Hertsmere 11 to 17 year olds can apply now for a free five-day film course in Borehamwood, 26 to 30 October. A £50 deposit is refundable. Closes 19 October.

Applications are now open for 30 funded places on a five-day film and TV course for young people in Hertsmere, running in Borehamwood over the October half term, Monday 26 to Friday 30 October. Anyone aged 11 to 17 who lives in the borough can apply, and no filmmaking experience is needed. The deadline is 5pm on Monday 19 October.

It is the first project under Hertsmere Creative Futures, a Hertsmere Borough Council initiative meant to link local teenagers with the film and television industry in the borough. The course is designed and run by Brilliant Film Academy and paid for by the council. We reported on the funding proposal when it went to Cabinet at the start of September (our earlier story); this is the version that has now opened to applicants.

What the five days involve

Each participant will help make and premiere an original short film or creative project. According to the programme’s press release, the week covers the whole process, from developing ideas and pre-production to filming, post-production and a screening, with a look at the jobs behind each stage: camera operation, set design, scriptwriting and editing among them. Participants will also learn about the creative, technical, production and business roles in the industry.

One session will be a practical special effects workshop led by BRAVE FX.

Two young people working together on a camera fitted with a shoulder rig, a Rode microphone and an external monitor
Two Brilliant Film Academy students with camera equipment. Photo: supplied by Brilliant Film Academy

David Jenkins, who founded Brilliant Film Academy in 2015, said:

“Hertsmere has an incredible Film and TV industry on its doorstep, and this programme is about helping local young people see that there could be a place for them within it.

“We want participants to learn filmmaking by actually doing it, while also discovering the huge range of careers that exist behind the scenes. You don’t need previous experience, just curiosity and a passion for film.

“For some young people, this could be their first real introduction to the screen industries, and we hope it gives them the skills, insight and inspiration to start thinking seriously about where that interest could take them.”

The academy says it runs hands-on filmmaking training for 11 to 19 year olds in St Albans and Dacorum, and describes The Brilliant Academies as Hertfordshire’s leading destination for training in theatre, dance and film.

The £50 deposit

The places are funded, but not quite free at the point of booking. Successful applicants are asked to pay a £50 refundable deposit to secure their place. The application page, checked on 28 September, says it is refunded in full once the participant has attended the whole course, and will normally be kept if a child takes a place and then does not attend, withdraws or does not finish.

The academy says it may refund all or part of it where a child misses the course because of a genuine medical issue, a family emergency or another exceptional circumstance, and that the deposit may be waived where it is a barrier to taking part. Families in that position are asked to email hello@brilliantfilmacademy.co.uk before accepting a place.

Not first come, first served

Applying does not guarantee a place. The academy says every application will be reviewed “to ensure the programme reaches young people who will benefit most”. The form asks what interests the child most, from acting and directing to lighting, costume and special effects, why they want to take part, whether they have additional needs, and whether cost, transport, anxiety, confidence, disability, caring responsibilities or a lack of opportunities would ordinarily make something like this hard to reach. Families will hear either way before 23 October.

“From Hertsmere’s classrooms to Hertsmere’s studios”

Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, said:

“Hertsmere has a remarkable film and television heritage and a hugely successful industry, and is the home of Elstree Film Studios, Sky Studios Elstree, and Fairbank Studios, but we want its legacy to be about the future as well as the past.

“Behind every production are hundreds of people doing different jobs. Whatever a young person’s interests, design, finance, catering or a more traditional creative role, there could be a career for them in the screen industry.

“Hertsmere Creative Futures is about making these opportunities visible to our young people. We want the industry on their doorstep, to be an industry that is open to them. I see this as the start of a pipeline from Hertsmere’s classrooms to Hertsmere’s studios.

“We want Hertsmere Creative Futures to grow, investing in local talent and taking the industry that is on our doorstep and turning it into opportunities and jobs for our residents.”

What it means for you

  • Who can apply: young people aged 11 to 17 who live in Hertsmere, which takes in Borehamwood, Elstree, Bushey, Potters Bar, Radlett and Shenley. No experience needed.
  • When: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, the October half term, in Borehamwood.
  • Cost: the course is funded by the council. A £50 deposit secures a place and is refunded on completion; it may be waived if it would stop a child taking part.
  • How to apply: a parent or guardian fills in the form at brilliantfilmacademy.co.uk/october2026.
  • Deadline: 5pm on Monday 19 October. Decisions by 23 October.

Sources