb high above each cloud. There we get a new perspective on the world.
Open Category – Winners
Best Film
Alina Brust
Edinburgh
An Taigh Solais
A shepherd and her sheep are trapped in a strange lighthouse.
Best Director
Anna Garvin
Duthchais
Cursa TBh Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Isle of Skye
A' Mhuir
A short documentary about wild swimming and the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig who take part in the sport.
Best Performance
Eòghan Stiùbhart
Inverness
Am Buaile Dubh
A look around Am Buaile Dubh on the outskirts of Inverness.
Best Student Film
Somhairle MacIain
Glasgow
Eilean Lois
Somhairle said: "In the summer me and my girlfriend, Lois, cycled the Hebridean Way. Lois does not speak Gaelic but I try to teach her some on our trip.
Best Script and People’s Choice
Cheryl Heggie School of Dance + Sìne na Screen
Inverness
Thòisich e le Sreothart! (It started with a sneeze!)
It started with a sneeze! The entries for the Highland dancers scatter everywhere and they end up in the wrong competitions at the Highland games.
