AS the nation tunes into the BRIT awards, one Wirral teenager relives the moment she interviewed some of the silver screen’s biggest stars at last week’s BAFTAs.
It was lights, camera, action for movie-mad Beckie Jenkins on Sunday when she interviewed stars including Michael Sheen and Sam Claflin.
The 15-year-old was invited to the awards ceremony as part of her junior reporter role for new film and education charity Into Film.
The Prenton High School for Girls pupil joined seasoned reporters and esteemed film critics from dozens of news outlets including the BBC, ITV, Sky News and E! Entertainment on the red-carpet at London’s Royal Opera House.
Beckie interviewed a host of familiar faces from the big screen including Frost/Nixon star Michael Sheen, The Hunger Games’ Sam Claflin, The Inbetweeners’ Laura Haddock, The Hobbit’s Luke Evans and Captain Phillips’ Barkhad Abdi.
Her role as junior reporter on the Into Film Talent Development programme – which provides young people with access to experience the film industry first hand – allowed her to ask the stars what inspired them to venture into the film industry and why it’s important to watch and learn through watching a variety of films.
Michael Sheen told her: “When I was younger it was films really that gave me a view on the world.
“I started to get to experience other cultures and other ways of living, I got inspired by things and excited by the stories from all over the world.
“So I was more educated by film than I was by school, probably.”
Jack Callaghan and Beckie Jenkins on the BAFTA red carpet.
Beckie, who hopes to pursue a career in arts and media, described her night with the stars as “surreal”.
She said: “I never thought I’d be able to come to an event like this. I feel very lucky because not even many adults are able to come to the BAFTAs so it’s been an amazing experience.
“I feel that being able to have these experiences is very important especially considering what I want to do in my future and doing stuff like this is definitely going to get one foot in the door for me.”
The Into Film Talent Development programme enables young people to attend and report from film industry events.
Supported by the British Film Institute, together with funding from the film industry and a number of other sources, Into Film incorporates the legacy and staff of two leading film education charities, FILMCLUB and First Light, building on their experience and success in delivering programmes of significant scale and reach to children and young people across the UK.
Through the programme, Beckie – who was was joined on the red-carpet by fellow Into Film reporter Jack Callaghan from Marlborough – has had a number of assignments, including hosting a live webcast around the film, Walking With Dinosaurs.
Her interviews will be hosted on the Into Film clubs website filmclub.org for the 220,000 strong membership to view.
Into Film is a new UK-wide charity which aims to put film at the heart of children and young peoples learning. The charity, which was formally known as FILMCLUB, is inviting schools and young people to get involved with a number of engaging film related activities including school film clubs and filmmaking projects. To find out more visit intofilm.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here