NFTS graduation animation, Poles Apart, directed and written by Paloma Baeza and produced by Ser En Low, has been awarded the prestigious Maclaren Award for Best British Animation at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. Poles Apart beat off stiff competition including fellow NFTS graduation animations, Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant, directed and written by Suraya Raja and produced by Rebecca Smith and Homegrown, directed and co-written by Quentin Haberham, produced by Caroline Bartleet and co-written by Tim Fraser. (If you are inspired by Paloma, applications are open for our Directing Animation MA and Model Making for Animation Diploma until the 6^th July.)

Paloma Baeza said: "We are over the moon to receive The Maclaren Award, particularly in the company of such strong and talented filmmakers.  We are extremely grateful to everyone who voted for us - thank you!"

The Award for Best Short Film went to The Full Story, which is directed by recent Directing Animation MA graduate, Daisy Jacobs.

The Short Film Jury said: “For its originality, level of technical artistry and emotional poignancy, we are awarding the prize for best short film to The Full Story by Daisy Jacobs, and co-director, Christopher Wilder.  What struck us in particular was the perfect marriage between form and content, in particular the way in which the fluidity between the live action and animation perfectly represented the transitions between memory and the past.”

Daisy Jacob’s said: “It is an honour to receive the Best Short Film Award from such a prestigious Festival, we are delighted.”

Other winning films with NFTS credits include:

God’s Own Country, which won The Michael Powell Award For Best British Feature Film, credits Production Designer, Stephane Collonge and Art Director, Pedro Moura.

The award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film went jointly to actresses Emily Beecham for her role in Daphne and Anne Reid for her roles in Kaleidoscope and Romans, and was also selected by the Michael Powell jurors. Daphne credits Howard Peryer (Sound Maintenance). Kaleidoscope credits Doug Templeton (Boom Operator) and Evan Jolly (Composer/Orchestrator/Conductor). Romans credits Felix Wiedemann (DoP).

Short film, 1745 produced by NFTS graduate, John McKay received a special mention from the jury in the Award for Best Short Film.

NFTS Credits:

An amazing 185 NFTS students and graduates are credited across the feature films and short films selected for this year’s prestigious Edinburgh International Film Festival and an outstanding seven NFTS graduation films – five animations, one fiction and one documentary - have been selected for the event, which is the the world’s longest running festival of its kind.

Wild Horses (fiction), directed and written by Rory Alexander Stewart and produced by Rebecca Smith was selected as part of this year’s EIFF SHORTS strand as part of the UK-Spectrum selection.

A programme of student shorts entitled (Be)longing  curated by the MSc Film, Exhibition and Curation course at the University of Edinburgh, include the following NFTS graduation films:

·         Fishwitch (animation), directed and co-written by Adrienne Dowling, produced by Helene Sifre and co-written by Jenna Jovi.

·         A Love Story (animation), directed by Anushka Naanayakkara, produced by Khaled Gad and written by Elena Ruscombe-King.

·         Markku and Me (documentary), directed, produced and cinematography by Lauri Danska

If you would like to follow in the footsteps of the NFTS graduate animators, there is still time to apply for our Directing Animation MA and our Model Making for Animation Diploma applications are open until 6^th July 2017.

NFTS Games Design and Development MA students have won ‘Best Game’ at the highly competitive Ukie Student Game Jam organised by UK Interactive Entertainment, the only trade body for the UK's games and interactive entertainment industry. (If you want to be part of our exciting Games department, apply by July 6^th and start in January 2018! More info at www.nfts.co.uk/games)

The Game Jam saw teams from Ukie Student institutes competing against each other to create the best game in 48 hours and win the coveted Ukie Student Game Jam trophy. The theme of the game jam was announced at 9:30am on the first day and then teams had 48 hours to brainstorm, design and complete their game. A panel of games industry judges awarded the trophy to ‘My Body, My Choice’ developed by NFTS students including Michael Murray, Shane Hou, Gracie Drake, Daisy Fernandez and Joel Marshall.

(NFTS Games students L-R: Michael Murray, Shane Hou, Gracie Drake, Daisy Fernandez and Joel Marshall)

About ‘My Body, My Choice’

My Body, My Choice is a good-humoured side-scrolling platform game. The player takes on the role of a disembodied skull, collects body parts as they go, navigates the environment and builds a body.

Head of NFTS Games, Alan Thorn says: “I am thrilled that NFTS Games Students have won the UKIE Game Jam ‘Best Game’ Award with their game ‘My Body, My Choice’. The UKIE Game Jam is a highly prestigious event for students throughout the UK, and the games industry more widely, for showcasing talent and excellence. There is a lot of skilful, friendly competition involved, and this award reflects the great work our students do as well as the creative climate running throughout the NFTS. By coming on our games course, students immerse themselves in a multidisciplinary environment, work with students from other departments, attend key industry events, and receive extensive guidance and support from industry expert tutors.”

Playthrough here

Apply for the NFTS Games Design and Development MA by July 6^th 2017 – www.nfts.co.uk/games

Leading industry representatives from the film, television and games industries turned out in their droves to toast the opening of the £20 million  development of the School including the ‘Channel 4 Rose’ building (named after the  late Senior Commissioning Editor for Fiction at Channel 4, David Rose) and ‘Sky Studios at the NFTS’, a brand new 4K digital content training studio and hub.

Lord David Puttnam was also announced as the School’s new Life President to replace the late Lord Richard Attenborough.

The Rt Hon Ed Vaizey MP, the long-serving former Minister of State for Digital and Culture at the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), unveiled the new buildings alongside 

Channel 4 Chief Executive, David Abraham; Gary Davey, Managing Director, Content at Sky and NFTS Deputy Chairman, Stephen Louis.

Following the unveiling, guests were invited to go on a tour of the School and experience:

• The new 4K multi-camera digital content training studio and hub, guided by Head of Television, David G Croft
• Cinematography and Design departments, led by Co-Head of Cinematography, Stuart Harris and Head of Production Design, Caroline Amies
• A glimpse into the worlds of animation and model making,  led by Head of Animation, Robert Bradbrook
• An experience of VR and 360 video, led by Head of Games, Alan Thorn and Head of Digital Effects, John Rowe.

Guests were then treated to champagne and canapes while chatting to staff and alumni.

"The lesson is to keep going until you get the lucky break, and then pile in there!"– Sir Richard Branson

In a sparkling encounter that ran for over an hour, legendary entrepreneur and Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson took questions and cracked jokes with scores of students from the NFTS in a transatlantic Q+A hosted by the school’s outgoing Director Nik Powell (assisted by head of Producing and head of Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives, Chris Auty).

Speaking from Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands to students in the NFTS cinema on Wednesday, Branson offered practical support to some students and networking opportunities to others, whilst taking questions and sharing business and personal lessons reaching back to his days as a schoolboy. 

He personally complimented Nik Powell, his one-time business partner, on his remarkable achievements at the school, in a warm exchange.

Branson, who sold his cherished Virgin Records company for almost $1bn in the early ’90s in order to save his then-struggling Virgin Atlantic airline business, talked about personal and business lessons, old and new, that included:

Saying yes or no.
I always prefer to say yes to something new and exciting, even though I know it may not succeed… In fact one of my lessons is that failures and challenges can still be good for the brand — they can reinforce its quality and value. That’s certainly true in the UK — though perhaps less so in the USA…

Filmmaking and business
We made a classic film in 1984 — the film of Orwell’s classic novel ‘1984’. It was the same year as the start up of Virgin Atlantic. The film went THREE times over budget and we ended up in a very public wrangle with director [NFTS alumnus] Mike Radford. I wanted to include a music track from the Eurythmics — simply to save our investment — and it caused a fuss. We got there in the end.  But that over-run on costs nearly killed the whole Virgin business at a critical moment….

