Parliament to showcase top films

A nationwide film competition called 'Film The House' created by MP Mike Weatherley is seeking to discover young talented creators and filmmakers across the UK.

Appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as the new intellectual property advisor for the UK, Mike Weatherly wanted to raise both political awareness of intellectual property rights and bring creative people together in a fun competition. In its second year, 'Film The House' is seeking entries from creative people across the UK.

With the backing of Hollywood studios, ITN, Directors UK, Google, the MPA, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Paramount and many other film institutions, the contest offers winners a once in a lifetime exposure to top industry professionals and the biggest producers in the game:

Some of the prizes for winning entries will include

- Free premiere tickets
- A six-month Odeon cinema pass
- A special screening at the House of Commons on July 1st attended by special guests and film industry figures
- Work experience with top film studios.
- A private screening of winning films at a Paramount theatre.
(more prizes will be announced)

The contest is open to young talent below the age of 18 across the UK, and people can enter their creations through the Band App.

Mike Weatherly spoke with us about the competition and how he wanted to raise awareness about Intellectual property and why it's important for people to support original creative work.

"…it's about the intellectual property of these upcoming creative artists, and we thought we'd have a backlash from the MPs, thinking that they would hate the idea with all this extra work involved but quite the reverse. A huge number have taken it right onboard, got involved with their music colleges, their film colleges, their local record stores, radio stations and they've found innovative ways of getting the public involved to vote for the right products to represent their constituency…"

- Mike Weatherley

Finding ways to ensure that the public and the industry are on the same page when it comes to protecting creative work is one of those steps toward making sure future generations can earn a living from the products they create whether it's an album, a film or a script.

With MPs across the country getting involved in the contest, government at a local level, will gain a bigger insight into the creative industries and meet the people at the heart of Britain's creative boom.

Young filmmakers have until the 31st of March to submit their entries which will then be reviewed by MPs across the country. A final selection will be announced on the 14th May ahead of the special ceremony taking place on the 1st July at the House of Commons. To find out more about the contest check out Film The House for more details.

Film Industry Network is an official sponsor of Film The House