Second industry award for Breck's Last Game
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Breck’s Last Game has scooped a second award and is in the running for a third accolade later this month.
The hard-hitting film was produced to raise awareness of the dangers of online grooming and was made as part of a collaboration between Leicestershire Police, Northamptonshire Police, Surrey Police and Essex Police.
It tells the story of 14-year-old gamer Breck Bednar who was murdered after being groomed online.
The film has been watched by millions of people and last night (Thursday 21 November) picked up a silver award in the Film in a Digital Campaign category at the EVCOM (Event and Visual Communication Association) London Film Awards.
This follows a silver award at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards and the film is also shortlisted in the Best Promotional Content category at the Royal Television Society Midlands awards being held on 29 November.
Deputy Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “This is the second accolade the film has been awarded and rightly recognises the important role it plays in raising awareness of online grooming among boys.
“Since it was launched, Breck’s Last Game has been used as a valuable education resource in schools across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and even adopted by the Australian Federal Police.
“The film asks an important question – do you really know who your online friends are? It was made to help keep children safe from harm and by raising awareness, and enabling conversations to happen among children and adults, it is doing exactly that.”
Surrey teenager Breck Bednar was murdered in 2014 after being groomed online by fellow gamer Lewis Daynes.
Daynes lured Breck to his flat in Essex, under the premise that he would hand over control of a fictional computer business to the teenager.
The film, which lasts just over four minutes, was made by Affixxius Films in Loughborough and features Lorin LaFave, Breck’s mother.
Lorin said: "I am so pleased that Breck’s Last Game has been given yet another award. The film has helped millions of people to recognise signs of grooming and think about their own online relationships.
"Many thanks to all who have made this project possible to share awareness of Breck’s story and the work of the Breck Foundation. #DoYouReallyKnowYourOnlineFriends?”
Miles Latham, managing partner at Affixxius Films, said: "It is with great pride that can celebrate another high-level industry award for Breck’s Last Game, and from such a prestigious body; but such pride is always tempered - with a project of this sort - by a wish that we had never had to make the film in the first place.
“We sincerely hope that more valuable exposure - such as this award - can continue the core work of the project. It is imperative that the message of Breck’s Last Game reaches as many young people as possible to prevent such a horrendous occurrence ever being repeated."
To find out more about the film visit https://www.leics.police.uk/police-forces/leicestershire-police/areas/leicestershire-force-content/c/campaigns/2019/brecks-last-game/