Cash
There are many, many more investors out there looking for new businesses today than when Nik and I started up. That’s all I can say.

Name and Brand
Imagine: I originally wanted to call Virgin ‘Slipped Disc Records’ . That could have been our brand. I’m not sure it would have worked for the airline business! 

Social issues and personal conscience
I’ve always been involved in social issues and I still am today: whether it’s about the death penalty or the treatment of drug addiction rather than its punishment….

Over 40 years ago, through my sister, I was asked to buy the London night-club HEAVEN, as someone who could pledge to keep it gay forever. I have always been vocal on gay rights. I did it. We finally handed it over in a management buy-out to the staff last year, at their request.

To-Do lists
I have always had them. Today they just tend to be a bit bigger. Top of list today: ‘how to fix rocket to top of jumbo jet for launch’..

Dyslexia
When I was a kid at school I’d look at a blackboard and go blank. I ended up leaving school at 15. But it made me stronger:  it also made me a better delegator. I simplify everything. There can be no jargon. We have a rule in-house: if Richard understands it, anyone can.

Competition
Some sectors are not just competitive: the companies already there — Air B ’n’ B, Coke, Google — have VERY deep pockets. So if you are going up against them you'd better have something very UNIQUE and very CLEAR!

Partnerships
They come in many shapes and sizes and for different reasons. British Airways had an American partner and could have killed us. 
So we ended up in a terrific partnership with Delta. Who would have guessed?

Personal journey to success
We made the best of our lucky breaks. The lesson is to keep going UNTIL you get the lucky break, and then PILE IN there!!!!!

People
A company is just a group of people. Planes are planes. Look at what has happened on the transatlantic route in the last 20 years: most of the airlines have gone out of business. But we are still there. When we started I hoped that the spirit would still be there in the business 20 years later. It is, and we are still there. It’s all about people.

Free Taster Workshop

The NFTS Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives course is offering a free Taster Workshop on Tuesday 18^th July as part of the NFTS Free Summer Taster Workshops Day.  Chris Auty will be will be joined by the former CEO and now chairman of Ministry of Sound, Lohan Presencer, for an exclusive Q&A, to discuss how he set-up one of the most successful indie businesses to come out of the UK in the last 25 years.
For more information and to attend:https://nfts.co.uk/tasterworkshop

An incredible three NFTS graduation films – Perched, Sweet Maddie Stone and Tête-à-Tête - have been selected from over 1500 films to reach the semi-final stage of the Student Academy Awards. The awards presentation takes place on Thursday October 12th at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Tête-à-Tête (animation): Directed, written and designed by Natasha Tonkin and produced by Rae Erlingsdóttir (full credits below).

Synopsis: A young woman visits her family. Over the weekend tensions flare, whilst technology provides an easy respite. As Kerri's gaze shifts from the screen, she discovers a deeper kind of connection.

Tête-à-Tête has also been selected for Annecy, Anima Mundi, International Animation Film Festival and Supertoon, and was shortlisted for the BAFTA International Student Film Awards.

The Team: Cinematographer, Donna Wade; Editor, Fiona Brands; Production Manager, Daniella Rice; Sound Designer & Re-recording Mixer, Sashko Potter Micevski; Compositor, Colourist and Online Editor, David Sheldon.

Perched (animation): Directed by Liam Harris and produced by Elina Litvinova (full credits below).

Synopsis: Hamish Fint, a crotchety old man used to a life of seclusion inside his submarine balanced precariously atop a mountain, struggles to maintain equilibrium when an unwelcome visiting seagull rocks his world.

Perched has won multiple awards including ‘Best Animation’ at London Indie Fest and the ‘GFA Jury Award’ at the US Hollywood Int’l Film Festival. 

The Team: Writers, Nathaniel Price, Eoin Patrick Doran; Cinematographer, Dan Atherton; Production Designer, Jan Gronczewski; Production Manager, Paul Smith; Editor, Sian Clarke; VFX Lead Compositor, Victor Almela; VG Lead Artist, Stevie Gill; Sound Editor & Re-recording Mixer, Payam Hosseinian; Composure, Victor Hugo Fumagalli; Online Editor & Colour Grader, Carl Thompson.

Sweet Maddie Stone (Fiction): Directed and co-written by Brady Hood, produced by Jake Riley-Hunte and co-written by Jessica Jackson (full credits below):

Synopsis: 15-year-old Maddie Stone rules her school yard under the protection of her family name.  But after discovering her notorious father has been arrested, she has to make his bail money or lose the yard. The more Maddie fights, the more her world spirals out of control – and the closer she gets to becoming the man she’s trying to save.

Sweet Maddie Stone has won a number of awards including ‘British/ Irish Short Film of the Year’ at the London Critics Circle Film Awards.

The Team: Cinematographer, Dan Atherton; Production Designer, Declan O’Brien; production Manager, Grace heath; Production Co-ordinator, Simone Tomasi; Production Assistant, Scott Eggleholfer; 3^rd Assistant Director, Anna Bennett-Squire; Editor, Meredith Mantik; Production Sound Mixer, Richard Eastick Esq; Boom Operators, Simon Richert, Tom Osborn; Composer, Tim Morrish; Compositor, Victor Almela; Sound Editor & Re-recording Mixer, Payam Hosseinian; Online Editor & Colour Grader, Carl Thompson.

If you would like to follow in our filmmakers footsteps, applications are open for a range of MA and Diploma courses for a January 2018 start including an MA in Digital Effects, Television Entertainment and Production Technology - more information on how to apply here.

“Go for what you like. If you are passionate, you will it to work and through that comes success. If you paint a great picture, you make a great movie.”

Yet another highly influential figure from the film industry delivered a Q&A to the NFTS students and it doesn’t get more influential than Harvey Weinstein! Introduced by NFTS Director, Nik Powell as having ‘the single biggest influence of a non-director on the independent film industry’, Harvey spoke to the students via Skype from his offices in New York. (If you would like to benefit from masterclasses like this one, applications for a range of MA and Diploma courses are open now until September 7^th to start in January 2018 – these include Masters in Marketing, Distribution, Sales and Exhibition and Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives).

An Oscar and BAFTA winning producer and co-founder of Miramax and The Weinstein Co, Harvey  regularly works with directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese. His multi-Oscar winning and nominated films include Pulp Fiction, The Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Carol, Lion, The King’s Speech,  My Week with Marilyn,Emma, The Lord of the Rings, and The Artist.

Nik opened the questions by asking how the independent film industry had changed over the years and what had remained the same. “Netflix, Google and Amazon are having a big impact and changing the paradigm. I love the magic of the movie theatre and find it hard to deal with the fact that movies are often now relegated to phones. The supply of independent films is diminished by this kind of competition. However, good movies still work if you are tenacious and create the right marketing campaign. Lion and Silver Linings Playbook are good examples of this; they needed time to grow.”

On why he chooses to get involved in particular projects, Harvey reminded the students how he had worked with Nik and his partner Steve Woolley when they started Palace Pictures, on films like Scandal, which is based on the Profumo Scandal of 1963. “I tend to go for provocative or controversial topics like Scandal or emotional subjects like Lion.”

