Young filmmakers honoured at Suffolk SmokeFree Oscars

Future Hollywood movie stars, filmmakers and directors were honoured at an Oscar-style ceremony which took place at Endeavour House in Ipswich last night (Thursday 21st June) with prizes awarded to four different Suffolk schools for their short films about the dangers of smoking.

The Suffolk Smokefree Oscars was hosted by Live Well Suffolk on behalf of the Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance, a partnership of local organisations working together to reduce smoking in adults and young people and prevent young people taking up the habit. Partners include Suffolk Smoke Free Alliance, Healthy Ambitions Suffolk, NHS Suffolk and Live Well Suffolk.

The overall ‘Best Film’ prize was awarded to Year 8 students from Hadleigh High School for their moving film ‘On Peer Pressure’, a video diary about the peer pressure to smoke, whilst Priory School in Bury St Edmunds was presented with a special award for their film “Jack the Smoker” in honour of the memory of the late Rosemary Clarke, a former Suffolk county councillor who played a pivotal role in setting up the project. Further Oscars including for ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Screenplay’ were awarded.

Councillor Graham Newman, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, Suffolk County Council, who presented the Best Overall Film prize, said: “We’ve seen some great standards of film making and some superb films. Hopefully everyone learnt the message about not smoking.”

Elspeth Gibson, chair of the Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance, and part of the judging panel, said: “Recognising that the majority of adult smokers start at a young age, we wanted to inspire teenagers from across the county to think carefully about the effects of different types of tobacco use and what it means to them, in the hope that participating in the project will prevent them from smoking. The standard was incredibly high this year.”

Nearly one in five Suffolk residents smoke and it’s estimated that half will die prematurely due to their habit. 15% of 15 year-olds smoke and the partnership aims to reduce this to 12% or less by 2015 by raising awareness of the long term health effects and by offering information, advice, one to one and group sessions to stop smoking across the county.

For help and advice to quit smoking telephone 01473 229292 or see www.livewellsuffolk.org.uk

Further information about Tobacco Control Alliance is available here www.healthyambitionssuffolk.org.uk, www.smokefreesuffolk.org.uk, or www.suffolk.nhs.uk