Prince Edward was guest of honour at the London launch of a project to encourage teenage film-makers in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Rwanda.

Films Without Borders, the brainchild of TV producer Jill Samuels, will work in partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Foundation.

The idea, is to give “youth between the ages of 15-to-18 the opportunity of learning the first steps of film-making while creating a dialogue, learning about themselves and others, breaking down barriers and finally accomplishing their first subtitled short film,” Ms Samuels explained. “The films will be shown at various international festivals around the world, allowing the young film-makers to be ambassadors for their country”.  

Supporters include Claudia Shaffer, daughter of the late playwright Anthony Shaffer, who said she was planning a fundraiser for the venture using a play her father wrote which has never been performed before.