However, sometimes films ‘just resonate.’ Harvey was convinced to back The Artist, despite it being silent, black and white, and lacking well-known actors, because it was so good. Harvey then had to convince the board to go with the movie and decided the only way they would ‘get it’ would be if they saw it “and the rest is history.”

One of the students was keen to know how to be as successful as Harvey! “Go for what you like. If you are passionate, you will it to work and through that comes success. If you paint a great picture, you make a great movie.”

When it comes to qualities Harvey looks for in his co-workers, he listed “loyalty, a good work ethic and a good sense of humour. You need it in our industry – being able to laugh at stuff helps!”

Harvey’s love for the magic of the movie theatre was palpable throughout the Q&A. Answering a question about whether there are any technologies that excite him, Harvey said: “New technology that can make movie theatre going invigorating and that you can’t do at home, excites me.” He counselled the students to brush up on their ‘film grammar’ if they want to be successful: “The more you study film grammar, the more you will succeed. If you can do that when young, then I can guarantee you’ll have a great career. Nik and I carry the history of movies in our genes; the generation today don’t. You’ll get a leg up if you study movies from the likes of François Truffaut.”

Continuing this theme, the film that Harvey picked from his impressive back catalogue as his favourite was Cinema Paradiso: “Cinema Paradiso makes me the most emotional as it’s about our industry. It’s the best love letter I’ve ever seen to the movies.”

Nik asked Harvey to talk about the value of test screenings, which are frequently used in the US to gauge audience reaction before movies are released. He used Trainspotting as an example as he had felt that the film needed to be changed for an American audience due to the difficulty of understanding the thick accents, but when they showed the test screening, “the audience didn’t care about the accents; they loved the movie.” But the test screening for The Talented Mr Ripley, lead to a change to the start and end of the movie, which ultimately made it a success.

Harvey moved onto the importance of great scripts. “If you develop a great script, that’s an equaliser in this industry. If you spend your time doing anything, find that script, or that book.”

One highlight of the Q&A was when NFTS Co-Head of Cinematography, Oliver Stapleton, who worked with Harvey on a number of movies from The Grifters to The Cider House Rules, told Harvey how much he had enjoyed working with him and how his passion for projects had made a real difference. Harvey countered by saying “I thought your work was unparalleled – they were beautiful movies and a credit to you.”

Harvey finished the session by saying: “God bless you with whatever you do.”

For more information on our upcoming course application deadlines, please visit https://www.nfts.co.uk/sign-me-up/deadlines

We are extremely proud to announce that three NFTS students and graduates are finalists in this year’s Edinburgh International Television Festival Ones to Watch (OTW) talent scheme. NFTS Directing and Producing Television Entertainment graduate, Abigail Dankwa; Factual Development and Production Diploma graduate, Dershe Samaria; and current Factual Development and Production Diploma student, Chitsidzo Kurangwa have all been selected for the prestigious programme.

The OTW scheme, which was founded in 1994, is aimed at those who already have three or more years’ experience in TV and are looking to make the next big step in their career.

The OTW candidates will enjoy a series of exclusive workshops and masterclasses at the TV Festival, which takes place between the 23^rd and 25^th of August, led by prominent industry executives and creatives. In addition, they will be showcased to over 2000 delegates at the TV Festival, and will receive 12 months of mentoring from the best in the business.

Campbell Glennie, Director, Talent Schemes, Edinburgh International TV Festival, says: “We have long been committed to finding and nurturing the very best talent from across the country and a range of backgrounds. Every year, we are amazed by the standard of talent and this year has been no exception. The final 30 were selected based not only on their drive and enthusiasm, but also on their portfolio to date and their potential to go far in the TV industry.”

Applications are open now until the 7^th September for the NFTS part-time Factual Development and Production Diploma, which is delivered in partnership with Discovery and starts in January – more information on how to apply at www.nfts.co.uk/factual There are also a few places remaining for our Directing and Producing Television Entertainment MA, which also starts in January – more information at www.nfts.co.uk/tvent

‘Morrissey at the Movies: The Films that Saved your Life’ is the first of a series of film programmes curated by finalist students from the National Film and Television School’s MA in Film Studies, Programming and Curation, led by Sandra Hebron. The season comprises eight exhibition projects, which will take place between August and December 2017.  They range from themed programmes and national cinema seasons to expanded cinema and online initiatives.

Mark Donaldson’s Morrissey celebration is up first and takes place over the weekend of August 12^th and 13^th at Genesis Cinema, Mile End, London. Mark chose to coincide his event with the release of Morrissey biopic, England is Mine and the programme includes a screening of the film and a Q&A with director Mark Gill.

The weekend will also include a panel discussion to give context to the season.

We caught up with Mark Donaldson to find out more:

Which films have you selected and why?

The Collector (1965) – Saturday 12^th August, 1pm

Morrissey chose an image of Terence Stamp taken on the set of the film as the LP cover of What Difference Does It Make? He also listed it as one of his favourite films in the March 1993 issue of Movieline magazine.

Orphée (1950) – Saturday 12^th August, 3:40pm

The narcissistic image of Jean Marais asleep next to a reflective pool provided the cover for the LP of ‘This Charming Man’. A poet pre-occupied with death could easily describe Morrissey but Jean Cocteau's film renders this relationship literal.

England is Mine with Q&A with the director, Mark Gill – Saturday 12^th August – 6pm

The South Bank Show: The Smiths (1987) – Free bar screening – Saturday 12^th August 9pm

Rocco & His Brothers (1960) – Sunday 13^th August, 12pm

In an interview with XL magazine to promote his Italian inspired album Ringleader of the Tormentors, Morrissey spoke of his love of the director Luchino Visconti and this wonderful film. Actor Alain Delon was also the cover star of The Smiths seminal album ‘The Queen is Dead’, due for a re-release in October.

East of Eden (1955) - Sunday 13th August, 3.20pm

Shots of Richard Davalos from the set and the film itself provided the covers for Strangeways Here We Come and a two volume Best Of collection. Morrissey wrote to a penpal talking of his ambition to meet and interview Davalos, an ambition which was sadly never realised.

Charlie Bubbles (1967) – Free bar screening Sunday 13^th August, 6pm

Listed as one of Morrissey's favourite films, once again in March 1993's Movieline, hardly surprising given it has a script from Shelagh Delaney and is directed by and starring one of Morrissey's favourite actors, Albert Finney. Also, a still of Billie Whitelaw provides the cover art for ‘William It Was Really Nothing’.

A weekend ticket, covering all screenings and events is available for £25 from the Genesis website

What was the inspiration behind the project?

The film England is Mine, which is released on August 4th. I remember hearing that a film based on Morrissey's early life was entering production and being sceptical about whether it could do justice to its subject. I've seen so many biopics in recent years that lack a sharp focus, opting for a cradle to grave narrative which fails to get under the skin of their protagonists. Thankfully, having seen it at this year's Edinburgh Film Festival, England is Mine is not one of those biopics and is a real celebration of what makes Morrissey such a unique artist. As he is someone who is well versed in popular culture, I thought it would be interesting to present a season of films that he loves or that have had some impact on his work as an alternative means of understanding him, through cinema.

How did you go about selecting the films for the programme?

Fortunately, there are a number of dedicated and hard working Morrissey fans who have collated all the films he has referenced in magazine interviews, lyrics and album artwork on fan sites, IMDB and Mubi. Once I'd tracked down those lists, it was a case of whittling them down into my own shortlist of films.

