Red carpet rolled out for Hampstead’s young ‘movie stars’ in ‘magical’ West End ‘premiere’

Fitzjohn's headteacher Rob Earrey with pupils at the premiere. Picture: Parents were able to to watch their children's films at the socially distanced screenings. Picture: Fitzjohn's Primary School (Image: Archant)

The red carpet was rolled out at the 250-seat Odeon cinema in Covent Garden for Fitzjohn’s Primary School’s former Year 6 students, who sat back and enjoyed two movies which they created before graduating this summer.

The two films – ‘The Falcon’s Malteser’ and ‘Diamond Inc.’ – were based on novels by the children’s author Anthony Horowitz.

Screened on separate, socially distanced showings on September 20 and 27, the amateur movies were edited and directed by the school’s headteacher Rob Earrey.

Mr Earrey told the Ham&High: “It was important for our previous Y6 class to be able to celebrate their time at the school together and to see that even in the toughest of times joyful things can happen.

The students watched the films which they starred in themselves. Picture: Fitzjohn's Primary School (Image: Archant)

“I am immensely proud of all their hard work on the movies and wish them well as their journeys in secondary school begin.”

The films, each 80 minutes long, were shot at Fitzjohn’s when the school reopened in June following the coronavirus lockdown.

They took 17 days to put together using three “bubbles” and 2,000 shots.

Normally, Fitzjohn’s Year 6s write and perform their own musical to mark the end of their time at the school.

Parents were able to to watch their children's films at the socially distanced screenings. Picture: Fitzjohn's Primary School (Image: Archant)

This year, due to Covid-19, that wasn’t possible so two films were made instead, with pupils’ family and friends able to attend the screenings.

Year 6 pupil Noah said: “Reuniting with the school in June when lockdown eased was a magical moment for me.

“After weeks of feeling lonely, isolated and sad, I was thrilled that we were making a movie instead of the play and that I was given the opportunity to play the role of Tim Diamond opposite my best friends.

“It was a great way to end my years at Fitzjohn’s and I am so grateful to Rob, the best headteacher ever, for making it all happen.”

Fitzjohn’s pupil Matthew said: “It was really cool to see myself and my friends on the big screen. The movie turned out even better than I could have imagined.”