Future Film Awards Ceremony in London

Congratulations to two sets of AFU filmmakers who achieved an unprecedented double at the BFI’s Future Film Festival in association with BBC Blast at the National Film Theatre in London last week, when they scooped the awards for both “Best Documentary” and “Best Animation”. In Tian Ji’s powerful 2009 documentary A Soldier, made with Matt Copson and Ben Hollins, Company Sergeant Major Nelson Macleod reflects on his career in the British Army and his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. By turns moving and thought-provoking, the film impressed all who saw it at the AFU screening in May 2009, and clearly had the same effect on the judges at the Future Film Festival. For Pierre Leveque’s 2008 claymation, Oh No My Dog!, this was a second major award. It won the National Young Filmmaker Award at the Leeds Student Film Festival last April, and this time it was hailed as the best animation in the 13-18 category. Tian, Matt and Pierre travelled to BFI Southbank last Friday to receive their awards from Radio 1’s James King and Switch’s AJ.

Pierre with the National Young Filmmakers Award

AFU animation member Pierre Leveque scooped the prestigious National Young Filmmakers’ Award and a first prize of £250 in the under-14 category at the Leeds Young People’s Film Festival in April. The winning film, which beat ten other finalists, was Pierre’s witty 2008 claymation, ‘Oh No My Dog’. According to its website, ‘The National Young Filmmakers’ Award (NYFA) showcases the best new filmmaking talent in the UK and presents the best short films from the movie geniuses of the future.’ Heady stuff! In the 15-19 category, Matt Copson’s splendid 2008 doc ‘Perception’ – about the experiences of blind and partially sighted students at a special school in Kent  – made it to the judges’ final screening selection, although it did not win the NYFA award this time round.

Still from The Sacrifice

The AFU’s sixth annual screening of new films is now only a few days away and final preparations are in full swing. There are 14 new films this year – 7 docs and 7 animations – offering an impressively wide range of subjects, styles and locations. You will see footage from Afghanistan and Hong Kong as well as Oxfordshire, and you will hear voices from Spain, Ireland and Peru! So come to the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School on Wednesday 13 May at 7.30pm. Tickets are free and can be obtained in advance from the Arts Centre Secretary: tel. 01235 849063, email arts.sec@abingdon.org.uk or go online at www.abingdon-booking.info

Still from James Yan's Dance With Stacey

News of more festival success for AFU films emerged this week, at both local and national levels. James Yan’s award-winning 2007 film, Dance With Stacey, has been selected for the Dance On Screen programme at the Phoenix Picturehouse in Oxford on Sunday 8 March at 4pm as part of the Dancin’ Oxford 09 Festival. James is delighted not only as the film’s director, but also as a keen and accomplished dancer who will be involved in some of the dance events at the festival. Further afield, Matt Copson and Pierre Leveque have heard that their 2008 films – Perception and Oh No My Dog! – have been accepted for the prestigious Leeds International Student Film Festival later this year. More details to follow soon.

Gravel and Stones at IMDB

In an exciting development this week, Gravel and Stones has become the first AFU film to achieve recognition on the Internet Movie Database, one of the largest collections of data about films and television programmes in the world. With an estimated 57 million users, the IMDb is certainly one of the most useful places to be for any independent film aspiring to connect with a wider audience. To view the page, use this link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt137619

Still from The Lamp

Congratulations to AFU member Will Abell, whose 2008 stop-motion animation The Lamp has been selected for the prestigious Future Film Festival at BFI Southbank in London. The film, which is about a romance between a pair of anglepoise lamps, seems perfect for the theme of this year’s festival – “The Darker Side of Love”. The Lamp will be screened at the NFT on Friday 13 February at 3pm and again on Saturday 14th Feb at 11am. Will has also been invited to attend the awards ceremony on Friday evening – we wish him luck! For further details of the screenings, and all the other workshops and events that form part of the Future Film Festival, please visit www.bfi.org.uk/futurefilm

AFU tutors Mike Grigsby and Jonas Mortensen

As 2008 draws to a close, we can reflect on another tremendously exciting year for the AFU. At its annual screening in May, the Unit presented a record number of 17 new films, bringing its tally in 5 years to 60 and marking the AFU’s 5th anniversary in style. Gravel and Stones was screened at two major UK film festivals – Raindance in October, and the London International Documentary Festival in April – and achieved a commercial dvd release in France, paired with Mike Grigsby’s 1970 documentary I Was A Soldier (http://www.dorianefilms.com/doriane_fiche.php/i_was_a_soldier.html). Four further AFU films were selected for national festivals in Leeds, Leicestershire, Lancashire and Bradford. James Yan’s Dance with Stacey, Matt Copson’s Perception and Tom Bateman’s Delicate Boys of a Secondary Age all won awards. The Unit collaborated with the Westminster branch of the United Nations Association and the BFI to pioneer the first Young Filmmakers for Development festival at the NFT in London in November, bringing together students, film professionals and representatives of NGOs to view films by young people from Colombia, USA, Israel, Palestine, Cambodia, Kurdistan and UK. All in all, it has been quite a year!