Filmmaking students honoured by industry leaders for ‘exceptional’ work
The talents of Manchester Metropolitan filmmaking students have been honoured by a host of industry legends including Russell T Davies, creator of Queer as Folk, and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan at an awards ceremony.
The third-year students were presented with awards across nine categories at an event at Manchester’s Brickhouse Social on June 10, with Manchester Met students being honoured in seven categories.
The standard of work garnered high praise from the judges. Russell T Davies, renowned screenwriter and television producer, whose work includes critically acclaimed televisions shows such as It’s a Sin, Torchwood and Queer as Folk, judged the best narrative award. He said: “There’s so much life and energy and newness in these films, the range is extraordinary. I loved them.”
Paul Austin from post-production company Picture Shop (responsible for post-production on global box-office hits such as Mufasa: The Lion King and Black Panther) said: “All the films were exceptional, I was blown away by the quality.”
Jacob Lythgoe’s film Termination Date, which follows two agents in a near-future society who face a moral reckoning, received five nominations and won Best Scripted Drama. He said: “It was an absolute pleasure to screen our film Termination Date at HOME, alongside so many incredible pieces of work. Receiving five nominations and being awarded Best Narrative Film, presented by Russell T Davies, was an unforgettable moment.
“I’m incredibly grateful that our hard work has been recognised. Over the past year, myself and the rest of the crew poured everything into this project, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve created. Huge thanks to this year’s third-year committee and HOME Cinema for organising such a special event. It’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”
Best Director went to Harry Herbert-Smith, who won for Cut Fingers, which tells the tale of a meek office worker trapped in a dystopian bureaucracy who discovers the ultimate world cure, before facing a dilemma. He said: “This award is a testament to all the hard work and dedication that my team — the team of Cut Fingers — and I have put in, and I’m so grateful to all of them. I also want to thank the entire filmmaking faculty at SODA; this film couldn’t have been made without their support. This has been one of the strongest cohorts in recent years, so I’m honoured to be awarded Best Director — especially by a leading professional such as Luna Carmoon.”
Lui Bayer won Best Editor for Scrambling the Cube, while Michael McVeigh won Best Cinematography for his work on Fine Print Pact, with Pulse by Jake Kaniewski and Gabriel Fay winning Best Documentary and Best Film. Grace Marshall was awarded for Best Artist Moving Image, with Sam Varty awarded Best Sound for Breakout.
Loran Dunn, Senior Lecturer in Filmmaking at Manchester Met’s School of Digital Arts (SODA), said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to support this year of ambitious students to take big creative risks and produce exceptional and singular pieces of work of phenomenal quality and then see them celebrated by leading industry professionals in this way. We all feel very proud of what they have accomplished.”
