This autumn we’re delighted to bring you news from our students and alumni as they achieve their potential and make waves in the screen industries.
A huge congratulations to four grads who have been selected by the committee to participate in the next edition of Audiovisual Pitching, the main event at Audiovisual Talent Week. MA International Film Business students, Colleen Sullivan and Shammika Mukherjee, and Chenzhe Chloe He and Xiangming Huang from MA Screenwriting have all been recognised as emerging talent in the screen industries. They will have the opportunity to connect with professionals from throughout the sector during Audiovisual Talent Week in mid-November. We’re delighted that not one but four graduates from LFS have been accepted and will be going along.
Taking place in Barcelona, the event is organised by the Audiovisual Cluster of Catalonia, and consists of workshops, conferences and networking sessions and a key central event where participants pitch their projects to industry experts.
We were delighted to hear that Miguel Faus’ (MAF 192) first feature film, CALLADITA (The Quiet Maid) will be having its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, at the First Features Competition. Based on Miguel’s graduate short, the NFT-funded film won the Andrews/Bernard Award at Sundance, a post-production grant offered by Steven Soderbergh and Decentralized Pictures Foundation. Watch the trailer here.
Congratulations to Yu-lin Chung (MAF 189) whose first feature film, The Mimicry, won the Golden Bell Award for Best Television Film which is Taiwan's biggest Television award. The film was also selected by Rhode Island International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Taoyuan Film Festival, Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival and was officially selected for the categories Best Television Film Director, Sound Design and Best Television Film.
The Mimicry is a film adaptation of a short story of the same name, written by Kao Yi-feng. When the green scarab beetle transforms into a human, he observes the dilemmas of various residents unfold in an apartment complex and helps them find a resolution. See the trailer here.
A huge well done to Myles Payne who was longlisted for the category of Breakthrough Producer at the British Independent Film Awards for their film Femme. Best of luck!
October Grad Film Highlights:
We are excited to share that we have a fabulous four Graduation films at this year’s Aesthetica Short Film Festival (York, UK) starting November 8th. Screenings include:
Scorched Earth - Writer-Director: Markella Kontaratou, Editor: Mengyao Zhang, Prod: Jaina Liu, DoP: Taamas A Meder
The Space in Between - Writer-Director: Rhys Holland, Prod: Sanjoli Malani, Prod Design: Chenlei Pan
Pour Mon Fils - Director: Mathilde Jouaud, DoP: Pablo Garrido Carreras, Prod. Designer: Mahee Merica
Rickshaw - Director: Raphael Hernandez, Prod: Anastasia Savinova, Editor: Mengyao Zhang, DoP: Eng Teck NG
We hope you can go along and see the films and attend the festival!
Talking to the River screened at Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival. Writer, Editor, Prod: Yue Pan, Sound: LuLu, Prod Design: Ziyan Gao.
News from International Student Film Festival, Tbilisi, By the Rivers Blue won Best Director Award. Wri/Dir: Tong Lui, Prod: Naixin Liang, Prod Design: Cheng Li, Art Dir: Zhao Wu. Congrats!
Scorched Earth also screened at Athens International Festival. (see above for crew)
Rickshaw is pushing off its festival run screening at, San Diego Intl FF (USA), Film Bath 2023 (UK) and Cinemagic International FF (UK). (see above for crew)
Wonderful and romantic, Your Guardian continues its festival run screening at Newport Beach Film Festival (California, USA) in October and Japanese Serbian Film Festival next week.
Moving drama, Saving Art was shortlisted for Best Drama Award, Perfomance Short Film Competition.
Wri/Dir: Remi Moses, Prod: Victor Nauwynck, DoP: Pui Man Leung, Prod Designer: Anastasiya Mykhaylova, Art Director: Elitsa Marielle.
Pakeeza screened at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (USA). Director: Jaffar Raza, Co-Producer: Mathilde Jouaud, DoP: Sheherezade El Moumni Berdai.
Un Día will premiere at Linz International Short Film Festival (Austria) and later at Playa Film Festival (Aruba). Writer-Dir: Nathan Legger, Prod: Nathan Legger & Spandana Patanaik, Co-Producer: Julie Magnaudet, DoP: Lucas Boetsch, Editor: Florian Kasperski.
Striped is getting a good festival run with Fragments Festival 2023 (UK) and International FF of South Asia Toronto (IFFSA Toronto) (Canada). Wri/Dir: Spandana Patanaik, DoP: Aditya Sharma, Prod: Nathan Legger, Prod.Manager: Siddhanth Srikanth, Prod.Design: Izadora Schoninger.
Continuing its run, Broken Hearts has been part of Surrey Short FF (UK) and North East International Film Festival (UK). Wri/Dir: Julie Magnaudet, Prod: Nathan Legger, DoP: Bo Giesen, Editor: Tsz Wai Ling.
Komşu Sesler (Neighbouring Sounds) screened at Festival International Signes de Nuit (Paris,France). Wri/Dir: Ali Kıvanç Güldürür, Prod: Joao Salgado. DoP: Aditya Sharma, Editor: Mengyao Zhang.
During Halloween there were some spooky goings on with our genre films!
Trapped screened at Lusca Fantastic Film Fest, and at the British Horror Film Festival, winning Best Student Film and the Rising Star Award. Wri/Dir: Semyon Voinov, Prod: Sanjoli Malani, DoP: Cem Türedi, Sound: Longhua Yang, Editor Alexandra Brandl.
Ariane's Baby screened at Haunted House Fearfest winning Best Psychological Horror. Wri/Dir: Mahee Merica, Prod: Mathilde Jouaud, Mahee Merica & Chen-Ling Liu, DoP: Sheherezade El Moumni Berdai.
And finally Picnic Area screened at - FIRST International Film Festival, Beijing 2023. Wri/Dir: Daiqi Lui, Prod: Zheng Wei, Sound: Ruijing Bu, Prod Design: Zhiru Xie.
Photo Credits (top to bottom)
Film poster from Thin Ice (Colleen Sullivan and Andrea de la Torre)
Film poster from The Quiet Maid (dir: Miguel Faus)
The Mimicry BTS and still (dir: Yu-lin Chung)
Film poster from Femme (dir: Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping)