AN aspiring young script writer from Fivemiletown has scooped a prestigious short-story prize and given the opportunity to work alongside top film makers.
Dorothy McDowell will have the chance to transform her winning short story about fibre broadband into a movie by working with a team of professionals at a Cinemagic film workshop.
The 14-year-old will be assisted by eight other finalists from the competition under the direction of local film makers Patrick Maxwell and Michael Lennox.
The competition, in association with BT and Cinemagic, attracted young script writers from across Northern Ireland.
Over the course of the week the competition participants will discover how to bring a story from script to screen, covering elements such as script development, cinematography, creating film sets and camera technique.
Dorothy’s movie will be officially screened at the Cinemagic Gala Awards 2013 in November and will also be uploaded to the Northern Ireland broadband website.
The BT and Cinemagic ‘Super Short’ competition challenged entrants to write a 500 word story illustrating how high speed fibre broadband can transform people’s lives either by helping someone to make a difference, achieve a dream, overcome a problem or make a connection.
Dorothy’s entry depicted a scenario in which a fibre broadband connection helped a young girl connect with friends after moving to the countryside.
Speaking about her win the Enniskillen Collegiate student said that the inspiration for her story stemmed from her personal experience and the ‘culture shock’ around moving from a city to a rural town.
She said: “My story centred around a young person who moved at the age of 14 to the countryside from a big city and lost contact with her friends because she had no Internet signal in her new home.
“The task was to write a story about broadbrand and how it effects our lives in different ways.
So I typed up the story around my own experience when I moved from Belfast to Fivemiletown two years ago so I know what it is like to have internet all the time to losing signal.
“Fivemiletown is a village and it’s quiet and the signal is very good. Moving there was a big culture shock.
“When I heard that news that I won I was very excited and didn’t expect to win at all, I had even forgotten about it.
“The video is now on YouTube for anyone who wants to watch it and it will also be showing on a big screen at the Gala awards in front of hundreds of people.
“I have always loved writing and reading, I like to ready anything there’s nothing in particular that is my favourite.”
Dorothy, who is an only child, will attend the Cinemagic Gala Awards with her mother.
The lucky winners will avail of the opportunity to storyboard, decide on locations, cast, direct, shoot and learn about audio and lighting throughout the five day challenge.