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. The Producer and Director of ‘Black Sheep’ receive ‘Black Sheep’ has been nominated for Best their Learning On Screen award from Samira Ahmed Student Documentary at the Grierson Awards, ‘The Wolf’, Directed by Kat MacCorgarry-Gray Britain’s most prestigious documentary awards, and Produced by Callum Carver-Jones, mixes alongside another Westminster film, ‘The Wolf, The live action and animation to evoke the rd Ship and The Little Green Bag’. The 43 Grierson memories of three remarkable old ladies, and nd Awards take place on 2 November. The film has has also seen notable successes at festivals, also done well in student festivals, winning ‘Best including the Audience Award at both the Documentary’ at the Learning on Screen awards Aesthetica Film Festival and Eat Out Shorts at and the National Student Film Festival. 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 [email protected] | | Page 1 of 4 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 Mr Duncan | Arri Alexa 4:3 Production Students of 2015 celebrated Lester is fascinated by his moody, elderly neighbour their end of year showcase at BAFTA, and the mysterious 195 Piccadilly. Industry guests, alumni machine in his garage. As and staff joined the students and parents they each try to confront for the evening of film screenings. This the meaning of life and year, the show displayed a powerful mix death, Mr Duncan gradually lets Lester into his world. of original drama and challenging documentary; the touching ‘Mr Duncan’, Offside | Arri Alexa 1.85:1 After learning from her realist drama ‘Offside’, family comedy father that she will soon ‘Grandma’s Big Schlep’, visually epic lose her place in the local ‘Survive Us’ and the emotionally boy’s football team, eleven- affecting documentary ‘Kraina’. The year-old Kirsty struggles to showcase was followed by a reception in come to terms with her evolving identity as a young the David Lean room where the audience woman gathered for an evening of drinks and Grandma’s Big Schlep | industry chat. Arri Alexa 16:9 Things go awry for Hannah Andrew McKerlie, Head of Production at and Rivkah when they 10 Alps/Brook Lapping, said of the films, discover that their recently “they were very strong, with the dramas deceased Grandma wasn’t demonstrating a theme of getting good as Jewish as she made out to be… performances out of child actors! … You can be proud of another excellent year of Survive Us | Arri Alexa 1.85:1 In a post-apocalyptic work.” Malcolm Mowbray, director of the Britain, two lone survivors BAFTA winning ‘A Private Function’ scour the country for any joined the evening and said he was signs of humanity. “really impressed, particularly with the Seventeen-year-old Jenny football film, ‘Offside’”. Alongside these longs to settle, but Steve, in nd his forties, is desperate to graduation films, the 2 Year comedy continue his search for ‘Boom Bang a Bang’ was screened, as others. well as 3rd Year documentary “The Kraina | Canon Digital 16:9 Pancake Man’ and the Kodak Kiev, Ukraine, Spring 2015. Commercial Awards 2015 2nd in brief The war with Russia is five- ‘Office Military’. hundred miles to the East, but since the revolution of ‘Offside’ & ‘Grandma’s Big Schlep’ have 2013, every moment of already been Officially Selected for the Kristina’s life has been affected by the conflict. 13th Annual London Short Film Festival 2015. [email protected] | | Page 2 of 4 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 8 th 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 ‘Splitting Hairs’ also won the award for Best Campus MovieFest Hollywood Production Design at the Screentest National First years Miho Soon and Ellie Jones attended Student Film Festival. The film, set in an uncanny Campus Moviefest in both Cannes and version of the 1950s, follows Frank, who is a Hollywood to receive their award for Best Picture closeted hair fetishist. and Best Director at the 2014 festival with their During a night-time train journey a twisted femme short film. "The Sculpted" is a short documentary fatale and her acolytes try to cure Frank of his on female genital mutilation, focusing strongly on urges, in a tense homage to the 1950s films, and to the emotional toll it takes on its victims. 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, Facebook.com/westminsterfilmschool opportunities, and to connect with alumni and current students. We’re happy to help! [email protected] | | Page 3 of 4 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.

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 The victorious second years with the John Viney. The trophy was decorated with various grad Viney Cup trophy 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 Ken Loach and Doyle Hooper leading Masterclass into production. [email protected] | | Page 4 of 4