Talented young filmmakers have been recognised for their outstanding work at the fifth annual WJEC Eduqas Moving Image Awards in a ceremony held at the British Film Institute in London.
Students, teachers and parents from schools and colleges across the UK attended the ceremony to celebrate the success of talented young directors, screenwriters and producers whose work was shortlisted.
Every year, students undertaking WJEC Eduqas qualifications in Film and Media Studies are invited to submit their work for consideration by a panel of judges, for awards including Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Music Video.
The Moving Image Awards, designed in partnership with the British Film Institute, recognises and rewards the UK's most talented student filmmakers and screenwriters, encouraging more young people to consider a career within the film industry.
Charlotte Eglinton, 19, from Ashbourne Sixth Form College in London, won the award for Best Short Film and was selected as Overall Winner for her incredible animation drama, 8, which tells the story of two brothers and their familial ties to the mafia.
After winning two awards Charlotte said: "I’m thrilled to have won. 8 was inspired by my love of anime and steampunk. It took me over 3 months to create, by drawing illustrations on a graphic tablet, which enabled me to develop the distinct aesthetics. It was amazing to see my work on the big screen, considering it was just an idea 18 months ago. Winning this award has inspired me to follow a career in film."
THE WINNERS
Best Film extract
- Sebastian Wright, from Cotham School in Bristol. His stop motion animation Silva, made from his bedroom-turned-animation-studio, showed breath-taking levels of detail in an incredibly atmospheric piece.
Best Music Video
- Rhiannon Lewis-Brooke, Cerys Glynn Ramsden and Oben Atamturk from Stoke Newington School in London for their music video, Serial Killer. Their perfectly executed music video explores the devastating impact of unrequited love.
Best Screenplay
- Marshall Coltart from The Holgate Academy in Nottingham for his ambitiously written screenplay The Bell Ringer. The judges praised this effective piece of work for its sensitive creation of place, character and situation and its genuinely affecting finale.
Best TV Extract
- Liam Blackwell from Wales High School in Sheffield for The Real Slim Lady - a nail-biting and darkly comic police drama that involves the investigation of a murder of a young woman.
Best Under 16 entry
- Isabel Clennell and Niamh Cutler from Finham Park in Coventry. Their black-mirror-esque film Removed portrays an introverted teenager attempt to bring back a friend, who has been erased from everyones memories, but hers.
All shortlisted videos are available to view on our YouTube channel
GUEST SPEAKER
The ceremony has gained recognition from teachers and lecturers of film and media courses at institutions across the UK, as well as leading figures in the film industry. This year’s star was Matt Charman, Oscar-nominated and award-winning British writer, who not only handed out an award but held a screenwriting masterclass to the guests. He offered this piece of advice to aspiring young filmmakers:
"It's a marathon; you've got to be patient and take your time. People think if they haven't made it by 22 – it's over. Actually, for a lot of the people we really respect; novelists, authors, poets, it often happens a lot later in their life when they found that moment and broke through. Keeping going is the toughest thing for anyone."
Rebecca Ellis, WJEC Eduqas Film Studies Subject Officer, said: “Each year we’re astounded by the high standard of creativity and talent, and this year was no exception. We received over 400 entries from 150 centres across the UK and the judges found it incredibly difficult to choose just one winner from each category. It’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to showcase and reward work by such talented young people who have the potential to achieve great things within the film industry and beyond."
SPONSORS
We would like to thank our sponsors the British Film Institute, Golley Slater, Castell Howell Foods, Illuminate Publishing, KK Solutions, and My Company Clothing for their continued support.