The temptation with Morrissey is to exclusively focus on British cinema, for example Ken Loach, the Carry Ons, and everything in between, but I wanted to provide fans with something they wouldn't immediately suspect. This is why, for example, rather than choose Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey I've gone for her lesser-known and rarely screened Charlie Bubbles which also has the distinction of being the only film Albert Finney ever directed. 

I had decided very early on that I wanted to provide as diverse a programme as possible, and so focused a lot on his interest in French and Italian cinema. It was important to present a diverse programme, in light of recent controversial comments. I want to challenge the perception of him as a Little Englander and celebrate the ways these international titles have influenced the work of a unique cultural icon. We're also hoping to put together a panel discussion to talk about how these films have shaped Morrissey and invite fans to get involved through audience contributions

What are your career aspirations after you graduate?

Artistic Director of the Edinburgh Film Festival! But first and foremost, I'm keen to build on my existing industry experience from four years working in both multiplexes and independent cinemas by programming for a venue, using the skills I've learned from the course to strike a balance between screening films the audience want to see and introducing them to those that they never knew they wanted.

What have been the highlights of the NFTS MA so far and how has it shaped your career goals?

The placement within the Film Audience Network with the BFI was an eye-opening experience and taught me a lot about the types of film programming currently taking place across the UK which is invaluable for me as I approach graduation next year. Our partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre was also an incredibly helpful exercise in working with a venue and my fellow programmers to deliver a season of films to an audience, and the various joys and difficulties that you encounter along the way which is a useful primer for my future career as a programmer.

The Film Studies Programming and Curation MA is delivered in partnership with the BFI; applications are open until the 7^th September and the course starts in January – more info on how to apply at www.nfts.co.uk/filmstudies

“Ultimately, you need to see what the film should be and go towards that with absolute conviction”

Four time BAFTA winning and Oscar nominated writer-director Paul Greengrass dropped in for a fascinating masterclass at the NFTS and regaled the students with tales of his journey from making hard-hitting documentary series for British investigative current affairs programme, World in Action, to award-winning feature films that bear his distinctive docurealistic style.

His acclaimed work includes United 93, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Bloody Sunday, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, Omagh and Captain Phillips.  His BAFTAs include an award for Outstanding Contribution to Television.

The session was hosted by NFTS Director, Nik Powell, who kicked things off by selecting a clip of Paul’s first feature film, Resurrected. Resurrected is the true story of a British soldier, Philip Williams (played by David Thewlis), who is presumed dead and left behind in the Falklands but is accused of desertion when he reappears seven weeks after the war ends.

(Nik Powell, former NFTS Director & Paul Greengrass)

According to Paul, “Granada, which made World in Action, gave me a great film education. The World in Action title was actually bought from (pioneering Scottish documentary maker), John Grierson and had its roots in documentary realism. I was taught to shoot like that.” Paul learnt from the likes of seasoned broadcaster, John Slater, who incidentally taught at the NFTS in the 1970s and is described in The Guardian’s Obituary report as ‘nurturing a generation’ while ‘retaining his radical roots.’ Paul said: “John was a complete maniac, but I loved him! I learned from him that the moving picture has its own life but if you allow it to spew everywhere, it has no form. Knowing how to engage with that paradox is the essence of filmmaking. You have to listen to where the film wants to go but also be the master of it. World In Action gave me a language. The challenge for me was staying with that aesthetic and building in a fictional camera. Even when I made Bourne, I tried to use that language through employing a ‘knowing’ and an ‘unknowing’ camera.”

While Paul was at Granada, he developed a desire to make movies and move into feature films. He came up with the idea for Resurrection and felt “it was a story that spoke to Britain at that time. When I met David Thewlis who stars in Resurrection, it was the first time I met an actor!” Paul said: “I was advised at the time to never treat actors like human marionettes. Your relationship with actors is the most important bond you have when making a film. When you make a film, you’re in a box. It doesn’t matter if it’s a student film or a big movie, there’s always a box or set of restrictions whether it’s resources, practicality, space or time. Everyone can solve certain problems but it’s the actor who is the one person in the equation that can solve all problems in a heartbeat.”

Paul gave an incredible example to illustrate this when he was shooting a scene in Captain Philips that just wouldn’t go right. “After shooting it every f****** way possible, we had a conversation with the captain of the ship, who advised that Tom Hanks’ character would have gone to the medics room after being rescued covered in blood. We used the ship’s actual medic in the scene who stepped in brilliantly despite being in awe of Tom Hanks. Something happened and you could feel the intensity as you were shooting it. Great actors are like water diviners, they know where the truth is!”

It took Paul a while to build the confidence to walk away from a project he knew wasn’t right. He said: “Ultimately, you need to see what the film should be and go towards that with absolute conviction and have an unwavering desire to control it. Nothing must deflect you from that. If you’re going to make films successfully, you have to develop an inner core that says, don’t f*** me around but you can’t develop that by starting off with f*** me arrogance. You need to listen and ask, what do you think? You won’t develop the character or muscles to make your point of view prevail if you don’t collaborate and work with people.”

After a clip of Bloody Sunday about the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern Ireland, Nik asked Paul about the techniques he used such as fading to black in between shots. Paul explained: “I wanted to convey how events spiralled into each other like a macabre violent ballet. Bloody Sunday was cut beautifully by Clare Douglas; the fade to black gave it an energy and clarity and a sense of almost watching strobing images, creating a rhythm”.

Paul employed the same sense of docurealism when making United 93, which chronicles events on United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked during the September 11 attacks. “We decided from the outset that we would shoot entirely in the aeroplane and so be bound by the physical space and real time experience. We had the camera on a bungee which gave a sense of tremendous fluidity married with realism in the confined space. It was an incredibly inspiring filmmaking experience. It felt like we were telling the truth about it.”  

If you would like to attend masterclasses like this one, applications are open for a range of MA and Diploma courses from our Digital Effects MA to our Diploma in Production Accounting– for the full list of courses starting in January 2018, click here.

NFTS graduation film, Sweet Maddie Stone, directed by Brady Hood, is a finalist in the narrative (International film schools) category of this year’s Student Academy Awards. NFTS students are a regular feature in these prestigious awards, having won an impressive six Student Academy Awards. The awards presentation takes place on Thursday October 12th at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Sweet Maddie Stone (Fiction): Directed and co-written by Brady Hood, produced by Jake Riley-Hunte and co-written by Jessica Jackson (full credits below):

Synopsis: 15-year-old Maddie Stone rules her school yard under the protection of her family name.  But after discovering her notorious father has been arrested, she has to make his bail money or lose the yard. The more Maddie fights, the more her world spirals out of control – and the closer she gets to becoming the man she’s trying to save.

Sweet Maddie Stone has won a number of awards including ‘British/ Irish Short Film of the Year’ at the London Critics Circle Film Awards. In response to the announcement, Director Brady Hood said "I'm overwhelmed, ecstatic and very humbled! This is a special moment which belongs to everyone who invested so much into this film. it even makes waking up to the warden (producer) of the prison we bunked in , playing "Black Skinhead" at 5am, all the more worth it. It's been an incredible journey and hopefully this opens doors for all those involved."

