Festival Data:

• Established: 2006
• Genre: Children (click to see)
• Attendance: 2200
• Accredited Industry Attendance: 7
• Total Number of Films Submitted: 80
• Total Number of Films Screened: 69
• Total Screenings: 17
• # of Shorts Screened: 52
• # of Features Screened: 17

• Competitive
• Online Festival
• Students Section
• Has Panels
• Workshops

Festival Website:

Festival Description:

ZOOM – Wales’ International Young People’s Film Festival is part of a young people's film and media development programme taking place in the South Wales Valleys. Zoom offers young people across South Wales an opportunity to work with others to create their own film and media projects. This three-day event features great films, workshops and parties with the jewel in the crown being the Zoom Young Filmmakers Awards Ceremony. In 2009 the Zoom Film Awards, kicked off the final evening with the red carpet unrolled and cameras flashing away. The hosts of the event were ITV’s Wales Tonight reporter Duncan Golestani and Channel 4’s Shipwrecked islander Keris Hopkins.

Best film in age category 8-13’ award was won by Bryn Celynog Comprehensive of Rhondda Cynon Taff with ‘Buzz Buzz Buzz’, a very funny short film. ‘Running Free’ a short documentary film from Torfaen about a new sport sweeping the nation called Free-Running (also Parkour) won ‘Best film in age category 14- 25’. ‘Best Perfomance’ went to the humorous Welsh language film, Ben Dros Llestri with an outstanding performance of a café owner under pressure. Ystrad Mynach’s ‘Look At Me Now’, an insightful look at how bullies and victims look once they’ve left school won ‘Best Animation’. ‘Best Documentary’ was awarded to ‘Rhyl’s Revival’, a film highlighting Rhyl’s community and attractions. ‘Chuck’s’, a twisted tale of a 50s diner that isn’t what it seems took home the ‘Best Fiction’ award whilst ‘Elvis Preseli’, a film about a taxi driving Elvis won the ‘Best Welsh Language Film’ award. ‘Riding Downhill at Rhydyfoel Eryl’ from Conwy won ‘The Zoom Award’ for representing what the Zoom Awards are all about. Finally, the ‘Zoom Audience Award’ went to Tonypandy’s documentary film, ‘Tonypandy’s Turbine’ as voted for by the audience themselves.

Film Submissions:

• Accepts direct submissions
• Submission formats: DVD