New City College media students’ film selected for international festival

A group of talented New City College media students are celebrating after their original short film, Fades, was selected for an international film festival – giving them the opportunity to showcase their work to audiences across the world.

The film has been chosen for this year’s First-Time Filmmaker Festival, an online showcase that celebrates emerging independent filmmakers. Around 30 films are selected for each festival, with winners having the chance to progress to an exclusive in-person screening at the world-famous Pinewood Studios.

Now the students are hoping to turn their selection into another success, with the public invited to vote for their favourite film. The festival went live this week and votes will be cast through an online link until the closing date of Sunday 26 July.

Fades was created and produced by students studying Level 3 Creative Media Production at NCC’s Ardleigh Green Campus. It is a powerful three-and-a-half-minute film exploring the universal themes of memory and loss.

The production was developed as the students’ final major project and completed over an intensive six-week period around the theme of Imagined Futures. Working in small production teams under the guidance of Creative Media lecturer Jeff Jeffery, the students experienced every stage of the filmmaking process, rotating through professional production roles, including directing and editing, before combining their work into a single finished film.

Jeff said that having the film selected is about much more than recognition:

“For any filmmaker, it is important to share your work with a wider audience, and getting a production screened on a festival circuit builds relationships within the industry.

“On the course we teach the processes of filmmaking and give students the opportunity to bring their creative visions to life. Being selected for a festival means those ideas can now be shared with audiences around the world.

“A short film is often seen as both a proof of concept and a proof of capability. I am delighted these students have received recognition for their creativity, commitment and hard work.”

The selection is the latest success for New City College’s Creative Media students. Last year a different group of students had their film, titled Grab ‘n’ Go, selected for screening at the London Breeze Film Festival.

The First-Time Filmmaker Festival will be available to stream worldwide on Vimeo On Demand from 13–26 July 2026, giving audiences across the globe the chance to watch the shortlisted films and then vote for their favourite.

New City College runs a range of Creative Media courses to give students the practical skills, industry experience and creative confidence to turn their ideas into reality.