Thomas Deakin

Thomas got involved in this conference through his membership with Into Film, which is a nationwide youth group for young people, between the ages of 11 and 19, who are interested in working in the film industry.

After this organisation sent him an email, where they requested for volunteers at the conference, he didn’t hesitate to immediately respond. He was later chosen to be on the panel, along with three other sixth form students.

Although Thomas was a little nervous before he went on stage, he quickly relaxed as soon as he started speaking! Thomas commented that the experience felt “extremely fun and relaxed because it gave me an opportunity to talk about and emphasise my passions of film criticism and filmmaking”.

Thomas particularly enjoyed discussing his interest in arthouse, independent and experimental films and how these aren't promoted enough in the modern cinema release slate due to the “unfair belief that blockbusters will always be more financially viable”.

Thomas really enjoyed the experience and found it incredibly useful in developing his public speaking, communication and networking skills. During the event he met several industry professionals who have offered to help him pursue his film projects in the future.

Congratulations Thomas on speaking at this conference! This is a fantastic achievement and one you should be proud of!