Shetland Celebrates Young Filmmakers at Record-Breaking HomeMade Festival

The 17th edition of the annual HomeMade festival in Shetland showcased the creativity of young filmmakers, featuring a record 33 short films, each four minutes or shorter. Held at the Mareel on Saturday afternoon, this year’s event celebrated an eclectic mix of genres, including films about LEGO zombies, claymation cats, and even a giant Yorkshire pudding.

Organized by Cara McDiarmid, Logan Nicolson, and Kathy Hubbard, HomeMade has evolved into a significant platform for emerging talent. Attendees voted for their favorite films, while the charity Shetland ForWirds recognized outstanding use of the Shetland dialect in several entries. A new judges’ award was introduced this year, with Robert Thomson serving as the judge, despite initially being hesitant about the role.

In a light-hearted moment, Thomson acknowledged the pressure of his new responsibility, stating that Kathy Hubbard had been “very persuasive” in convincing him to take on the task. Ultimately, he awarded the runners-up prizes to Tove Matthew for his claymation film, *Rocky and Flooer*, which he likened to the works of Aardman’s Nick Park, and to Christie Lewis Tulloch for her humorous tale of LEGO zombies, which had the audience laughing over its unique solution to a zombie apocalypse involving cups of tea and Jaffa Cakes.

The top prize from the judging panel was awarded to Josiah Naquin for *A Matter of Faith*, a film inspired by Christian themes. Interestingly, Naquin was unable to attend the ceremony as he had just started film school in Los Angeles. The LEGO zombie film also made an impact in the Shetland ForWirds categories, winning the under-18s award.

In the adult section of the dialect prizes, Stuart Hannay received recognition for his film about Elvis and birds, drawing inspiration from the poetry of Seamus Heaney. The top award in this category went to the Islesburgh Photographic Club for their film *Da Boat Biggir’s Nefjoo*, a black-and-white adaptation of a poem by Robert Alan Jamieson. This film was also a joint second in the audience votes, sharing the honor with young filmmakers Thea and Mallin Tallack for their heartfelt piece, *Dear Ocean*, which celebrated their love for the sea and wild swimming.

In a fitting conclusion to an exciting festival, Christie Lewis Tulloch returned to the stage to accept the audience prize for *Zombies – A Lego Stop-Motion*, marking a successful day for the young filmmaker. HomeMade continues to thrive as a celebration of innovation and storytelling, inspiring future generations of filmmakers in Shetland and beyond.