Films
YOUTH FILMS
Films made by young people and/or about relevant/youth issues.
Our films are priced at £10 each - plus p&p for UK purchase orders*. Some are currently not for sale (N/S) - we are in the process of gradually changing the format from VHS to DVD. Please check the date of the films – some of the older films (ie produced before 2000) were filmed on old tape formats and the quality is not as good as we would like but we have decided to transfer them to DVD as many of them are important archive films. All our films are PAL format.
Contact us if you want to talk about buying or hiring a film, want to find out more before buying, or if you are interested in hosting a visit to your group. Contact us also if you would be interested in us making a video either with or for your group, project or organisation. You can also see some clips from some of our films on this web site.
(*NB. For videos which are purchased in bulk packs of 10 or over, there will be a price reduction. Please contact us for more info).
Best Friends
This is a film about a girl who is dyslexic. Sasha is 9 years old and she gets bullied in school. Sasha's mum and her teacher don't really understand her problems. Sasha would be very lonely if it weren't for her two best friends Angelica and Christina.
This film aims to raise awareness about dyslexia. Some of the young filmmakers in this project are dyslexic and we worked with them in Betws Primary School to share their experiences, write the script and produce this film.
Running time: 10 minutes approx
Year Produced: 2006
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Jasmine
"Jasmine is a 14 year old girl. She has lots of friends, likes listening to music and loves dancing."
This film was made by an all-girl Asylum Seekers' group in Cardiff working with Valley and Vale.
This short drama explores the different worlds and pressures of their home and school lives during a time of increasing anti-Muslim feelings and their need to define their own identity.
Running time: 10 minutes approx
Year Produced: 2006
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
The Next Step
Valley and Vale Community Arts worked with young people from Eastmoors Community Centre in Cardiff to produce this short film.
The Next Step tells the story of 14 year old Amiee Leigh whose mum and dad have separated. The young filmmakers at Eastmoors were interested in dance and drama and wanted to make a film that reflected their lives.
The young people in this project learnt skills in all aspects of film making; they worked with a professional script writer, they worked with a rap artist from Valley and Vale to write and perform their own soundtrack, and they worked with actor Keiron Self (from the BBC series My Family) who ran acting workshops and played the father in their film.
Running time: 10 minutes approx
Year Produced: 2006
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Sea of Bitterness
Sea of Bitterness was made by Year 7-11 students at Fitzalan High School in Cardiff, working with Film Development Worker Tracy Pallant.
The group had very clear ideas of the way they wanted their film to look, and worked hard on set and costume design, talking through their ideas with Maggie Russell, Head of Talent at BBC Wales, and also meeting with local film composer John Hardy to discuss their ideas for the soundtrack.
The film dealt with some difficult and painful issues which were discussed during the script writing process. This project gave the young people the opportunity to explore emotions, to experiment with ideas, to think in images, to learn skills in camera work, sound recording, directing and editing, to make a film that they are proud of.
Running time: 10 minutes approx
Year Produced: 2006
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
The Sound of the Drum
This video was made by young Africans living in Cardiff, working with Valleyand Vale Community Arts. Sound of the Drum tells the story of Nahimana who has escaped from a war-torn country in Africa. During preparations for the Cardiff Carnival he meets Annie. They fall in love. One day Nahimana receives a letter which could change everything.
Supported by the Lottery through the UK Film Council's First Light
Initiative.
Running Time: 10 mins
Year Produced: 2007
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Mountain Murals
We
spent 2 weeks in August 2005 up in the Garw Valley Forestry, at the top
of Carn Mountain in the Mountain Murals project. For this project we
spent two glorious weeks with local children in the sunshine making artwork
on stones, exploring our local mountains, learning about the danger of
fires, creating a beautiful mural on the entrance to an old coal mine,
and carving a thick slate bench at a viewpoint for both the mural and
down the valley to the coast.
Many of the children and young people we worked with on this project had never been that high up the mountain and were proud to show off their natural artwork to their friends and family on top of the mountain at the end of the summer. This project was very special and we had many local dog walkers and hikers thanking us for the mural and place to sit at the top of the mountain and think. Many people said they would make the walk to the top just to see the artwork the young people had created.
Running time: 10 minutes approx
Year Produced: 2006
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
Missing Mauro
Mauro and his family were deported in January 2005. His friends and fellow pupils from Willows High School in Cardiff were shocked and worried about him and his family. Using video and rap, this short film made with his friends expresses how much they are missing Mauro. Facilitated by Katja Stiller. Funded by a First Light Award and supported by The Arts Council of Wales.