The Team: Cinematographer, Dan Atherton; Production Designer, Declan O’Brien; production Manager, Grace heath; Production Co-ordinator, Simone Tomasi; Production Assistant, Scott Eggleholfer; 3^rd Assistant Director, Anna Bennett-Squire; Editor, Meredith Mantik; Production Sound Mixer, Richard Eastick Esq; Boom Operators, Simon Richert, Tom Osborn; Composer, Tim Morrish; Compositor, Victor Almela; Sound Editor & Re-recording Mixer, Payam Hosseinian; Online Editor & Colour Grader, Carl Thompson.

(NFTS Creative Digital Producing students, Oredola Agunbiade and Tara Jasminaz)

Students on the NFTS Creative Producing for Digital Platforms Diploma, which is delivered in partnership with Sky, are spending four weeks working in the Digital Content Production team at Sky as part of the course. We met with some of the students on placement – Tara Jasminaz and Oredola Agunbiade - and Production Manager, Sky VR, Marc Lamb to find out more:

Marc: “The Sky VR Production team at Sky create complimentary VR experiences based on original Sky programming within entertainment, sport, news, drama and comedy genres. Content ranges from 360 video production to fully interactive and immersive experiences. It’s great to have a fresh perspective from the students who aren’t constrained by any previous knowledge of the technology. It’s also a great experience for them as they get the opportunity to make contacts within the broadcast/VR industry and get involved with the end-to-end production. It’s such a new medium that it’s an exciting thing for students to say that they’ve experienced working on VR projects. The good thing about the NFTS placement is that each student comes wide a wide range of backgrounds so they tend to have a broad set of skills and experience which they get to utilise across the placement. We have a very high rate of employment with NFTS graduates from this course as well with William Samaha working in our team and Pav Janda working for Sky Sports.”

Oredola: “So far my work placement at Sky has been great, I have been given a good amount of work that’s helped to develop my thought process when it comes to creative thinking. Working at Sky is an amazing opportunity; since I’ve joined I’ve gained a lot of insight about the industry I’m going to work in when I graduate. I work in Sky Drama at the moment and it’s a really energetic and positive space to be in. The placement has influenced the kind of work I’d be interested in doing after graduating, which is creating immersive storytelling and digital interactivity in physical spaces”.

Tara: “Since starting my placement with the Sky VR team, I have already spent time shadowing both a 360 Creative and Technical Director, had a stitching session with the 360 Editor and talked through a current project with the Producer, Interactive Designer and the 3D Animator. This experience is hugely valuable as I prepare to enter the industry; I have built a good idea of the kinds of job roles involved and best practise work flows. On top of that, I have also been set a creative virtual reality brief, which I am having a lot of fun with while having access to any support I need. The working environment at Sky is really diverse and positive; I know I would like to work in a company like this with the right infrastructure to nourish young talent who work alongside experienced professionals.”

Applications are open for the Creative Producing for Digital Platforms Diploma, which is delivered in partnership with Sky, until the 7^th September – more information on how to apply at www.nfts.co.uk/creativeproducing

National Film and Television School graduation TV Entertainment project, Against All Odds, created by Lucy Smith and Jamie Minty, is the only UK project to be selected for the New York Television Festival’s (NYTVF) flagship Independent Pilot Competition (IPC).

The NYTVF, which takes place in New York City on October 23rd-28th, is dedicated to identifying and nurturing top independent creative talent and connecting it with networks, studios, digital media companies, agencies, and brands. Against All Odds, which is selected in the unscripted category, is the only UK project out of the 52 digital and TV pilots chosen; only three of the selections originate from countries outside North America.

About Against All Odds [World Festival Premiere]

In Against All Odds, five ordinary strangers each choose one of five locked bags – four contain blank paper, one contains £100,000 in cash. Over three days the team must carry their bags on an epic journey across some of the UK’s toughest natural landscapes for the chance to split the money at the finish line. Who will have the grit to make it to the end? Who will be broken by the unforgiving forces of nature? And will the contestant carrying the money even cross the finish line?

The Team:

Producer, Lucy Smith; Director, Jamie Minty; Camera, Mostyn Maltpress, Matt Murnaghan, Julie Rocque; Production Co-ordinator, Sophie Halton; Location Sound, Hosea Ntaborwa, Nick Olorenshaw, Rory Rea; Composer, Louis Dodd; Dubbing Mixer, Mark Bailey; Sound Editor, Sam Boulton; Graphics, Kelvin Chim; Colourist & Online Editor, David Sheldon.

For more information on the NFTS Directing and Producing Television Entertainment MA and to apply for a January 2018 start, please visit www.nfts.co.uk/tvent

The Hollywood Reporter has once again named the National Film and Television School (NFTS) as one of the world’s top film schools. This is the seventh consecutive year the School has been featured in the list of the top 15 international film schools and once again, the NFTS is the only UK film school to be included.

The highly respected digital and print publication, which was established in 1930 and focuses on the film television, and entertainment industries, says the following:

“THR’s overseas correspondents – in London, Hong Kong, Sydney and elsewhere – give the scoop on where to learn filmmaking in a foreign land.” The article continues to highlight the opening of state-of-the-art facilities at the NFTS: “National Film and Television School, Nick Park and Roger Deakins’ old school – in Beaconsfield, England - is undergoing a $26 million expansion.”

Jon Wardle, NFTS Director says: “We are thrilled that The Hollywood Reporter has once again recognised the NFTS as one of the world’s leading film schools. 2017 has been an incredible year so far: We have opened state-of-the-art new facilities, welcomed the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Sir Kenneth Brannagh, Sally Wainwright and Roger Deakins to deliver masterclasses and our students have once again done us proud winning a number of high profile awards including the Short Animation BAFTA for the fourth year in a row.”

Read the full article here.

For more information, please visit www.nfts.co.uk

(NFTS Cameras, Sound & Vision Mixing students on the Thronecast set, L-R: Sean McDonald, Briony Dowson, Laura Jeacocke, Henry Young)

This year’s Cameras, Sound and Vision Mixing for Television Production Diploma students have been lucky enough to work on Game of Thrones after show, Thronecast as part of their annual work placements at Sky who are official course partners.

Sky’s Camera Team Leader, CJ Brown explained what the camera students had been learning in addition to helping out on programmes like Thronecast, The Pledge, Sky News, Sky Sports News and more: “The students have been learning how to strip down and rebuild a big box lens camera. We’ve gone through the kinds of shots used on Thronecast, which include MCU (medium close up) and big wide shots as well as panning and tracking. They have also been resizing shots and going from a single to a two shot. They have experienced cleaning fibre optic cables, how to ‘8’ up a cable as well as fault finding and rigging. They have been working on Thronecast rehearsals and live shows cable bashing and some have experienced using Radamec studio and support equipment and/ or handheld cameras on live programmes such as the news.”

We met with some of the students to find out more:

What have you enjoyed the most about your work experience at Sky?

Henry (Camera student): “I’ve enjoyed working as part of a large team of people - almost every day I’ve been at Sky I’ve met someone new, whether that be from camera operators, floor managers, technical directors… the list goes on. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and inclusive, making us forget that we’re only there on a work placement! Being part of the team which puts a show on air - a show which might be one of the highlights of the year for some people watching - is an exciting feeling which I certainly thrive on.”

(Emily Bailey, Vision Mixing student)

Emily (Vision Mixing  student) has worked on a range of Sky programmes including Soccer Saturday, Asia Trophy Football, Sky Sports News, The Pledge, Euro Tour Golf, PGA Golf and Rugby League Catalans: “I've really enjoyed the opportunities I've had to gain practical hands-on experience cutting some of the shows I have been trailing and putting what I have learnt at NFTS into practice.” 

Laura (Camera student): “The placement at Sky has been such an invaluable opportunity that's given us the chance to crew on live productions and be part of such a renowned organisation. Working with all the staff/freelancers as part of their crew has been great fun and I've learnt so much, both about camerwork itself and the production of the shows in general whilst there. My mentor Lucy has been such an inspiration and a huge help in developing my skills and understanding of camera operating.”

(Students with Sky's Camera Team Leader, CJ Brown)

What have been the highlights?

Emily (Vision Mixing student): “Practical hands on experience on the desk - I've particularly enjoyed working on and trailing Sky Sports News, The Pledge and Euro Tour Golf. It's also been fantastic to meet and network with Sky employees and gain insight into broadcast operations there.” 

Laura (Camera student): “My highlights would have to be live operating on the Golf chats, working on Thronecast and all the time we got to spend rigging/de-rigging!” 

Henry (Camera student): “Some of the highlights for me include working on the Game of Thrones magazine show, Thronecast, which is recorded live in front of a studio audience. I also really enjoy working in News, controlling robotic cameras on the other side of the site (or even in a studio in central London). Knowing that there are tens of thousands of people watching an interview you’ve framed up is a confidence-filling feeling. I also really enjoyed working as a jib assistant on the studio segments surrounding the Super Rugby final, and operating one of the cameras in the studio during the Euro Tour Golf coverage.”

(Thronecast presenter, Sue Perkins)

How has the NFTS Diploma been so far?

Laura (Camera student): “The NFTS Diploma has been better than I could've hoped for. Considering about  7 months ago none of us knew how to operate a ped (which requires a completely different skillset to cameras on sticks), whereas now we're operating on live programmes and crewing NFTS graduation TV shows. It's been such a fantastic learning curve. The technical knowledge we studied at the beginning has been the foundation for all our camerawork and was completely invaluable to learn. Our industry recognised camera tutors have taught us everything we know and guided us through, from our very first steps on the ped to the dynamic developing shots we can explore now. The single-camera/PSC side has also been great fun, a completely different skill but equally creative and something which, with the help of the course, I will definitely be exploring further. The facilities and equipment we have access to is of the highest standard (Vinten Quattro peds, Sony HDC4300s, 4K studio) and provides an amazing classroom for us, getting us completely industry-ready.”  

Henry (Camera student): “The NFTS Diploma has been an incredible experience - working on the summer multicamera shows (which are directed and produced by the TV Entertainment students) was a great opportunity to work as camera operators on five very different shows in just a couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to working on a number of the graduation projects by the second year TV Entertainment students in September, along with a placement at BBC Elstree.”

Emily (Vision Mixing student): “I've really enjoyed the Diploma so far - it has been invaluable for learning technical skills with state-of-the-art equipment and having support from talented and experienced tutors. I've enjoyed how varied it has been as we have worked on a diverse range of live TV genres and it has helped me to work out what my interests are and to develop different strategies for working on different shows.“

What are you hoping to do when you graduate? 

Emily (Vision Mixing student): “I'm hoping to find work as a Vision Mixer at a UK broadcaster.”

Henry (Camera student): “After I graduate, I’m hoping to go into studio camerawork (initially as an assistant). Whilst the course teaches us the skills to work in both studio, outside broadcast and location camerawork, studio work is my favourite due to the wide range of programming you get to work on - from music, to cookery, to news, and everything in-between.”

Laura (Camera student): “Upon graduating I'll most likely be entering the freelance world where I'll be looking to focus my work around on location PSC/OB shoots, whilst also hopefully getting involved with as many studio shoots as I can.” 

If you would like to follow in our students’ footsteps, apply for the Cameras, Sound and Vision Mixing Diploma by the 7^th September to start in January – www.nfts.co.uk/camerassound&visionmixing

The NFTS has triumphed once again affirming its place as one of the world’s leading film schools by winning accolades in both the Animation and Fiction categories of the CILECT Global Film School Awards. This is the ninth time that the NFTS has taken top place in these prestigious awards and in 2013, the school made history by becoming the first institution to win first prize in all three categories. This year, 180 film schools submitted entries from 65 countries.

NFTS students won joint first prize in the Animation category with A Love Story directed and co-written by Anushka Naanayakkara (full credits below). A Love Story takes place in a universe entirely made of wool:

Synopsis: “It’s love at first sight for our two beings… but will their relationship survive the onslaught of depression that takes over their lives.”

A Love Story also won the British Short Animation BAFTA at the EE British Academy Film Awards this year.

Sweet Maddie Stone, directed and co-written by Brady Hood took joint second prize in the Fiction category.

Synopsis: 15-year-old Maddie Stone rules her school yard under the protection of her family name.  But after discovering her notorious father has been arrested, she has to make his bail money or lose the yard. The more Maddie fights, the more her world spirals out of control – and the closer she gets to becoming the man she’s trying to save.

Sweet Maddie Stone has won a number of awards including ‘British/ Irish Short Film of the Year’ at the London Critics Circle Film Awards.

The Teams:

A Love Story - Director Anushka Naanayakkara; Producer Khaled Gad; Writers Elena Ruscombe-King, Anushka Naanayakkara; Designer Solrun Ósk Jóndóttir ; DoPs Yinka Edward, Alvilde Horjen Naterstad; Editor Joseph Comar; Composer Victor Hugo Fumagalli; Sound Designer Marcin Szumilas; VFX Supervisors Ye Teng; Eloise Tomlinson; Online Editor/Colourist Vlad Barin; Lead Animators Anushka Naanayakkara, Iván Sarrion Soria; Animators Robert Millard, Adrian Piqueras Sánchez; Modelmakers Amalie Vilmar, Alicia Canovas Verdú, Joanna Brooks, Katherine Millar Craig; Art Assistants Lenka Dobranska, Alice La Trobe, Manuela Romero, Louisa Brooks, Emily Hake; VFX Artists Gillian Simpson, Zhao Xi, Li Suoran, Zhuge Bijun, Alexander Davis; Vocals Lucia Bulgheroni, Hollie Buhagiar, Marina Elderton Cinematography Advisers Leigh Alner, Ben Hecking; Production Manager Simone Tomasi; Production Coordinators Agnieszka Pawlowska, Inês Lourenço.

Sweet Maddie Stone: Director/ Co-writer, Brady Hood; Cinematographer, Dan Atherton; Production Designer, Declan O’Brien; production Manager, Grace heath; Production Co-ordinator, Simone Tomasi; Production Assistant, Scott Eggleholfer; 3^rd Assistant Director, Anna Bennett-Squire; Editor, Meredith Mantik; Production Sound Mixer, Richard Eastick Esq; Boom Operators, Simon Richert, Tom Osborn; Composer, Tim Morrish; Compositor, Victor Almela; Sound Editor & Re-recording Mixer, Payam Hosseinian; Online Editor & Colour Grader, Carl Thompson.

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon will today announce funding of £475,000 in her keynote speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, to support plans for the world leading National Film and Television School (NFTS) to open a hub at BBC Scotland’s studios in Glasgow and Dumbarton Studios.

NFTS Scotland will significantly enhance vital skills provision arising from the expected growth in film and television production in the country. The BBC alone has committed additional investment of £40m a year in Scotland and is proposing to launch a new channel next year and will also produce more network output in future. NFTS Scotland is expected to open in January 2018 with students enrolling from April 2018.  The NFTS is an acknowledged global leader in the provision of postgraduate, high-level, creative and technical skills for the audio-visual industries.

In addition to the BBC, the School has secured strong support from a range of industry partners including STV, Channel 4, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the producers of Outlander (David Brown), Mad Max Fury Road (Iain Smith) Sunshine on Leith and T2 Trainspotting (Andrew MacDonald).

Diversity and inclusion are key priorities and there is a joint aspiration that a third of all places in the first two years will be fully funded scholarship places. To that end the BBC and the Scottish Government is making a contribution to a bursary fund which will meet the costs of these scholarship places and ensure that students will be drawn from a broad range of backgrounds.

Specialist courses will be designed to meet the growing needs of film and television production companies in Scotland and will include three-month certificate courses; twelve month full-time and part-time diploma courses; and short courses to provide ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) in key film, television and games craft disciplines.

The School will specifically work to address gaps in existing provision by delivering courses other providers aren’t currently offering in Scotland, such as Production Accounting, Script Editing and Factual Development.  Projected annual student numbers are expected to be in the region of 450 (100 full time, 50 part time and 250 on CPD courses) with over 1500 students expected to graduate from the facility within five years.  

The NFTS has a proven track record in producing successful Scottish alumni, who include BAFTA-winning director, Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin), first NFTS graduate and renowned film and TV producer, Steve Morrison (My Left Foot), BAFTA-winning Sherlock and Dr Who director, Douglas Mackinnon, multi award-winning director, Gillies Mackinnon (Hideous Kinky); Oscar-nominated animator, Sharon Colman (How to Train Your Dragon) and many more. The NFTS’ founding director, Colin Young, also hails from Glasgow.

The First Minister made the keynote speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival:

“This is an exciting development for our screen sector which is already an area of growth for Scotland. While we have excellent university and college provision for a range of screen subjects and media skills, NFTS’ plans will complement and expand the training opportunities available in Scotland.

“We have seen a rise in high-profile film and television productions being made in Scotland, and this government is focused on ensuring that continues. That is why we are establishing a new Screen Unit within Creative Scotland to better coordinate public sector support for screen. And as the BBC expands its operations in Scotland – specifically in Scottish news and drama productions – we must ensure people can gain and update the skills they need to capitalise on the opportunities ahead.”

Jon Wardle, NFTS Director says:

“The NFTS has a proud history of developing Scottish talent from its base in Beaconsfield, so we are incredibly pleased to announce the expansion of the School into Scotland and look forward to making an even greater contribution to the Scottish economy through our unparalleled reputation for delivering high-calibre, job ready graduates.”

Renowned TV and film producer, Steve Morrison, who is the National Film and Television School’s first ever graduate and the BBC’s board member for Scotland says: “As a Scot and a graduate of the NFTS, I am fully supportive of this initiative. It’s fantastic both for the School and for creative industries in Scotland to have such a driving new force in skills and talent development in Scotland.” 

Patrick McKenna, NFTS chairman, says:

“The School plans to make its courses increasingly accessible to students throughout the nations and regions of the UK.  This exciting new initiative in Scotland marks the beginning of an ambitious programme of development.”

BBC Scotland Director, Donalda MacKinnon, says:

“BBC Scotland already has an excellent track record in helping to create the broadcasting stars of the future through our various apprenticeship and training projects, so hosting the NFTS in our Glasgow HQ will build on that. The NFTS has a well-deserved international reputation for the quality of its training so we’re very happy to be working in partnership with them to ensure that we and other broadcasters - along with the film industry in Scotland - have a well-trained and well-educated workforce to select from for many years to come.”

Amanda Nevill, CEO, BFI says: ‘The NFTS is the best film school in the world so it’s fantastic that its coming to Scotland and giving more talented young people from all sorts backgrounds the opportunity to learn about film, and prepare them for a career in the industry. With the film and TV industries booming, we need 1000’s more skilled people to join the workforce so this is great news for the Scottish creative industries and great news for the economy.’

For more information, please visit www.nfts.co.uk

Contact for further information:

Vicky Hewlett, Head of PR and Communications, NFTS: vhewlett@nfts.co.uk

(Still from I Am Not A Witch) 

The selection for this year’s London Film Festival has been announced and we are very proud to announce that two films with NFTS graduate involvement are competing in the ‘First Feature Competition’. Beast directed by Michael Pearce and I Am Not a Witch, produced by Emily Morgan are competing for The Sutherland Award, which recognises the most original and imaginative directorial debut.

Beast synopsis: While celebrating her birthday, Moll drifts away from the party and finds herself eye-to-piercing-blue-eye with Pascal, a local poacher and police suspect. The attraction between these two damaged souls is immediate and palpable, and the film captures both the euphoric flush of first love and the heady insanity of sexual obsession.

(Still from Beast)

Beast credits a number of NFTS graduates in addition to the director, Michael Pearce, including: DoP, Benjamin Kracun; Editor, Maya Maffioli; Art Director, Thalia Ecclestone; Production Designer, Laura Tarrant-Brown; 2^nd Assistant Director, Pascha Hanaway; Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor: Gunnar Oskarsson and Boom Operator, Joanna Andrews.

I Am Not A Witch synopsis: In a Zambian village Shula, a small, silentgirl with big eyes, is accused of being a witch. Her choice: join a travelling witch camp or become a goat.

I Am Not A Witch, which is directed by Rungano Nyoni also credits NFTS graduate, Gabriel Gauchet Associate-Producer/Location Manager in addition to producer, Emily Morgan.

Also competing in the First Feature Competition is Summer 1993, directed by Carla Simon, and whose Art Director is NFTS graduate, Isona Rigau Heras, and The Wound, directed by John Trengove, whose DoP is NFTS graduate, Paul Ozgur.

(Still from Comeback Kid)

Two NFTS graduation films have been selected in the laugh strand of the festival. These include Comeback Kid, directed by Ian Robertson – the dark humour of reincarnation portrayed as a man comes back, buy-eyed and bludgeoned, to avenge his masculinity - and Pipe Dreams, directed by Christa Jarrold – self-help turns to self-love when Helen can’t find a decent plumber or a decent man and she discovers all she needs is confidence to fix her blockage and her doubts.

(Still from Pipe Dreams)

Other notable selections directed by NFTS graduates include: Clio Barnard’s Dark River and Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here.

Special Presentation, Dark River stars Ruth Wilson, Joe Dempsie and Sean Bean and is about two siblings who struggle to come to terms with their inheritance after their father’s death.

(Still from Dark River)

You Were Never Really Here screens as part of the Headline Gala. The film is a stark inversion of the noir thriller and a devastatingly brutal portrayal of one man’s battle with repression and abuse, anchored by a rage-fuelled, Cannes-winning performance from Joaquin Phoenix.

Register now for our upcoming Facebook Live open day for the Marketing, Distribution, Sales and Exhibition and Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives MA courses, which start in January 2018. The open day is taking place on Wednesday 27th September at 12.30pm for the Marketing & Distribution MA and at 1.30pm for our Entrepreneur MA. You will get the opportunity to hear live from course leaders Debbie Rowland and Chris Auty as well as some of the students currently on the course. They will answer any questions you have live on Facebook about the course itself and what it's like to study at the NFTS. Applications are open for both courses until October 16th 2017.

Read about the work placements the Marketing & Distribution students went on this summer in our latest blog.

Read about a VR business that one of the Creative Business alumni, Jip Samhoud, has set up.

Sign up for the open day at www.nfts.co.uk/opendays 

(Still from Their Finest)

With Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk making headlines for its “visceral and powerful” handling of the story of the Dunkirk retreat and the flotilla of small ships that alongside the Royal Navy transported 300,000 troops back to the UK, it was fascinating to watch Their Finest, which deals with the same story but in a very different way.

(Lone Scherfig)

BAFTA nominated, Sundance winning writer-director, Lone Scherfig, introduced the film to a packed audience of expectant students by saying how thankful she was that they were watching the film in a cinema, especially as the opening and end of the film are set in a cinema and convey what it was like to watch a movie at a time when it was the main way of communicating to the masses.

The masterclass was hosted by former NFTS director, Nik Powell, who introduced Lone along with his one-time business partner at Palace Pictures, and BAFTA winning, Oscar nominated producer, Stephen Woolley who produced Their Finest.

(Lone Scherfig with Stephen Woolley)

Stephen explained that he came to the film’s subject through a book recommended to him by a friend who knew he’d like it because of his love for cinema and particularly his love for British films made in the 1940s: “The book – ‘Their Finest Hour and a Half’ by Lissa Evans - was about the craziness of making British films in the time of war; it was both funny and moving. The trick for Amanda Posey, my co-producer, and I was to make the movie appeal beyond the fringes of film buffs and show it had a universal resonance. We had to examine the book for human interest angles and explore the period when making films has never been so important. Their Finest is linked to the golden age of British cinema from David Lean’s Brief Encounter, Michael Powell’s The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp to Ealing studio’s post-war classics such as Kind Hearts And Coronets.”

Stephen continued: “It made sense to centre on Catrin’s story and take a modern view of the time; we also took a risk and mirrored the story by using a first-time writer ourselves in Gaby Chiappe. We made sure the film had dark overtones so the darkness of the time was conveyed. We also wanted to convey the history; many propaganda films were made right here at Beaconsfield Studios at the time and some of those short Ministry Of Information (MOI) films were directed and written by women. It opened up a whole world of possibility; women were suddenly thrust into the limelight because they had to be. The MOI had to get through to the majority of the UK working population who were women; the MOI were behind every aspect of filmmaking at the time from greenlighting films to managing film stock.”

“We wanted to find a director who would be interested in all those things and who could make the film entertaining whilst getting the audience to buy into the characters. I was excited about trying to get Lone on board as I loved her films, Italian for Beginners and An Education, which Posey had also produced. The film had to be a combination of lightness and humour but be grounded in reality and Lone has done this time and again in her films.”

Lone was just as attracted to the film as Stephen was: “I loved the material. Stephen and I share a deep love for cinema. I knew cinema from that era very well in other countries and have had a career a bit like Catrin’s so I had the ability to see things from her point of view. I think seeing people fall in love on screen before they know it, is very beautiful. I really liked the writer, Gaby’s taste, judgement and humour. Once the film was financed, the script had to be redone as it was written for a higher budget but I was determined that the shoot would be ambitious to live up to its tribute to cinema.”

Lone described how they used a combination of real films and documentaries from the time interspersed with fictional versions: “We tried to do it only in a way they could have done it then swapping back and forth from Cinemascope to Academy format.”

(Lone with NFTS Screenwriting students and Head of Screenwriting, Brian Ward)

Nik asked Stephen and Lone about the challenges of working with a relatively small budget and whether compromises needed to be made. Lone replied: “You have to be very critical at script level so you don’t shoot unnecessary scenes when working to a budget.”

Stephen added: “Some of the compromises we needed to make benefitted the film in my opinion. For example, we didn’t use any wide shots of London and we didn’t see everything go up in flames. The film wouldn’t have been made if we had tried to recreate the blitz and the Dunkirk troops on the beach. I’m very proud of the film. The story hasn’t suffered and it’s told so well through the characters’ performance. The DoP, Sebastian Blenkov, is a genius – he applied a ferocious concentration alongside a talent for painting with light.”

A fantastic three NFTS graduation films have been nominated for the prestigious Grierson Awards that commemorate the pioneering Scottish documentary filmmaker John Grierson (1898 – 1972), famous for Drifters and Night Mail and the man widely regarded as the father of the documentary.

The NFTS films short-listed for the ITV Best Student Documentary category of the Grierson Award are:

Acta Non Verba, an exploration of grief and suicide and the relationship between a father and a son is directed, written and shot by Yvann Yagchi. (Producer, Fawzia Mahmood; Writers: Fiction, Kerri Davenport-Burton; Cinematography: Fiction, Thomas Doran; Production Manager, Sonia Hoogenstraaten, Production Manaer: Fiction, Daniella Rice; Editor, Aurora Vögeli; Sound Recordist, Hosea Ntaborwa; Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer, Morgan Muse; Composer, Segun Akinola.)

Chomo, which about a community of Buddhist nuns from Tibet and focuses on Chomo, a woman who is now in the 7^th of 21 years of study, is directed, shot and produced by Maayan Arad  (Production Managers, Marta Henriquez, Alicja Kielbasa; Graphic Designer Damián Galán Álvarez; Editor, Jamie Kataky; Sound Recordist, Rory Rea; Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer, Michalianna Theofanopoulou; Composer, Matthew Peters; Colourist & Online Editor, Vlad Barin; Producer, Khaled Gad.)

Pride In Rags is directed, shot and produced by Tom Whitaker and centres on Dewsbury, a town whose reputation is in tatters due to a number of events which have brought unwanted attention to this small corner of Yorkshire (Production Manager, Daniella Rice; Editor, Rachel Roberts; Sound Recordist, Keith Morrison; Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer, Mark Bailey; Composer, Louis Dodd; Compositor, Alex Davies; Colourist & Online Editor, Vlad Barin.)

For an amazing seventh year running, the NFTS have the most films selected in student documentary section. The awards ceremony takes place on the 6th November at The Mermaid in London.

In addition, no fewer than 49 NFTS students and graduates are credited on projects which have been nominated for this year’s Grierson Awards. These include:

Best Single Documentary - Domestic

Aberfan: The Green Hollow - Sound Effects Editor, Vicente Villaescusa

No Place to Call Home - Director/Producer, Luke Sewell

Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad – Composer, Mat Davidson

Best Single Documentary - International

Unarmed Black Male – Composer, Mat Davidson

Best Arts Documentary

Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories - Writer/Director/Editor, Nick Willing; Producer, Michele Camarda

Best Historical Documentary

Aberfan: The Green Hollow - Sound Effects Editor, Vicente Villaescusa

Destination Unknown, directed by NFTS Directing Documentary tutor, Claire Ferguson

Best Science Documentary

Forces of Nature with Brian Cox Episode 2 - Supervising Sound Editor, Jay Price; Sound, Andy Paddon

Best Entertaining Documentary

First Dates Series 8 Part 1 - Lead Editor, Radoslaw Sienski; Composer, Miguel d’Oliveira

Best Documentary Series

American Justice– Composer, Jon Opstad

Exodus: Our Journey to Europe– Editors, Simon Sykes; Nick Fenton and Sunshine Jackson

Hospital - Director/Producers, Amanda Richardson and Marc Williamson; Assistant Producer, Lyttanya Shannon

DocHouse Best Cinema Documentary

Half Way – Editor, Vera Simmonds; Sound Designer, Luke Shrewsbury

Best Documentary Short

Johanna – Colourist, Susumu Asano

The Refugee Diaries Episode 3 – Editor, Yann Heckmann

For more information on the National Film and Television School, please visit www.nfts.co.uk