The Midlands Movies Awards is BACK better than ever

The Midlands Movies Awards for Midlands (UK) films and filmmakers will again be rewarding the region’s movie-making talent across categories such as Picture, Best Actor/Actress, Best Director and much, much more.

The Midlands Movies Awards will be coming back around to recognise movie-making talent on June 11th 2022. After the challenges faced during the pandemic, the growing awards show created a platform to appreciate the local films released in the past 12 months – whether they be documentaries, features, shorts and more.

This will be the 6th annual Midlands Movies Awards show. I wanted to know more about the brilliant mind of the creator of the Midlands ‘Oscars’ Michael Sales, who built a space where filmmakers over the Midlands could present their authenticity and originality.

How has the show changed and grown since the first awards show? How different was it from last year during the pandemic?

The first awards were actually just delivered online in my flat at the time! I was testing the water to see if there was interest. I got some local film friends involved to be on the jury panel. It was a success, so the following year I set up a Crowdfunder to run an in-person event. But with days to go, it didn’t look like it was going to happen. I thought, “ah well, at least I tried”. But then there was a last-minute surge of support, and we went ahead! From then on, we’ve grown in submissions each year and had a whole wealth of industry professionals involved.

Both 2020 and 2021 were unique years. Our 2020 event took place on 13th March, which was mere days before the UK lockdown. We had a 100 people (safely) show, and we saw the first use of elbow pumps and hand sanitiser! Yet, sadly for many, that was the last big event they could attend for years.

In 2021, we had to delay the event, but it still took place. This time at Leicester’s Y Theatre in September. And for many attendees, this was the first event they’d been to after lockdown! We were happy to be the forerunner of local film events after such a long absence. And so in a weird way we kind of bookended the pandemic itself.

As the founder and editor, what was the importance of creating a space such as the Midlands Movies awards for up and coming filmmakers and creatives?

It’s our main driving factor for all our work. Low budget and independent filmmakers don’t have many avenues for their projects. We aim to be a platform that showcases, features and reviews local filmmakers’ productions. In the past, we’ve also run and supported regional film events, hosted filmmaker Q & A’s and the awards themselves are a way of recognising the immense talent we have locally. So often overlooked in place of London and Manchester, the mix of urban and rural filmmakers really mean the films made here have such a local voice and flavour.

Some think the power of the film industry is being run down by streaming services. Funding is a huge problem and bending down to commercial pressure is rising.

Do you believe the UK film industry is doomed if support isn’t given to new filmmakers?

If you don’t support grassroots filmmaking, then yes, we’ll eventually see a lack of replacements for established filmmakers. Moneywise, the UK film industry is doing quite well with blockbuster productions being made here. However, there’s always the worry that the economic benefits don’t trickle down to those taking their first steps in the industry. That said, we hope to play our small part in directing filmmakers to relevant funding sources, arts groups, festivals, cinemas and cast and crew to ensure they have the best available options for their production no matter what resources they start with. Even with no-budget, platforms like YouTube and Vimeo mean filmmakers still have places they can share their work. With direct social media engagement and crowdfunding, there are still options to generate interest at whatever level you’re working on.

Guests for the awards show won’t be released until Saturday 11th June. But there will be some representatives from the jury panel in attendance. The jury is headed up by the talented Steve Oram.

Steve Oram is a star of TV & film with roles in Paddington, The World’s End and Line of Duty. His breakthrough came in the award-winning comedy ‘Sightseers’ directed by Ben Wheatley. Steve will be deciding the winner of the Best Short category.

The Midlands Movies Awards will also have a host of respected industry professionals which include:

Denyce Blackman, from Film Birmingham, works in the midlands as a journalist turned filmmaker. She is very present in the film industry and works extensively in areas across exhibitions, regional events, programming, hosting Q&As with award-winning filmmakers for Film Birmingham, Queer Screens and the Black Film and TV Forum. The Barbadian filmmaker is also the founder of Caribbean Pop-up Cinema and sits on the board of Cinema for All.

Mark Woodyatt has created insightful interviews with the likes of Sir Anthony Hopkins and Aubrey Plaza through his own podcast, Mark and Me. He is also a founding member of Skip to the END, a very popular movie podcast and still hits the #1 spot on charts over the world with downloads over 15 million and was named by Film4 as one of the UK’s best and most popular podcast.

Natasha Wilson from Film Hub Midlands is the new BFI Network Executive and spent a decade working in the film and art industry. She most recently worked for Ffilm Cymru Wales on exhibition and film educational programmes. She is passionate about innovative writing, film and cinema and is excited to see what the Midlands has to bring.

Kelly Jeffs has made CEO Lighthouse Cinema one of the most recognizable independent film venues in the UK. This is through her cultural offerings in the city through difficult times and her vital contributions to the cultural landscapes in the region.

Tim Coleman’s an editor for Moving Pictures Film Club and freelances for Total Film, JumpCut Online and Second Sight Films. Tim was a finalist for the Newblood 2018 competition for his amazing screenwriting skills.

& Me! Mike Sales, I am the founder and creator of The Midlands Movies Awards which has been running for 6 years in a row. I have regularly appeared on BBC Radio Leicester and Derby. I also provide support to filmmakers in the BACK IN programme in Birmingham.

Submissions for 2022 are now closed. For those wanting to submit next year what advice would you give them to make them stand out?

Great question! It’s truly not just for our awards but for the industry in general. But make sure you have a unique voice. We have such diversity in our region so it’s great to see strong visions and stories being told from different walks of life. A little tip as well is to get the basics right. There are plenty of resources online. YouTube has a wealth of “how-to” videos, so I recommend filmmakers prepare by familiarising themselves with the basics of editing, cinematography, lighting and sound. Whether you have an expensive professional camera and mic setup, or just a phone and some free editing software, doing a bit of prep can go a very long way to ensure a successful and professional-looking short film.

What 3 words do you want people to think when they see “Midlands Movies Awards”?

Off the top of my head, words that come to mind are FUN, FILM and FAMILY. And by family, I mean the amazing film community we have, who I’ve witnessed support and respect each other, especially through the last few tough years. That kind of work has really been for the benefit of all the skilled creatives in our wonderful region. And we hope our awards help facilitate that sentiment too.

Clear your calendars as the awards show is planned for Saturday, June 8th at the Y Theatre in Leicester. Tickets will be available to purchase for the ceremony from April after the nominees have been announced.

For now, head over to the Midlands Movies website to look at past winners and clips from the previous shows https://www.midlandsmovies.com/