24 April 2023 Abingdon News 15 minutes with Jeremy Taylor, Director of Arts Partnerships and the Abingdon Film Unit (AFU) Films produced by the AFU tackle subjects from ‘wildlife’ to ‘breakfast’ and everything in between. Outward-looking, they rely on the creativity, adaptability, determination and persuasiveness of their directors - transferable skills cementing the notion that time as a member of the AFU is time well-spent. In 2022, the number of films made by AFU students surpassed 200, placing their filmmaking accomplishments between those of BBC Films and Lionsgate(!), which is no mean feat. Many have been screened at the British Film Institute’s Southbank centre in London, quite a few have won awards, and now a growing number of AFU alumni are developing successful careers in the film and broadcasting industries. The brainchild of then Head of Drama, Jeremy Taylor and renowned British documentary maker (and OA) Michael Grigsby, the AFU will mark its 20th anniversary this September. Dedicated from the start to the production of student films, the Unit has enjoyed the services of a team of visiting industry professionals who mentor and guide students in their work. To the best of our knowledge, this makes Abingdon one of very few schools offering its students this remarkable opportunity. Asked how the AFU came about, Mr Taylor explains: “The AFU was formed as part of a drive to increase the range of extracurricular activities on offer at Abingdon, and coincided with the building of the school’s first dedicated classroom facilities for drama. My initial idea of the kind of films students might make was pretty limited, and was completely transformed when I met Michael Grigsby. His role in the shaping of the AFU cannot be underestimated. He was passionate about filmmaking as a means of giving people a voice – whether as the subjects of films or the makers of them. He encouraged AFU students to explore the world around them and make films that gave people the time and space in which to tell their stories, especially those who have been overlooked. So for him, filmmaking was both a creative and an ethical concern. Nothing excited him more than the idea that a film could play a part in changing the world for the better. If that sounds a tad worthy, Mike also had a tremendous sense of fun and mischief that immediately endeared him to AFU members. “I hope he would be heartened to see how the AFU has evolved in recent years, not least in the way it has become a key part of Abingdon’s arts partnerships programme, through extending filmmaking opportunities to young people from other local schools via its sister organisation, the Abingdon Film Academy. “Ultimately, our role is to encourage students to strive for the very best results they can achieve and the films they have produced over the last twenty years are ample testament to their skill and commitment. I believe they also provide a striking record of our times that may one day be of interest to historians and researchers, which is why it’s so exciting that the BFI has agreed to take into the National Film Archive and hold in perpetuity a significant number of AFU films. “The variety of work AFU students produce is one of the great rewards of working with them. Over the last year alone, AFU films have featured an American Air Force drone pilot weighing the ethics of remote warfare; an Oxfordshire artist using her painting skills to help stroke victims; a community group providing a cycle training facility for young people; a portrait of a Russian orchestral conductor…and a delightful comedy about what boarders really get up to when they think their parents are on the other side of the world. At the same time, AFU tutors have been working with students at 3 local partner schools, where a further 14 films involving over 70 students have been produced in the last 12 months. “Filmmaking has led to creative work in other areas. The Lent term saw the launch of the 2023 season of Oxfordshire Academy of Broadcast Journalism workshops, in which pupils learn the fundamentals of writing blogs, recording podcasts and creating television presentations. There’s also been an OX14 playwriting competition (from which a member of the AFU emerged victorious!) and now there is a partnerships song-writing scheme in the pipeline. All these things, combined with the 20th anniversary of the AFU, make it a busy and exciting time to be involved in arts partnership activities across the town of Abingdon.” Much of this success will be celebrated at the British Film Institute’s Southbank facility on the afternoon of Wednesday 13 September. Key staff and AFU members, both past and present, will have the opportunity to enjoy screenings of the latest AFU films alongside highlights from the Unit’s back catalogue, whilst connecting with each other and reflecting on the many accomplishments of the AFU - accomplishments which simply would not have been possible without the foresight of a drama teacher and a former student.
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