Our film wins gold at national film awards

On Wednesday 20th March 2024, members of the team travelled to London for the Smiley Charity Film Awards where we were awarded gold for the People’s Choice Award.

Hosted by actor and comedian Ellie Taylor at the Odeon Luxe in London’s Leicester Square, the awards recognise the best in cause-based storytelling, with each film showcasing a unique narrative that resonates with the ethos of philanthropy and social impact.

The evening brought together other filmmakers, philanthropists and charities, and the atmosphere was palpable with support for each other’s mission and impact. Other finalists included CoppaFeel!, NSPCC, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Norwich City Football Club who entered their much talked about, hard hitting film #YouAreNotAlone that’s been viewed over 117 million times. 

In collaboration with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, we entered the awards with James’ Story - a film that told the story of 32 year old James from Alton who was involved in a high-speed road traffic collision in July 2022.

James sustained devastating injuries, including numerous fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, a fractured lower leg, a fractured arm and a fractured pelvis. His blood pressure was dangerously low and his heart rate was climbing, indicating he was bleeding internally. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance crew were dispatched and gave James strong medication to ease the pain and administered a blood transfusion before setting off to hospital. 

The work the life-saving charity do is truly remarkable and it’s a real privilege to be able to work with the team and capture their patients’ incredible stories. Storytelling is at the heart of what we do and there wasn’t a dry eye in the studio when creating this edit. Without the support of everyone, we wouldn’t have been able to win and we want to extend our thanks to everyone who voted.

Louis, Lauren and Scarlet picked up the award along with the charity’s Director of Income and Engagement, Keith Wilson.

Keith said: 

“This film highlights the real impact of our service. Behind every call-out we attend there are patients in need and loved ones desperately hoping for good news.  

“Our most incredible thanks go to James, Millie and Teddy for retelling their story so eloquently and sincerely, and the wonderful team at Millstream who consistently capture the essence of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s impact." 

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