Children's Film Unit facts for kids
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| Limited Company | |
| Industry | Film, television |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Colin Finbow |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters |
London
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England
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Key people
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| Products | Motion pictures |
| Services | Film production |
The Children's Film Unit (CFU) was a special British group that made movies. It gave children aged 10 to 16 an amazing chance to learn all about filmmaking. Kids could be part of the crew and help make professional movies! They were involved in every step, from the first idea to the finished film.
CFU films were shown in cinemas and on TV in Britain and other countries. They also appeared at international film festivals, sometimes even winning awards!
The CFU was a charity focused on education. Famous people like Lord Attenborough, Steven Spielberg, and Lord Puttnam supported it. Prince Edward was the President.
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How the Children's Film Unit Started
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The Children's Film Unit began in 1981. It was started by Colin Finbow, a school teacher and writer for the TV show The Avengers. The idea for the CFU grew from a film class at Forest Hill School in London.
Colin Finbow and his students made films that impressed professional filmmakers. Their film, "The Custard Boys" (1979), was very popular. People thought more children should get to have this unique filmmaking experience.
Making Films in the 1980s and 1990s
The CFU usually worked outside of school hours. On weekends and during holidays, kids learned many filmmaking skills. They learned about camera-work, lighting, sound, acting, writing, and costumes.
Some children from the CFU acted in the films, but only in child roles. Adult characters were always played by professional adult actors.
The CFU typically made one full-length movie each year. Most of the filming happened during the summer holidays. After the main filming was done, extra scenes were shot on weekends. Colin Finbow edited all the films. However, children could help with the editing process when they had time.
Between making big movies, the children practiced by making short films. They also attended talks and demonstrations from film experts. Famous people like Bryan Forbes, Lord Attenborough, and Lord Puttnam often visited.
The CFU had a small studio in Battersea, London. Upstairs, kids learned acting. Downstairs, they learned technical skills in rooms filled with old props and donated equipment. They had cool gear like Moviola and Arriflex 16SR cameras. Even in a small space, the children built film sets when needed! Later, the CFU moved to Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.
Many friends in the film industry helped the CFU. They often gave their time or lent equipment for free. Dave Hewson composed music for most of the CFU's films. The special effects company Any Effects created on-set effects. They also gave talks to the children.
During the making of How's Business (1991), a BBC film crew followed the CFU. This was for an episode of the children's TV show The Lowdown. The documentary showed the filming of How's Business. It also featured interviews with CFU members. The episode ended with scenes from the film's special premiere. It was first shown on BBC1 on May 5, 1992.
Film Premieres and Where Films Were Shown
Several Children's Film Unit movies had special "Royal Premieres." These were big events, often attended by famous people.
Here are some of the films and their premiere dates:
- Under The Bed at the Odeon Leicester Square, on Saturday, September 17, 1988.
- Doombeach at BAFTA, Piccadilly, on Sunday, November 4, 1990.
- How's Business at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, on Sunday, March 15, 1992.
- Willie's War at The Prince Charles Cinema, WC2, on Thursday, May 4, 1995.
- The Gingerbread House at BAFTA, Piccadilly, on Monday, March 3, 1997.
Most CFU films were shown on Channel 4 and released in cinemas. They were also distributed around the world. Channel 4 helped pay for and show most of the CFU's films. Watchmaker Films handled worldwide distribution.
However, How's Business was made with the Children's Film and Television Foundation. It was never shown on TV in the UK. Also, the last three films were only shown very late at night on Channel 4. This was because Channel 4 changed what kind of shows it focused on in the late 1990s.
Awards and Film Festivals
Many Children's Film Unit movies were shown at film festivals and won awards:
- Daemon – Shown in Munich.
- Dark Enemy – Shown in London & Munich.
- Hard Road – Shown in Frankfurt, Chicago, Dulu, and Duisburg. It won the Lucas Prize in Frankfurt.
- Mister Skeeter – Won the Prix Danube in Bratislava.
- School For Vandals – Shown in London & Chicago.
- A Swarm in May – Shown in Moscow.
- Under The Bed – Shown in Chicago.
- Doombeach – Shown in Frankfurt, Sydney, Chicago, London.
- Emily's Ghost – Shown in Frankfurt, Belfast, Brighton, Edinburgh.
- Willie's War – Won first prize at the Youth Film Festival of Flanders.
The 21st Century
The Children's Film Unit kept going for the first ten years of the new millennium. However, they couldn't make any more feature films because they didn't have enough money. On August 9, 2011, the Children's Film Unit was officially removed from the list of UK charities.
