23rd April 2007

Top Welsh photographer Julian Castaldi returned to his roots in the South Wales Valleys last month as he photographed young people taking part during Wales’ International Young People’s Film Festival 2007, organised by Zoom. Originally from Hirwaun, Castaldi snapped away as young people aged 8 – 25 got involved in a range of Zoom Film and Media workshops which included Photoshop, Phone Animation and Fighting For Film in the Dowlais Engine House, Merthyr Tydfil on Saturday 24^th March. The Festival itself ran for four days and involved a range of hands-on media workshops and screenings from all across the globe in addition to short films from up-and-coming young Welsh filmmakers.

The project was a first for Castaldi who has never photographed children before and whose subjects usually include celebrities such as Stuart Cable, Pat Cash and Katherine Jenkins. Castaldi has also worked with many well known sports personalities and recently shot the Welsh Rugby squad for the new WRU calendar.

Commenting on his experience of working with Zoom he said,

"I was thrilled to be part of such an innovative project and thoroughly enjoyed the buzz and excitement generated by the children. It’s so fantastic to see an organisation like Zoom bringing activities which aim to nurture and promote creativity amongst young people here in the Valleys, areas usually overlooked in favour of places like Cardiff. There wasn’t anything like this when I was growing up in the area, it was only when I moved to LA when I was nineteen that I discovered photography, and I think it’s brilliant that youth in the Valleys are finally being given a chance to explore and learn skills in film and media. There’s so much untapped talent here in the Valleys, the Festival alone has shown this, and it’s essential we provide these young people with the opportunity to showcase and develop their creative potential".

Zoom’s Director, Lisa Davies, welcomes Castaldi’s support.

"We at Zoom are very grateful to Julian for his support in providing us with brilliant photographs of the Festival. Being a local Valleys boy, Castaldi is someone who’s familiar with the area and therefore realises our ambitions and why our project is so important. Our only hope now is to help make others understand the significance ventures like Zoom can have so we may go on providing young people with the opportunities they so desperately need."