'The Lost Station' wins Best Documentary 2017: 12 and Under

Congratulations to Barrow Island Primary School & Signal Film and Media from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, whose wonderful documentary The Lost Station, looking the historical influence of trains in their home town, has been crowned Best Documentary: 12 and Under at the 2017 Into Film Awards.

The Lost Station, which you can view above, asks why a railway line and station were built at Barrow Island and how it could completely disappear over the years. Using animation, archive footage and oral testimonies from those who remember the railway, local primary school children explore the history of the area and rediscover this ‘lost station'.

At the Awards ceremony we spoke to Janet Dixon, Headteacher at Barrow Island Primary, to find out more about The Lost Station and its award-winning filmmakers. "We're very pleased to have won", said Dixon. "The project was built into our curriculum, learning history, writing for a real purpose, and giving children real skills that they could use like interviewing skills, presenting skills and of course, they learned to make films alongside Signal Media. The highlight for us is the trip to London, as many of the children have never been before. It was a totally inclusive project involving children of all abilities. We have a pupil who suffers from autism whose passion is trains, and he was really engaged."

The Best Documentary: 12 and Under award was presented by actors Charlotte Hope and Alexandra Roach, who were both taken with the chance to demonstrate that jobs in the film industry are achievable for young people around the UK. "I think it's very important that children are awakened to the fact that there are so many jobs today in the British film industry", said Roach. "It [the Into Film Awards] opens the door up and says 'you can be part of this, your voice is important, we want to hear your input'".