LandWorks film triumphs at 2024 Smiley Charity Film Awards
A Short Film, ‘One Day…’ has been named a winner at the 2024 Smiley Charity Film Awards. The film is about about LandWorks’ pioneering approach to prisoner resettlement is directed and produced by Graeme and Jennie Montgomery . 
The film beat 16 other finalists to become ‘Best Longform Film’ (over 5 minutes) by charities with an income of under £1 million. The award was announced at the 2024 Charity Film Awards ceremony on 20 March 2024.
Re-integration
Based on the Dartington Estate in Devon, LandWorks provides a supported route back into employment and the community for people in prison or at risk of going to prison. ‘One Day…’ highlights LandWorks’ approach in reducing offending and transforming lives. In the film, people recently released from prison and serving community sentences talk candidly about their lives and the help that LandWorks has given them to find a new start after being released.
an uplifting and heartfelt film
The Charity Oscars
The Smiley Charity Film Awards, often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the charity film world, are designed to celebrate the success of film in fundraising, to increase exposure of charity films and to encourage donations for good causes. This year’s red-carpet ceremony took place at the ODEON Luxe cinema in London’s Leicester Square, where LandWorks trustee Jason Kew was delighted to accept the Judges Award for One Day on behalf of the charity.
The film beat 16 other finalists to win ‘Best Longform Film’ (over 5 minutes) by charities with an income of under £1 million. Explaining their decision, one of the judges described One Day as “an uplifting and heartfelt film which transports you to the countryside. You feel the sense of achievement and of the participants as you share their journey. I found myself really rooting for them. An important charity doing good work.’
Inspirational Charities
Reflecting on the award, film director Graeme Montgomery said: “We are so thrilled to have won this award for our film for the brilliant charity LandWorks. What a wonderful awards night with so many inspiring films and charities. It was an honour working with the extraordinary team at LandWorks and hopefully we have shared something of their model for prisoner rehabilitation which really does transform lives. It would really change things if it could be rolled out nationwide. They are truly inspiring.”
F.O.C.
LandWorks project director Chris Parsons added: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the trainees and graduates who shared their life stories and offer our well-deserved congratulations and thanks to Graeme and Jennie Montgomery for creating this powerful and moving film about our resettlement project at no cost to the charity. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our supporters and members of the public who voted for the film in the initial rounds.”
Not Only, But Also
This is the third award secured by ‘One Day…’. In October 2023 it was named winner of the ‘Human Rights Award’ at the Canberra International Mental Health Film Festival 2023. The film also won a Gold Award at the 2024 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards.