Film BA newsletter - Autumn 2015

Film & Television Production BA
Film BA Newsletter Autumn 2015
‘Black Sheep’ Selected for 2015 London Film Festival
In October 2015, ‘Black Sheep’ screened at the BFI London Film Festival: Sam Bates takes
his 13 year-old brother, Jack, to an English Defence League demonstration in Bradford
The 3rd Year documentary ‘Black Sheep’ has had
an extraordinarily successful year. The film has
been shown at more than 20 festivals all over the
world, from Palm Springs USA to the Moscow
International Documentary Festival where it won a
Special Jury award. This has culminated in its
selection for the London Film Festival, where it will
show as part of the ‘Family at War’ programme.
The film was directed by Christian Cerami, and
follows a new recruit to the English Defence
League as he takes his brother to a far right
demonstration in Bradford.
‘Black Sheep’ has been nominated for Best
Student Documentary at the Grierson Awards,
Britain’s most prestigious documentary awards,
alongside another Westminster film, ‘The Wolf, The
Ship and The Little Green Bag’. The 43rd Grierson
Awards take place on 2nd November. The film has
also done well in student festivals, winning ‘Best
Documentary’ at the Learning on Screen awards
and the National Student Film Festival.
The Producer and Director of ‘Black Sheep’ receive
their Learning On Screen award from Samira Ahmed
‘The Wolf’, Directed by Kat MacCorgarry-Gray
and Produced by Callum Carver-Jones, mixes
live action and animation to evoke the
memories of three remarkable old ladies, and
has also seen notable successes at festivals,
including the Audience Award at both the
Aesthetica Film Festival and Eat Out Shorts at
the BFI London, Southbank.
2014 & 2015 Graduate Updates: Christopher Starkey – Camera Assistant, Downton Abbey | Joshua Renaut – DOP, One Direction Where We
Are BTS | Jimmy Dean – Director, BFI Short Film Scheme| Rania Iraki & Ashley Jackson – Assistants to Producer/Director, Out of Innocence |
Bregeta Bond – Production Secretary, Secret Life of Four Year Olds | Christopher Lynch – Locations, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Jordn Bastian &
Zoe Kenndal Shafir – Standby Art Directors, Murder Maps, and others at 3DD Productions | Harry Ryan – Cam Op. ESPN | Lucia Fedeli – Locations &
Researcher, Snow White & The Huntsman 2 | Jack Mealing – Camera Trainee, Cinderalla
filmschool@westminster.ac.uk
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Film & Television Production BA
Film BA Newsletter Autumn 2015
2015 Graduates Celebrate at BAFTA Show
Some of the ‘Mr Duncan’ crew celebrating in front of their poster at the 2015 BAFTA Showcase
The graduating Film & Television
Production Students of 2015 celebrated
their end of year showcase at BAFTA,
195 Piccadilly. Industry guests, alumni
and staff joined the students and parents
for the evening of film screenings. This
year, the show displayed a powerful mix
of original drama and challenging
documentary; the touching ‘Mr Duncan’,
realist drama ‘Offside’, family comedy
‘Grandma’s Big Schlep’, visually epic
‘Survive Us’ and the emotionally
affecting documentary ‘Kraina’. The
showcase was followed by a reception in
the David Lean room where the audience
gathered for an evening of drinks and
industry chat.
Andrew McKerlie, Head of Production at
10 Alps/Brook Lapping, said of the films,
“they were very strong, with the dramas
demonstrating a theme of getting good
performances out of child actors! … You
can be proud of another excellent year of
work.” Malcolm Mowbray, director of the
BAFTA winning ‘A Private Function’
joined the evening and said he was
“really impressed, particularly with the
football film, ‘Offside’”. Alongside these
graduation films, the 2nd Year comedy
‘Boom Bang a Bang’ was screened, as
well as 3rd Year documentary “The
Pancake Man’ and the Kodak
Commercial Awards 2015 2nd in brief
‘Office Military’.
‘Offside’ & ‘Grandma’s Big Schlep’ have
already been Officially Selected for the
13th Annual London Short Film Festival
2015.
filmschool@westminster.ac.uk
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Mr Duncan | Arri Alexa 4:3
Lester is fascinated by his
moody, elderly neighbour
and the mysterious
machine in his garage. As
they each try to confront
the meaning of life and
death, Mr Duncan gradually
lets Lester into his world.
Offside | Arri Alexa 1.85:1
After learning from her
father that she will soon
lose her place in the local
boy’s football team, elevenyear-old Kirsty struggles to
come to terms with her
evolving identity as a young
woman
Grandma’s Big Schlep |
Arri Alexa 16:9
Things go awry for Hannah
and Rivkah when they
discover that their recently
deceased Grandma wasn’t
as Jewish as she made out
to be…
Survive Us | Arri Alexa 1.85:1
In a post-apocalyptic
Britain, two lone survivors
scour the country for any
signs of humanity.
