SPARKLING SUCCESS FOR BOURNEMOUTH STUDENTS

FIVE students from the BA Honours Film and Animation course at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth have won first prize in the Ballygowan Short Film Competition.
Celebrating the Ballygowan Irish Film Festival 2001 and encouraging fresh, young talent in the area of film, the competition was open to students at art or film colleges and on film or media courses across England and Ireland.
A five-strong team consisting of Lucy Wallis (Camera), Gregor McManus (Director), Graeme Renson (Editor), Anne Terkelsom (Animator) and Leighton Ford (Animator), all in their first year of the Arts Institute’s highly-acclaimed Film and Animation degree, saw off nearly a hundred other entrants to scoop the top prize of £600. Their brief was to create a short film, between one and three minutes long, which was restricted only by the mandatory inclusion of a bottle of Ballygowan water.
So, showing the appropriate amount of bottle, the Arts Institute student team rose to the challenge with their short film voted the overall winner by a panel of film directors and actors. The short film was showcased at the Awards Ceremony on the Opening Evening of the Ballygowan Irish Film Festival.
Hosted by the Tricycle Theatre in London, the event offered the students enviable exposure in front of high profile film industry professionals and critics and a chance to see their work. The short was shown alongside the Premiere screening of ‘Wild about Harry’, one of a collection of acclaimed films helping to celebrate Irish talent.
Rik Stratton, Course Director of the BA (Hons) Film and Animation course, said: "This is a brilliant result for our students. They thoroughly deserve the award and the chance to share their success with industry professionals."
The End of Year Show to be held on July 3-6 at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth will provide another opportunity to see the students’ work. (SP)