Kayleigh’s film is up for top award
A SHORT film showing the final moments of murdered Leicestershire schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood has been nominated for a fourth national award.
‘Kayleigh’s Love Story’ was produced by Leicestershire Police to warn children and parents about the dangers of online grooming.
It was watched by more than one million people within a day of being posted online, and has now been seen by an estimated 35 million people worldwide.
The hard-hitting video is one of 57 films on the shortlist of the EVCOM Screen Awards.
It has already won three awards including Gold awards from The Royal Television Society and from DRUM.
The five-minute film shows the final weeks of 15-year-old Kayleigh’s life, a Measham teenager who received a stream of affectionate messages from a stranger online, in October 2015.
Two weeks later she was persuaded to stay the night at Luke Harlow’s house in Ibstock, where she was held against her will by him and his neighbour, Stephen Beadman.
The next day as she attemped to escape, Beadman raped and murdered her in nearby woodland.
Leicestershire Police’s Communications and Engagement Directorate created the film in association with Affixxius Films, a Loughborough-based group.
Matt Tapp, communications director at Leicestershire Police, said: “It’s very humbling that the film has been shortlisted for another award.
“What matters most is that the messages the film contains are heard and seen by as many people as possible in order to protect children from online harm.
“These awards and nominations acknowledge the skill, expertise and sensitivity brought to its production.”
The film featured in a Channel 5 programme, Murder on the Internet, which was broadcast on April 27 earlier this year.
The documentary showed interviews with Detective Inspector Simon Shuttleworth, who was the deputy investigating officer in the case, as well as with Kayleigh’s mother, Stephanie.
As well as focusing on the investigation, the documentary will highlight the film, Kayleigh’s Love Story, made by Leicestershire Police about the last two weeks of the schoolgirl’s life.
Since it was published in January, signed and audio-described versions have been released, as well as versions in Polish, Hindi, Gujarati. Urdu, Punjabi and French.
A Welsh version of the film was also recently produced and is now being publicised in Wales.