The Golden Nit Has Landed...

When Tate Movie Project launched an exciting online competition to create a new animation, thousands of children from across the UK took up the challenge and the entries came flooding in. The best drawings were then selected to become part of a collaborative film, produced in conjunction with Aardman Studios – the people behind the hugely successful Wallace And Gromit series and Chicken Run. A host of top entertainers were then called upon to lend their vocal talents.

The end result? The Itch Of The Golden Nit – a rather quirky hero’s quest which follows a young lad called Beanie (Bobby Fuller) on a mission to save his parents (Miranda Hart and Harry Enfield) from Evil Stella (Catherine Tate) and return a magical creature called the Golden Nit (David Walliams) to the heart of the sun, thereby saving the universe. Phew. Armed with only a tube of laser lip gloss and blend-in pants for protection, he sets off on what proves to be an action-packed adventure involving gold-thirsty pirates, moody mermaids and a canoe ride up the Scary Hairy River. Along the way, Beanie is aided by the not-so brilliant 10 Heart Hero, but in the end there is only one true hero of the day…

We were lucky enough to attend the red carpet premiere this week, together with some of the young creators. It was an excitable occasion, with lots of cries of “I drew that!”, “That’s mine!” and “Look, look!” issuing from the audience. With engaging animations, a surreal storyline and touches of toilet humour, this fun film is sure to hit the spot with children.

Catch The Itch Of The Golden Nit this weekend, July 2, at 9am on BBC2. For details of further screenings at venues around the UK, visit www.tatemovie.co.uk