SHORT SHORTS FILM COMPETITION. WE WANT YOUR ONE MINUTE FILMS ABOUT NORTH DEVON PEOPLE

The Summer may be slipping away from us but you still have six weeks left to enter the North Devon Moving Image Short Shorts one minute film competition. Community Film Making Organisation North Devon Moving Image (NDMI) are looking for your sixty second videos about interesting characters in North Devon. There are some great prizes to be won including an HD video camera, a night out at The George Hotel in South Molton and a family ticket to Bideford Cinema. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI, says "We want the people of North Devon to capture the characters and stories of North Devon in moving image. They could be a friendly neighbour, a great sports person, a chatty shopkeeper or Grandad with his stories of old North Devon. The best films will be shown at a screening and prize presentation later in the year and will be shared and preserved in our online archive." Joe Bulmer from Appledore entered his short film A Day with an Auctioneer made at South Molton Livestock Market;"I chose South Molton’s livestock market because it’s one of the town’s major features yet very few people understand what goes on there. I learnt a lot in the brief time I worked there and was struck by the spirit and banter of the place. I’d been yearning to do make a film for some time and couldn’t decide on a subject. I guess the experience has taught me to film more and think less, if that makes sense." 

No previous experience or hi tech equipment is needed and the competition is open to all ages. Closing date is 1 October 2014 and entry can be made online via We Transfer or by post to NDMI, 2 Cullamartin, Instow, Bideford, EX39 4LU.  

To get some inspiration you can watch Joe's film and see more Short Shorts of North Devon people on the NDMI website: http://www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk/we-love-short-shorts.html 

Full terms and conditions for the Short Shorts competition are available on the North Devon Moving Image website or by contacting NDMI on 01271 860610 or writing to NDMI, 2 Cullamartin, Instow, Bideford, EX39 4LU.
North Devon Moving Image CIC is a community film making organisation creating, collecting and sharing short documentary films about contemporary life in North Devon.Amanda McCormack northdevonmovingimage@outlook.com 01271 860610 www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk

Charismatic Salmon Netters Caught on Film

Salmon Netting on the Taw and Torridge is the second short film to be released in the North Devon Boat Stories series. Once upon a time catching salmon was a way of life for almost everyone living by the Taw or Torridge rivers in North Devon. The salmon population declined in the rivers over the years and the number of netting licences were restricted. As numbers of salmon in the rivers dwindled further, in 2002, the rods men offered to buy out the remaining nets men. Three boat owners refused the offer and these are the only licensed netters remaining on the estuary today. This short film is an insight into a disappearing traditional way of life and introduces us to 84 year old Stephen Taylor and his wife Sheila as they cast their seine net for salmon on the River Taw. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image, hosts of the Boat Stories project, says "This film is a real gem. It oozes charm both from the charismatic couple and the tranquil scenes on the estuary. It's so important to capture lives like this on film, traditional skills which may well disappear in the future - even in our own lifetimes." Film producer Jo Stewart-Smith has dug up so much gold when it comes to stories for her films that (rather than file them away) she is sharing them via the Boat Stories website with blogs on the film making, snippets of stories from her subjects and out take video clips. Jo says "Simon Vacher (the cameraman) and I were inspired by filming this lovely couple working hard together outdoors and having a good laugh. We were also lucky to be in a fantastic location – the Taw & Torridge estuary – with beautiful mellow, evening light." "I’m not sure I can row a boat against the tide or haul in a heavy salmon net now – let alone at 84! They were so natural when we filmed them – they just got on with the job and let us follow them around." You can watch the film online at the Boat Stories website www.boatstories.co.uk and it will soon be available for viewing on DVD at Braunton Museum. In September there will be a public screening as part of the Salar the Salmon exhibition at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon where you will also have a chance to meet Steven and Sheila Taylor and hear their stories in person.

Salmon Netting with Sheila and Simon Taylor with Film producer Jo Stewart-Smith and cameraman Simon Vacher. Photos copyright Boat Stories (All rights reserved)

Thanks to the positive response to the first two Boat Stories films NDMI has received further funding from Northern Devon FLAG to produce four more films in the Boat Stories series, bringing the total up to ten films. Production will be complete by the end of Summer 2015 and the films will be available free to watch online and at libraries and information centres in North Devon.

Weaving the Community Back Together in Braunton

A collaboration between community film making organisation North Devon Moving Image (NDMI) and local artist Jo Bushell has brought together a group of Braunton residents to talk about life in the North Devon village. The Brauntonians, whose ages span from 7 to 90, came together at St Brannock's Church Rooms on Tuesday 29 July 2014 to create a collaborative art work inspired by their memories of the bulb farm and maritime heritage of the area. With the help of Jo the group wove a large Carrick Bend knot representing the local landscape of land meeting sea and the youngsters decorated it to represent the colours of the bulb farm at the Great Field in Braunton. Prompted by the intergenerational conversations on the day they then printed individual words on cloth to attach to the knot. Creative Director of NDMI, Amanda McCormack says the event was a great success "It was fascinating to hear what life was like in Braunton in the past and really touching to see the older and younger members of the group interacting and learning from each other. There was an immense positive energy in the room on the day and we have produced a short film of the event as a way of sharing that with others." Jo Bushell agrees "It was very moving day in many ways ... weaving the community back together. As an artist this what it's about - creating spaces for people to dialogue and share their stories so that we can reshape our communities and make them stronger. For me the art is the process of enabling this to happen. A great big thanks to NDMI for asking me to be part of this. It has been an inspiring journey working with you to bring this together. It clearly had a huge impact on the older members of our group who came along. Much more of this is needed." Ninety year old Les Neville, a relative newcomer to Braunton having lived there only 20 years said "It's made a break for me, sitting at home on my own every day. I've really enjoyed the day meeting so many young people and happy people and talking about our past lives." Brian Clarke added "I've learned a lot of things about Braunton I ought to have known I suppose ... having lived here for eighty odd years, I've learned a lot!" Eight year old Iola said "Luckily one of the people that we had in our group, his family had been living in Braunton a long time so he told us what's been going on in the past so now we know more about it." This project was made possible with a grant from Fullabrook CIC and the help of Braunton Museum, an Aladdin's cave of fascinating facts and artefacts.

To watch the film visit the North Devon Moving Image website http://www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk/films.html