Festival season successes for Bournemouth Film School Funding Futures projects

Projects by Bournemouth Film School (BFS) at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have garnered a plethora of awards, nominations and selections this film festival season.

Two of the awarded films were produced via BFS' Funding Futures, a platform of rolling funding schemes for filmmakers, creatives, artists and innovators that reflect the range of disciplines at the heart of the school.

One of the films, Chickenshit, was recently longlisted for the prestigious British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) in the Best British Short Film category. A tale of two rowdy young boys who come across an electric fence sparking a competitive game and something unexpected within them, Chickenshit was one of just 16 films from over 350 eligible entries in contention for the longlist.

"The BIFAs play an incredibly important role in the promotion and recognition of the brightest British independent film talent," comments Will Shutt, BFS Funding and Production Manager. "Their aim is to develop a rich, inclusive, and sustainable independent film culture in the UK. It’s a huge honour for Chickenshit to be longlisted.”

This production was awarded under the BFS Funding Future’s Alumni Fund to director Ellie Rogers and cinematographer Peter Riches.

"My heart is in British independent film, so it was an honour to be longlisted by BIFA," says Ellie. "I went along to the BIFA longlist party with our producer, Iria Pizania, and the Chickenshit writer, Charlie Tidmas. It was amazing to meet the other longlistees too, very inspirational and great to expand our networks.”

Cinematographer Peter adds, “Filming Chickenshit was an amazing project. We got to reconnect with AUB through the Funding Futures programme and meet some brilliant new alumni.

"I think that’s one of the best things about studying film at AUB, the community and the network you build. It’s genuinely hard to not bump into someone from AUB in the industry! It’s been quite a few years since we graduated now, so it was lovely to be properly back in the fold.

"Gaining recognition for our narrative work is essential, as it goes a long way to helping gain interest in our future projects and securing funding.”

Another Funding Futures production, Realness with a Twist, represented BFS at the House of Lords in Parliament for the Film the House competition, coming away with the Directors UK award for Best Film Direction.

Realness with a Twist is the result of a collaboration spanning several AUB alumni, including the film’s co-writer David Giles and director of photography Charlie Jenkins. It follows a talented footballer as he comes to terms with his identity, after a secret passion for vogueing meets disapproval from his teammates.

Film the House was launched as a way of educating parliamentarians and the wider public about the importance of the creative industries, intellectual property and copyright to the UK’s economy and culture. It’s intended to invite and to showcase the best filmmakers and scriptwriters across the UK.

Will says, “It’s brilliant that our work is being seen and recognised at a national platform with such an important message and mission.”

BFS projects outside the Funding Futures platform have also gained recognition by the industry this year. Earlier in the season, it was announced that the BA (Hons) Film Production 2023 graduate film Lullaby for the Lost was a finalist for the prestigious Student Academy Awards in the Alternative/Experimental category.

Written and directed by Tom Potter and produced by Orla Fleming, Lullaby for the Lost is an experimental short film that aims to explore the phenomenological duality of human experience, unravelling the intertwined relationship between the external reality of conscious waking life and the internal reality of the unconscious dream state.

“We were the only undergraduate provider in the UK to receive a nomination this year,” explains Will. “This is an incredible achievement for the cast and crew of Lullaby for the Lost and one they should all be very proud of.

“We’re thrilled for everyone involved in these films and all their successes, it’s so important for work to be recognised, it makes a big difference for film makers as they look to their next projects.”

Furthermore, Sunday Roast, a short film by AUB MA Film Practice alumnus Lukas Steinmaier, has been picked up by ShortsTV, now showing on Amazon Prime.

The project previously won the 2022 RTS Southern Award for Best Comedy and Entertainment, as well as the Best Student Film Award at Birmingham Film Festival 2022.