Amateur moviemakers in Cambridge have set up a crowdfunding appeal to enable their film about climate anxiety to be shown in cinemas.
The team of retirees on the University of the Third Age film-making course in Cambridge, have made a 17-minute documentary called ‘Climate Anxiety’ about the worry climate change causes in children, young people and parents.
Laura Sims, leader of the U3A film making course.
The course is led by Laura Sims, who has spent her career as a television drama director, then taught in a school and university in film and TV production. Since retirement, she has been making films for charities.
The group is now aiming to get a certificate from the British Board of Film Certification, which costs £490 and is required before the film can be shown in cinemas.
Laura said: “I lead a group of retired moviemakers called Cambridge Moviemakers, which is part of Cambridge U3AC. The group was set up in October 2023, and last year made four films.
Artwork for the Climate Anxiety movie made by the U3A film making course in Cambridge.
“One of the films was about climate anxiety. John Yates, who directs the film, has a daughter, Rachel, who is a psychologist and she had become worried when she had her first child about the threat of climate change, and has actually moved into running a course for parents who are anxious about climate change. She felt that being anxious can be quite paralysing and stops you taking action. And that was the trigger for us making the film. We thought, well, that’s a slightly different angle.
“During the interviews we found that children as young as five years old had become worried about the climate crisis and that taking practical steps to help combat climate change helped them feel better.”
The film is a series of interviews with Cambridge children, parents and a psychologist discussing the impact that worrying about climate change has had on their mental health.
Laura Sims, left, with members of the U3A film making course that has produced the Climate Anxiety movie
All group members took on different roles, including filming, sound editing and directing, working over about eight weeks.
Laura said: “We are keen for the film to reach a wide audience and have been offered a showing at six Arts Picturehouse cinemas around the UK as part of their Green Screen programme.
“But in order for the film to be shown it must have a BBFC classification and it’s quite expensive to get this certificate, which is why we have set up this crowdfunding page.”
Visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cambridgemoviemakers to contribute to the crowdfunder.