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Events & Functions@195
BAFTA HOSTS FUJI S
BAFTA HOSTS FUJI S
Young and talented film students from around the country receive their Fuji Scholarship Awards from Stephen Frears
Who’d have thought that becoming a film director would involve so much walking and lifting? Liberty Lindley, from the Northern Film School, certainly found out how much as she and various key members of her crew picked up no fewer than seven trophies at this year’s Fujifilm Scholarship Awards, held as ever, at The British Academy Of Film And Television Arts.
What with those prizes, and two runners-up spots, her short film Wolf In An Arran Sweater was the undoubted star of the show at BAFTA in October. A first time entrant, the diminutive Ms Lindley seemed slightly embarrassed by all the attention, but was delighted that her and her team’s hard work was rewarded so resoundingly.
“I’m delighted,” she beamed after- wards, “it’s such a team effort, and we had such a short pre-production time but everyone pitched in brilliantly. To see them all pick up an award is thrilling - but quite shocking as well, I have to say.”
A tale of sexual attraction, friend- ship, betrayal and magic, Wolf In An Arran Sweater impressed guest of honour Stephen Frears, who must have felt like an old friend to Lindley and Co by the end of the morning long presentation.
An acclaimed director with films like Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters , High Fidelity and, most recently, Liam (photographed on Fuji by Andrew Dunn BSC) to his credit, Frears noted the high standard of entrants but cau- tioned against getting too swept up in the idea of competition being an end in itself.
“Competitions are of no interest at all,” he nods, “if you win one in a way it’s downhill from there. I teach film students so I knew that they’re hard working and bright. I expected the stan- dard to be good, and it was.
“But what’s good is that there are sixteen films being made, it doesn’t matter if you win or not. You learn from your peers, they teach you, because you observe what they’re doing. That’s how I learned about making films.”
One person with a unique insight into the standard attained by the class of 2000 is former newsreader Martyn
Lewis, who has been compering these Fuji awards for over 10 years. He has seen a steady rise in quality of entrants, and a subtle change in the make up of the stu- dent filmmakers massed before him.
“The biggest differ- ence is the fact that the films we see in competi- tion are not necessarily first time films,” he explains, “where 10 years ago it might have been. These days the film stu- dents, and they may not always be so young judg- ing from how some people enter the industry, bring a wealth of experience to their work. And I think that’s reflected in the high- er quality of entries.
“It’s always been
very high, but it’s now at
the point where I think pretty much any of them could be shown on televi- sion or the big screen without any trou- ble at all. That’s very exciting.
“The great thing about this is that it’s a terrific breeding ground for young people. It’s acknowledging their committment and achievements and it’s giving them a high profile, as well as an opportunity to get to meet peo- ple who have got major contacts in the film industry, people who are at the heart of the film industry.
“I’ve always said that in life, and it’s particularly true of the film indus- try, it’s about contacts, contacts, con- tacts. There are lots of great young- sters out there who need to get a break, and through ceremonies like this they’re actually starting to get them much more regularly, much more quickly than they might have done ten years ago.”
With one of the major categories open to all being the Colour Film Services Award for Most Suitable For Theatrical Release, in association with Odeon Cinemas, winning is not simply a question of prestige. It actually means your film can be seen by a paying, cine- ma audience.
And while the winner this year was Wolf In An Arran Sweater, the pleasing thing is that so many of the entries would not have looked out of place being screened at your local Odeon. “They look very professional,” adds Lewis. “You don’t even say ‘this is a film made by students’, it’s just up there as a professional movie.”
With Wolf also picking up top prize in the category for Best Overall Production, honourable mention was also reserved for second place film Midnight Raid, from the London International Film School. Kent
“They all looked very professional, you don’t even say ‘This is a film made by students’, it’s just up there as a professional movie.”
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