10th Moving Image Awards Celebrates Rising Stars in Filmmaking

YOUNG filmmaking prodigies were celebrated at the 10th annual Moving Image Awards at a ceremony held at the British Film Institute on 26 February.

Proud students, parents, and teachers from across the UK gathered at the prestigious event to celebrate the work of young directors, screenwriters, and producers.

The Moving Image Awards, which launched in 2014 in collaboration with the British Film Institute, recognises and celebrates the best moving image productions from students undertaking Eduqas qualifications in Film and Media across the UK.

Categories this year included Best Short Film, Music Video, TV/Film Extract, Screenplay, One to Watch and Student Jury Prize.

Cherry Ellis, from Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex, took home the coveted Student Jury Prize title at this year’s awards for her film titled ‘The Deep Mind Experience’. The film is an experimental stop frame animation, where the protagonist is taken on a psychedelic dream-like journey inside his own subconscious mind.

The judges commended Cherry on her use of contrasting images, colour and music to reflect the mundane real world vs the colourful and beautiful world of the subconscious mind.

Following her win, Cherry said: “I am so surprised to have won this award! After they announced all the winners I didn’t realise there was going to be another category, so I was so surprised and so happy when they called my name! I wanted to create a story that was a form of escapism and wanted to emphasise the difference between the mundane everyday life and the crazy, wacky other worlds.”

Winners:

Further awards went to:

Short Film:

Ricardo Sokolowska-Pedrosa from Dover Grammar School for Boys, for ‘Uninhabitable’, a short documentary about poor-quality accommodation and unscrupulous landlords taking advantage of vulnerable people in Dover.

Judges’ comments:

“Excellent for all three categories: technical competence, form and genre, creativity, and resourcefulness. Great topic and excellent storytelling within the genre.”

Music Video:

Callum Doddington from St Bartholomew’s School in Berkshire for Erase/ Replace, a music video for the band ‘Seize’, consisting of shots of band members as well as montage shots filling in as ‘clues’ to the bigger picture of what ‘happened’.

Judges’ comments:

“A well-filmed and edited music video. Well-structured with consistently excellent technical codes and editing. Very creative in the representation of the band and the enigmatic narrative. Excellent use of narrative motifs. A range of filming techniques was used. Excellent lip-synching and filming of actual performance.”

Screenplay:

Nathan Mitchell from Strode’s College, Egham for Motorway Pastures, a screenplay about a hitchhiker who begins to see the increasingly impossible, all while the ‘corn laughs and the sky splits.’

Judges’ comments:

“Excellent horror film – clear control of time. Good visualisation and parallel storytelling. Brilliant.”

Film/TV Extract:

Harvey Miller from St Bartholomew’s School for AVA, a short pre-title and title sequence for the TV show ‘AVA’ that encompasses the essence of suspense and technological intrigue, and draws inspiration from the series ‘Humans’, ‘Utopia’ and ‘Black Mirror’.

Judge’s comments:

“Pacy editing to the opening which quickly engages the audience and establishes genre. Excellent use of camerawork to set up the imminent danger and suggest the foreboding narrative. Genre conventions are well employed and add to the drama of the sequence.”

One to Watch:

Ruby Hagan from Upton Hall School FCJ in Birkenhead for Laika, a short experimental animation detailing the life of one of the first creatures in space: “Laika the Space Dog”.

Judges’ comments:

“A beautiful inventive animation based on the real-life story of Laika, the Soviet space dog who orbited Earth in 1957. The film combines animation styles, including line drawing and painting to stunning effect.”

The event has garnered acknowledgement from educators and professors of film and media studies at various institutions throughout the UK, along with prominent figures within the film industry. Among this year’s guest speakers were film critic and former President of the UK Critics’ Circle Anna Smith, writer and director Lorna Tucker, feature film script editor Kate Leys and Metro chief film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh.

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh said:

“Today’s award ceremony has been amazing. It’s always so inspiring! I believe the biggest challenge facing young people today is getting over their limits and beliefs about being filmmakers. What we’ve taken away from today is that actually, the industry is an amazing place. There is enough work for everyone, you just have to find your voice and believe in yourself. You have to believe that people want to hear what you have to say and produce. Go for it!.”

Anna Smith said:

“To the students who want to pursue a career in Film or TV I would just say, keep knocking on those doors – don’t give up! You must be very determined but also willing to learn all the way. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from someone you find inspirational.”

Jenny Stewart, Eduqas Film Studies Subject Officer, said:

“We are delighted to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Moving Image Awards. The talent showcased this year is a testament to the continued success and growth of the WJEC Eduqas Film and Media qualifications, and the hard work and innovation of young filmmakers and their teachers. We wish all entrants a huge congratulations on your achievements in film and media production.”

Ian Morgan, Eduqas Chief Executive, added:

“The Moving Image Awards are always a highlight in my calendar. For a decade now, we’ve been recognising exceptional filmmaking talent, and this year was no different. Every entrant should be immensely proud of their achievement, no matter the result.

“We are also incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our judges. Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in making this event the resounding success it is today.”