Running time: 5 minutes
Year Produced: 2005
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Viva Elvis
Viva Elvis was written and produced by young people aged 16-18 from Coleg Gwent in Pontypool working with Valley and Vale Community Arts.
Viva Elvis tells the story of 16 year old Memphis 'Prez' Evans who is trying to help his dad, Elvis Impersonator Pelvis Esley get his life back on track. Prez and his friend Lisa work with Pelvis on a new act that will dazzle everyone at the forthcoming Porthcawl Elvis Festival. This moving and funny film explores the relationship between Prez and his father.
Supported by the Lottery through the UK Film Council's First Light
Initiative.
Running Time: 10 mins
Year Produced: 2005
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband
connection recommended).
Our Clydach
Our
Clydach is a documentary about the lives of 3 teenagers - Joanne, Claire
and Carla - who live in Clydach Vale, South Wales. The girls tell us
how life is in Clydach, they explore how they would like it to be, and
what they would like for the future. As part of the project Carla, Clare
and Joanne made a short drama exploring the issue of crime in Clydach
and their creative solutions to it. This video was supported by the Regener8
project and was facilitated by Sophie Cobb and Neil Williams, Valley
and Vale Community Arts.
Running time: 30 minutes approx (both films)
Year Produced: 2004
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10 (2 film pack)
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Beyond the Number,
Beyond the Crime
This video was made with 10 inmates from HMP Parc Prison, Bridgend, working with facilitator Katja Stiller. In the film the young people describe how it feels being in jail and their lives outside; they talk about their fears, hopes and dreams for their future. Funded by Academi, The European Social Fund, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and The Arts Council of Wales.
Running time: 10 minutes
Year Produced: 2005
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
Being Real
A video made with young people on the Alternative Curriculum programme at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. In this video the young people express what it is like to be young and living in Cardiff in 2003, using drama, music and video. Facilitated by Katja Stiller, Valley and Vale Community Arts.
You can watch a clip of this film here (Broadband connection recommended).
Running time: 20 minutes
Year Produced: 2003
Format: DVD (PAL)
Cost: £10
Hear The Silence
This video aims to raise discussion about whether or not the courts
are treating Domestic Violence with the seriousness that it deserves.
In the last decade there have been many efforts to change the way our
society responds to domestic violence but as Jennifer Povey's case shows,
the length of the sentences given for these crimes are still lenient.
The children of Jennifer Povey made this film with us to tell their side
of the story, and to express the injustice they felt because of the sentence
that was issued to their mother's killer. Facilitated by Katja Stiller,
Valley and Vale Community Arts, and Emma Boss, Bridgend Women's Aid.
Funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, Arts Council of Wales, The Youth
Justice Board, and supported by Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations.
You can see a clip of this film here (Broadband connection recommended).
Running time: approx 25 minutes
Year Produced: 2002
Format: DVD (PAL)
Cost: £10
Crossing the Line -
Dealing with Anger
Anger is a familiar emotion, and this video looks at reasons why anger escalates and gets out of control. In the film young people explore and express their negative feelings. An interview with a counsellor explains the cycle of anger leading to violence or self-harm. In this video the young people look at ways of dealing with anger in a less harmful way. The film is intended to aid discussion around anger and related issues.
Running time: 22 minutes
Year Produced: 2002
Format: DVD (PAL)
Cost: £10
Our World – Our Journeys
This
video was made by young asylum seekers and pupils of Willows High School
in Cardiff. This video aims to give some insight into the realities of
displaced children, their experiences, their journeys, their culture,
hopes and fears:
"Most people enjoy journeys, but some don't. Refugees are leaving their countries, they are always very stressed when they are on their journey because they don't know where they are going or who they can trust, so their journeys are very tiring, stressful and scary. At the same time they are happy because they have escaped from trouble.
Most refugees are human beings like all others; they are not here because they want to be here. Everybody likes to be in their own Country. If people think we steal their money they are wrong. They really are under a lot of pressure. If you can understand that I think the refugees would be very grateful." Rosi 13yrs
This project was commissioned as part of the British Council's A Sense of Place Conference 2003 in Cardiff, and was facilitated by Ali Franks and Katja Stiller, Valley and Vale Community Arts. This video is also available with a resource pack for teachers and anyone wanting to show the film as an awareness-raising tool, with exercises for young people to explore the issues further.
Running time: 16 minutes
Year Produced: 2003
Format: DVD (Region 2)
Cost: £10
You can watch a clip of this film here (broadband connection recommended).
