Ross movie-makers need your votes!

THE Ross-shire public are being urged to take part in an online vote to help pick the winner of a national film-making competition.

Pupils from Dingwall Academy and Tain Royal Academy are among the entrants of MG Alba’s national Gaelic short film competition, FilmG, which has attracted a record 76 films this year.

All entries can be viewed online on the FilmG website www.filmg.co.uk, where people can vote for your favourite film until January 31. The votes will help determine who receives this year’s esteemed People’s Choice award.

The FilmG Jury, composed of representatives of the broadcast industry in Scotland – including Chris Young, producer of box office hit and award-winning film The Inbetweeners and River City actor Tony Kearney – will work alongside BBC ALBA executives to judge the films and compile a shortlist of finalists.

This year’s entrants have come from throughout the country and further afield from Canada and offer an impressive mix of traditional and contemporary interpretations of this year’s theme Air an Stairsnich/On the Threshold.

The 50 short films in the 12-17 years category feature a variety of storylines ranging from X-factor spoofs to haunting high jinks.

While both Millburn Academy and Inverness Royal Academy have paradies of the X Factor and spooky goings on, Tain Royal Academy has gone crazy with invention and Dingwall Academy deals with real life drama.

The adult category has also seen an increase in the number of documentaries made by those keen to explore and share a slice of real life from their own home turf.

Among the documentaries submitted include a short film from the Isle of Eigg about a local resident and her famous clootie dumpling, whilst a local from Stornoway has submitted a film about two siblings who, being deaf, have never known a word of Gaelic despite their upbringing in a Gaelic speaking family in Harris.

Donald Campbell, chief executive of MG ALBA, said: "Each year more and more people enter FilmG, and this year is no exception. The appetite of the schools and youth sector in particular to embrace the competition and produce high quality short films is extremely encouraging. We are also particularly pleased with the number of entries submitted from young people and schools both within and beyond the Gaidhealtachd."

The winning films will be announced at the prestigious FilmG Awards ceremony to be held at the Fruitmarket in Glasgow on March 9.