FilmG is the Gaelic short film competition, now in its 14^th year, delivered by CGS on behalf of MG Alba. The aim of the project is to encourage grassroots filmmaking amongst Gaelic speakers, both learners and native speakers. The competition is open to amateur and professional filmmakers across both youth and open categories. This year, a new category was added to encourage more films from filmmakers under the age of 12.

The Council sponsored the ‘Best Director’ Award.

The awards programme, announcing the winners of the competition across its 17 categories, were aired on BBC ALBA at 9pm on Friday 25^th February.

6 Highland primary schools submitted a total of 7 films (Glenurquhart, Staffin, Dunvegan, Craighill, BSGI, Lochcarron)

14 Highland high schools submitted a total of 23 films (Dingwall, Plockton, Ardnamurchan, Lochaber, Alness, Portree, Culloden, Ullapool, Mallaig, Inverness Royal Academy, Gairloch, Millburn, Nairn, Tain)

4 out of the 8 entries by young independent filmmakers were Highland filmmakers.

In the open category, 6 entries out of the 12 were from Highland based filmmakers with an additional one film from a filmmaker originally from the Highlands but living in Edinburgh.

The competition had a total of 91 submissions this year, 49 of these were from Highland Schools, 17 from Primary Schools, 8 Young independent filmmakers, 12 entries came from the open category, and an additional 5 script entries were received.

Film G Award winner List (extracted from Alison MacNeil’s PR)

The Highland winners were as follows:

Parker Dawes (14), a pupil at Ardnamurchan High School in Strontian, West Lochaber, scooped three awards - Best Young Filmmaker, Best Film Fluent Speakers and Best Production, for his slapstick spy thriller ‘Spies-R-Us’.

Best Performance went to Iseabail MacRae from Portree High School in their film ‘Cuidhteas’ about three respectable wives in the Victorian Era who plan a way to find independence from their husbands.

Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch secured the prize for Best Documentary (12-17) for his film ‘Thar Nan Sgòth - Beinn Eighe’ (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe) which was about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world.

In the Open category a short documentary called ‘A' Mhuir’ (The Sea) about wild swimming by the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, picked up two separate awards, Film Dùthchais and Best Director (Anna Garvin).

Somhairle MacIain (Sorley Johnston) also a student at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig won the award for Best Student Film for his film ‘Eilean Lois’ (Lois’s Island) which follows him and his girlfriend, Lois, as they cycled the Hebridean Way in summer, while he teaches her to speak Gaelic.

A look around ‘Am Buaile Dubh’ on the outskirts of Inverness, secured the Best Performance award for the film’s producer and narrator by Eòghan Stiùbhart who is a Gaelic Teacher from Inverness.

Best Script and People’s Choice went to Inverness-based Cheryl Heggie School of Dance + Sìne na Screen for ‘Thòisich e le Sreothart!’

These videos will be shown at the Scottish Learning Festival and show a group of S6 students from Charleston Academy in Inverness. These students make up the core of a very successful STEM group which has been active since 2017. The students explain the appeal of being in STEM group, demonstrating activities they undertook with our family of primary schools, and their recent work on the young STEM leader programme.

The Golspie ASG group decided to employ a teacher to work with their P7 and S1 pupils using the money given by Scottish Government to raise attainment. Lairg and Rosehall pupils benefit from the support a teacher one day a week who works across the ASG. Since January they have worked so hard to collaboratively create an online magazine called the L and R reporter.

In light of the recent announcements for Scotland’s schools and the uncertainty of the months ahead, The Highland Council and Tree of Knowledge have agreed a partnership to provide mental health and wellbeing support to all pupils and staff across all 200 schools in Highland, through remote learning and beyond.

From next week, all primary and secondary schools in Highlands will have access to Treehouse; a groundbreaking online learning platform, for use at home or in classrooms, which addresses the challenges of the pandemic and develops positive mental health.

Created by the team of motivation experts at Tree of Knowledge, the Dunfermline based inspirational training company, Treehouse is a fun, engaging and thought-provoking tool, in line with the Curriculum for Excellence: Health & Wellbeing Experiences & Outcomes.

In this pioneering move, The Highland Council are the first authority to provide this mental health & wellbeing support to staff and pupils authority-wide. Cllr John Finlayson, Chair of Education Committee said: “It is very encouraging to see the involvement of all Highland schools in this programme at a time when all pupils and staff will naturally be feeling anxious about many things. Everyone in our schools has been coping really well to date but, anything that further supports their resilience and mental health has to be welcomed. Having a programme that everyone can access which is delivered as part of the curriculum is really important and I look forward to getting feedback from pupils, parents and staff about how this valuable input is helping to support our learners.”

Nicky Grant, Executive Chief Officer for Education and Learning for The Highland Council added: “Treehouse is exactly what our schools need right now. In times of change and uncertainty, our teachers and pupils need a tool that will help them develop resilience, cope with change and manage stress and anxiety. Additionally, Treehouse will form an important part of our schools’ remote learning approach. We are excited that this will aid teachers in delivering structured mental health & wellbeing support to pupils during the latest lockdown.

She continued: “We’ve built a fantastic relationship with Tree of Knowledge over many years. As a team of former teachers, psychologists, and comedians, they understand education, and never fail to deliver essential messages, with great humour and fun.”

Dougie Clark, Director at Tree of Knowledge, says: “We’re delighted to see The Highland Council acknowledging the importance of investing in the health & wellbeing of their staff and pupils at this time. Treehouse is now in schools in over half of authorities across Scotland, as well as schools in England, Ireland and as far afield as the USA. In March 2020, we transformed our business from 100% face-to-face delivery, to almost 100% online delivery. We’ve relished the challenge, and it’s given us an opportunity to share our messages with a far wider audience, at a time when it is vital.”

Treehouse provides over 100 age-appropriate modules covering pre-school right up to S6, and additional modules for staff.

To mark the completion of the new Merkinch Primary School, Robertson Construction gifted each pupil a new school t-shirt. Part of the school’s everyday uniform, the new t-shirts will be worn with pride as the pupils begin to settle into their new school and facilities.

Frank Reid, regional managing director, Robertson Construction, said: “Construction of the school was carried out whilst the school remained operational and because of this we really felt part of the Merkinch School community

“It’s important for us that we leave a positive lasting legacy everywhere we work, and we are proud to have played our part in enhancing the original Category B listed building with a new extension so the school can continue to serve the community in decades to come.

“We look forward to continuing our work in phase 2 as we refurbish the existing facility into new dining and community facilities.”

Jillian Kean, head teacher, Merkinch Primary School, said: “I would like to thank Robertson Construction for their generosity in gifting each of our pupils a new school t-shirt. This small token will serve as a reminder to the children of the many individuals and their hard work that went into constructing this amazing space for them. We have been thoroughly enjoying our new school building since we moved in and we look forward to spending many years to come in this new facility.”

The new primary school, procured through Scape Scotland for Highland Council, includes 14 new classrooms, ancillary teaching area, three-room nursery, nurture rooms, a four court games hall, and an external multi-use games area. Phase 2 will commence in the coming months.