Hastings schoolgirl nominated for award at film festival after starring in movie

Darcy Jacobs, 12, who attends St Leonards Academy, is one of the main cast of Missing a Note, a 16-minute movie raising awareness of dementia.

She has been nominated for Best Young Female Actor at this year’s Birmingham Film Festival.

Darcy also recently played a role in a new music video for Battle-based rock band Keane.

She starred as a cake seller in the band’s video to their new single Love Too Much, which was released in August.

Directed by Beth Moran, Missing a Note was inspired by her grandad who is living with dementia.

Speaking about the filming, Darcy said: “It was absolutely amazing and so much fun. I was so used to performing on stage that it was very strange having a camera so close to my face but it was so cool to see the other side of it all.

“The director was great and made me feel really comfortable. I was filming alongside Elaine Paige and Ian McElhinney and I learned so much from them because of how talented they both were.

“They were really kind and sat with me, chatting in between filming. I even went for a walk with Elaine during our break around the grounds of Sedgwick Park where we filmed.

“The film’s main theme was based on dementia and I feel so privileged to be a part of raising awareness of this disease.

“Sadly my great-grandmother and great-uncle passed away because of dementia and so to be able to spread awareness of this is very important to me.

“The premiere was incredible. I was surprised with a limo arriving to take me there, by the team at Fact Not Fiction Films, which I had no idea about.

“I got to see my face on the big screen for the first time, which was weird at first. My family was there to share it with me and everyone just seemed to love the film, which was good.

“It was the first time I’d seen the film so I was so nervous about what I had done but it really was great.”

Talking about the nomination, Darcy said: “When I found out about being nominated for the award Best Young Female Actor at the Birmingham Film Festival I was over the moon. I was so excited and shocked.

“I’ve never been nominated before so it just is an amazing feeling.

“I cannot wait for the award ceremony. Just being a part of such an amazing project is just altogether incredible and I am just so grateful to Beth and Tristan for choosing me to be a part of it.”

The film was released in the USA in September at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. It has been accepted as a contender for the 2020 Academy Awards.

Missing a Note won Best UK Debut Short at the New Renaissance Film Festival in London.

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Newly launched website will help promote tourism in Hastings and Rother.