Golden Owl Awards: Awards given to Leeds film-makers at ceremony

The Golden Owl Awards – which have enjoyed their fifth and busiest year – received record entries as youngsters aged under 19 were keen to showcase their talents.

Winners Charlie Walton, Oliver Judd and Niamh Kirby, five schools and community group picked up prizes for their impressive pieces.

Special mentions also went out to Charlie Mason and Eden and Mia Ottman, and all shortlisters saw their films hit the big screen.

Gary Damer, who plays Wayne Hayes in Coronation Street, and actress and comedienne Hannah Margaret hosted the event at Leeds Town Hall.

Leeds City Council Leader Judith Blake said: “It’s fantastic to see the Golden Owl Awards will once again be giving some of the city’s best and brightest young film talent the chance to showcase their work.

“Leeds has a great track record of nurturing creative talent and a rich history in the film industry and it’s wonderful that we can continue that tradition with these awards.”

The Leeds Young Film Festival’s Director, Debbie Maturi, said they were delighted to showcase the talent and described it as the biggest and best yet.

She added: “It’s also a great testament to the value film adds to young people’s lives, from film watching, to programming to making and we want to support individuals and schools to continue to reap the rewards.”

One of the partners, Armley-based Vista, has worked with almost 10,000 young people and invested over £1 million into the local community.

James Wilkins, Vista’s Managing Director, praised the Golden Owls Awards and commented: “This is a fantastic project and it’s great to see more entries than ever before, showing off the wealth of young talent we have in the North of England.”