Boogie 9000: Makaton Robot is a short film by students of Beacon Hill Film Project in North Shields that highlights the importance of Makaton.

It is about a robot who is sent from his home planet of Beebop to find more Makaton words. After an eventful journey (including being attacked by a giant spaceworm!) he arrives on Earth to find that being understood is going to be more difficult than he thought.

Beacon Hill Film Project supports young learning disabled artists create and exhibit their own work, engaging them in scripting, filming, editing, prop making, costume design and music composition for their own short films. The project is a long standing partnership between Arpeggio Films, filmmaker Andrew Coats and Beacon Hill School in North Tyneside.

Connor Rathbone with Cinemagic's Sean Boyle and Susie McCullough from NITB

Boogie 9000: Makaton Robot won Best Innovation at the Cinemagic Film Festival 2011 in Northern Ireland and student Connor Rathbone, 19, flew to Belfast to collect the award, accompanied by his father, Len.

Connor said, "I am very excited and happy to win this award, thank you to Beacon Hill Film Project for helping me and well done to all the other filmmakers!"

Last year, Beacon Hill Film Project's partners formed an exciting new social enterprise called Beacon Hill Arts (www.beaconhillarts.org.uk) to extend similar opportunities to other people with learning disabilities in North Tyneside and beyond by establishing a learning disabled-led media company.

Andy P