International charitable trust MMBF (Matthew Martino Benevolent Fund) is due to inspire generations of the future as will launch on the 27th of October 2014. The UK based Trust will offer support and sponsorships to aspiring pilots, aviation enthusiasts, filmmakers and actors, most grants and sponsorships will be towards the costs of studying or of a set project.
The Trust has already began its work before the launch becoming sponsors of Bath Film Festival, WITIN Radio’s Fall Festival and has teamed up with Colchester Film Festival to introduce the ‘Matthew Martino Rising Star Award’ which will be aimed at boosting the youngsters of tomorrow.
In the CFF Program brochure the award is described as follows ‘This year Colchester Film Festival is introducing the Matthew Martino Rising Star Award. The aim of the award is to encourage new and emerging British filmmakers by publicizing their talent and supporting their future work. The award is chosen in collaborate with the festival directors and this year’s festival judges.
The prize will be awarded to the filmmaker the selectors feel has the most creative potential and will benefit the most from receiving the award. The winner of this award will received a £250 curtsey of the Matthew Martino Benevolent Fund.
MMBF’s spokesperson Sharon Harris told us ‘This is a very personal project to the founders and most people involved hold a general interest in both the aviation or film industry so we hope this will allow a more open and versatile approach when awards are being decided.
The MMBF has already confirmed that Founder Matthew C. Martino wont hold a role in the organization, he wont sit on the Awarding Committee neither will he hold any decision making capacity to lessen the possibility of bias and favoritism. A top watchdog within the UK political sector has already warned that the MMBF could end up having political involvements if Martino’s involvement in the Trust is not made transparent.
More information on the MMBF is available via – www.mmbf.co.uk