Seventeen-year-old Jenny
longs to settle, but Steve, in
his forties, is desperate to
continue his search for
others.
Kraina | Canon Digital 16:9
Kiev, Ukraine, Spring 2015.
The war with Russia is fivehundred miles to the East,
but since the revolution of
2013, every moment of
Kristina’s life has been
affected by the conflict.
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Film & Television Production BA
Film BA Newsletter Autumn 2015
2015 Festival Highlights: From Cannes to Hollywood
Lianne Harvey as Robin and Ed Cooper Clarke as Frank in ‘Splitting
Hairs’ – Winner of the
8th European Psychoanalytic Film Festival
‘Splitting Hairs’, a 2014 graduation film has won
the Students’ Competition in the 8th European
Psychoanalytic Film Festival, in association with
Couch and Screen Magazine. Nathalie Abbott
(Director) and Diana Tatarca (Producer) will be
attending the festival in late October to introduce
Splitting Hairs to audiences of professionals in both
the film and psychoanalytic professions.
Miho and Ellie receive award for ‘The Sculpted’:
Elfenworks Social Justice Category winner at the 15th Annual
Campus MovieFest Hollywood
First years Miho Soon and Ellie Jones attended
Campus Moviefest in both Cannes and
Hollywood to receive their award for Best Picture
and Best Director at the 2014 festival with their
short film. "The Sculpted" is a short documentary
on female genital mutilation, focusing strongly on
the emotional toll it takes on its victims.
‘Splitting Hairs’ also won the award for Best
Production Design at the Screentest National
Student Film Festival. The film, set in an uncanny
version of the 1950s, follows Frank, who is a
closeted hair fetishist.
During a night-time train journey a twisted femme
fatale and her acolytes try to cure Frank of his
urges, in a tense homage to the 1950s films, and to
psychiatric ideas about a surgical ‘cure’ for mental
abnormalities.
More 2015 Festival Highlights:
Black Sheep (Documentary, 16 mins) –Winner; Best Student Documentary, Screentest National Student Film Festival
- Winner; Best Student Documentary, Learning On Screen Awards
Bun Oven (Fiction, 20 mins)
- Winner; Best Undergraduate Entertainment, Royal Television Society Student Awards
Chalk (Fiction, 20 mins)
- Winner; Best Actress (Skye Bennet), Los Angeles Short Film Festival
Splitting Hairs (Fiction, 20 mins)
- Winner; Best Production Design, Screentest National Student Film Festival
- Winner; Student Film Category, European Psychoanalytic Film Festival
The Wolf, The Ship & The Little Green Bag (Documentary, 14 mins)
- Audience Awards, Aesthetica Film Festival
- Audience Award, Eat Our Shorts at the BFI Southbank
Charity (Fiction, 10 mins)
- Winner; Best Fiction, South West London Film Festival
Like Westminster Film School on Facebook
for festival news, more info about the course,
opportunities, and to connect with alumni and current students. We’re happy to help!
filmschool@westminster.ac.uk
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Film & Television Production BA
Film BA Newsletter Autumn 2015
Regent St Cinema hosts 2015 Kodak Commercial Awards
The University's new 200 seat Regent Street Cinema
hosted the Nahemi Kodak Student Commercial awards
on 12th June. Students from film schools around the
country created commercials shot on 16mm film
answering briefs from advertising agencies Libertine and
Mother. The awards were presented by one of the
world's leading feature film directors, Sir Alan Parker
(Mississippi Burning, Midnight Express, The
Commitments), who made his name in commercials.
Westminster Film students created an elaborate set
inside the film studio (right) led by production designer
April Ibinceanu, which netted them Best Production
Design and 2nd place in brief, with the commercial ‘Office
Military’.
Second Years Pull Rank in the John Viney Cup
As the 2015 academic year neared its end, students
trekked across the road to Harrow School to take part
in the annual John Viney Cup - a historic mixed-sex
football match between the second and third years.
After their defeat last year, the third years, captained by
Sam Elsen, came out determined to regain their
honour, but ultimately fell short, losing to the new
second years, who gained a hard-fought 11-2 victory.
The victorious second years with the John
Viney Cup trophy
Second year Tom Beale won ‘Man of the Match’ for his
goalkeeping efforts, as the second years lifted a trophy,
made by third year production designers in
appreciation of our production design technician, John
Viney. The trophy was decorated with various grad
film-related memorabilia - including, fittingly, a football
boot.
Ken Loach Inspires Students in Masterclass
In March 2015, film students had the
privilege of meeting Ken Loach as he
gave a directing masterclass at the
Harrow Campus alongside directing
tutor Doyle Hooper.
Loach discussed his own work in a
fascinating and personal way,
answering many of the students’ in
depth questions, before turning the
discussion to the upcoming final year
films. He offered script critiques and
development advice, ahead of going
into production.
filmschool@westminster.ac.uk
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Ken Loach and Doyle Hooper leading Masterclass
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