Watch: Larbert pupils’ national film award success

The 2020 Into Film Awards celebrate talent and hard work of young filmmakers and film enthusiasts, aged five to 19, from schools across the UK.

The local school came top in the Into Film Club of the Year (ages 12+) category.

With 40 regular members the film club at Larbert High appears to be a popular part of the school’s curriculum.

The pupils in attendance host discussions on film, participate in competitive in-house reviewing competitions and get hands-on with filmmaking.

The school also has a pupil-produced podcast through which the club members share their opinions about film.

The ceremony had been due to take place at Odeon Leicester Square earlier this year, but coronavirusrestrictions meant the event, which would have seen more than 400 school children in attendance alongside stars of the film and TV industry, could not take place.

Kerry Abercrombie, media and English teacher who runs the Into Film Club at Larbert High, said: "We were all sitting together watching it and that's when we found out we won.

"It's recognition for the hard work of the pupils themselves and they absolutely deserve it because they run the film club and are its heart and soul."

Kirsty Gallacher, Into Film Scotland Programme Manager, said: “This has been an unbelievably challenging year for us all, but the commitment and work of our Scottish leaders who continue to support their learners’ experiences with film never fails to amaze me.

"That is why we are incredibly proud and offer our warmest congratulations to all the winners of 2020 – now more than ever it is important to acknowledge and celebrate these fantastic achievements.”

In total, eleven awards were handed out to winners across the UK.

Larbert High was one of just two Scottish schools to be recognised – the other was Castleton Primary in Castlemilk, Glasgow. Pupils there won the Audience Choice award for their short film It’s Just Not Fair! looking at what it's like to live in a town without a supermarket.