FIDO Awards Winners Announced!

The Fido Awards, presented in association with Dogs Trust and honouring canine cinematic excellence, were held at the BFI Southbank last night. The list of categories included the first ever Dogs Trust Star of Tomorrow Award.

• HISTORICAL HOUND (for period drama excellence) The Young Victoria
• ROM-COM ROVER (for romantic-comedy companionship) Marley and Me
• COMEDY CANINE (for outstanding comedic contribution) Beverly Hills Chihuahua
• BLOCKBUSTER BOWSER (for event-movie performance) Up
• MUTT MOMENT (for stand-out cinematic canine moment) Fish Tank
• BEST IN WORLD (for best of the best) The Young Victoria
• DOGS TRUST STAR OF TOMORROW Paddy
  

Amongst the winners present to accept their awards handed out by presenters Kerry Fox, Christopher Biggins, Camilla Rutherford and Fenella Fielding was Tori (aka Dash, pictured) from The Young Victoria, Syrus (aka Tennants) from Fish Tank and Paddy, a six year-old crossbreed rescue dog from Dogs Trust Darlington, winner of the special Dogs Trust "Star of Tomorrow" award, the first of its kind at the ceremony.

This year's judging panel was made up of leading film critics and writers, including: Derek Malcolm, EVENING STANDARD; Angie Errigo, EMPIRE; James Christopher, THE TIMES; Kaleem Aftab, THE INDEPENDENT and Charles Gant, HEAT.

Well done to all the winners!

Marley & Me NI Premiere: See the film first with Dogs Trust & Storm Cinemas Belfast!

Smash hit book Marley & Me has fast become an even more successful film, and you can be one of the first in the UK to see it! The Northern Ireland premiere is opening its doors to Dogs Trust supporters to benefit Dogs Trust Ballymena.

The heart-warming tale of a Labrador puppy whose antics turn his new family upside down stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. Northern Irish viewers will get the chance to get reduced rate tickets for the Saturday 7th March 10am screening, with all proceeds going to help dogs being cared for in the area by Dogs Trust.

Better yet, children can get in free if they bring along a large tin of dog food to the cinema or dress up in doggy attire!

Canine residents from the Ballymena Centre will be there to greet cinema-goers at the door, but sadly it won’t possible for other dogs to attend.

Where, when and how much?

Venue: Storm Cinemas Belfast, Odyssey Pavilion, Belfast
Time: Film starts at 10am sharp, please allow time to purchase your tickets
Tickets: £11 for a family ticket (two adults and two children). Adult tickets are £3.50 each. Children under the age of 12 get in free if they bring along a large tin of dog food or dress up in doggy attire.
Contact: Tickets will be available at the Dogs Trust stand outside of the cinema. Call 028 2565 2977 for further information

Ronnie Milsop, Dogs Trust Ballymena Campaigns Manager, says:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for families to come and see this heart-warming movie whilst at the same time also supporting a very good cause. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Storm Cinemas for allowing us to host the Northern Ireland premiere of Marley & Me and we hope lots of people will join us and our canine chums on the day.”

“Storm Cinemas Belfast is a very family-orientated destination and like ourselves is dedicated to doing all they can to help the local community. We are looking forward to the event and can’t wait to help our furry friends.”

The official UK release date is March 11th.

Wendy and Lucy: Film & fundraising fun

Last night, the lovely folk at Soda Pictures held a special preview screening for the brand new film Wendy and Lucy, which is released to the general public on the 6th of March this year.

Not content with making a film featuring a Palm Dog-winning pooch, they decided they'd like to help dogs during their night at the movies. The guests dug deep and generously provided enough funds to sponsor a dog for a year. They were to vote on their chosen Dogs Trust dog but there's a tie, so we'll let you know which dog when they've decided on a tiebreaker!

So what about the movie? Well, here's the synopsis:

Wendy Carole (Michelle Williams) is driving to Ketchikan, Alaska in hopes of a summer of lucrative work at the Northwestern Fish cannery, and the start of a new life with her dog, Lucy. When her car breaks down in Oregon, however, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she confronts a series of increasingly dire economic decisions, with far-ranging repercussions for herself and Lucy. Wendy and Lucy addresses issues of sympathy and generosity at the edges of American life, revealing the limits and depths of people's duty to each other in tough times.

Were you one of the lucky people who got an advanced screening? Are you planning to see the film? Tell us your thoughts.

Many thanks to Soda Pictures for their support!