Spritely director scoops RTS award

An up-and-coming student director from the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham has won a Royal Television Society award for his latest film.

Will McGregor, who is in the final year of a BA (Hons) Digital Film & Screen Arts degree, picked up the Best Student Drama accolade from the RTS Southern Centre for his critically acclaimed short, Who's afraid of the Water Sprite?

In the same week, the film also won a hat-trick of awards at the National Student Film Festival in Bristol, including Best Cinematography, Best Genre and Technical Achievement.

Will, who is 22 and from Norfolk, said: "Getting recognition for my work always comes as a surprise to me, but it is always welcome as it gives me so much extra faith in my abilities and encourages me to keep doing what I do.

"I'm really pleased to receive this award for my tutors too, as they create a great environment at UCA which enables students to produce award-winning films."

Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite, which is about a mythical eastern-European creature, was filmed in and around the idyllic village of Bosljjva Loka, near a river which separates Slovenia and Croatia.

Steve Littman, Course Leader in Digital Screen Arts & Animation said: "I'm really delighted for Will - he is a great ambassador for the course and truly deserves to pick up all of these awards.

"He has shown great ambition, technical ability and creative talent to produce a piece of work which the RTS panel said was the best student film they had ever seen."

Will has just returned from the Berlin Film Festival where his third short, Bovine, was screened. The film, which was shot on 35mm in Devon, illustrates the arduous life of a dairy farmer and his son, who are forced to cull their cattle.

Five thousand aspiring film-makers applied to show their film in Germany as part of the Berlin Talent Campus, but Will was one of only 40 from the UK to show his work.

Will said: "The feedback I received in Berlin, from the audience and organisers, was fantastic – it was amazing to feel a buzz around a festival about your film.

"As part of the Talent Campus scheme, I spent a week in workshops with the likes of British director, Stephen Frears, who directed The Queen, and James Bond production designer, Sir Ken Adam, which was amazing.

"I have no doubt that the Berlin Talent Campus has helped Bovine become a better film and made me a better film-maker."

Will is currently working on a short film about a game keeper, with the intent of applying for funding from the UK Film Council.

For more information contact:

David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk