Student films recognised at Royal Television Society Cymru awards

Film and Computer Animation students at the University of South Wales have won two Royal Television Society Cymru awards, which celebrate the very best in content made by students and industry professionals during the past year.

All six films shortlisted for the undergraduate Student Animation and Drama categories were made by USW students, with Kirstie Murray-Dale winning the Animation title for her film, Morlyn Sbwriel (Litter Lagoon), and Dan McCadden winning the Drama title for his film, Benighted.

Morlyn Sbwriel is a magical tale of nature and legend, following the journey of Dylan, an intrepid, mischievous little boy who finds a rockpool and fills it with plastic toys – only to discover that the rockpool is, in fact, a gateway to the litter-filled lair of a very disgruntled merman.

Kirstie Murray-Dale, who directed the film, said: “Morlyn Sbwriel aims to teach children about the perils of plastic pollution in our oceans, and that courage, kindness and curiosity are personality traits that we need to encourage most in kids.

“It was an honour to receive the RTS undergraduate Animation award on behalf of my team.

"We put an awful lot of time, energy and love into creating this film, and such recognition of our efforts has certainly boosted our confidence and has given us a chance to celebrate!”

Benighted is set in 1940, and is a psychological exploration into the minds of young soldiers fighting in the Second World War, based on accounts from war diaries and autobiographies.

Dan McCadden, who directed Benighted, said: “This award fills me with gratitude for my past and hope for the future. My lecturer, Nigel Orrillard, was pivotal in providing guidance but more importantly encouraging us to try something ambitious.

“The cast and crew were so determined to complete what felt like an insurmountable task; it was incredibly challenging throughout, but we are so proud of ourselves for making this film and receiving the award has made it all worth it.”

Gareth Hutchinson, course leader for BA (Hons) Computer Animation at USW, added: “It’s a real delight to have all three films shortlisted for the RTS Student Animation award come from the same cohort of our Computer Animation course.

“It’s an achievement we’re so proud of, which is testament to the sheer amount of effort from both staff and students to create the magical collaborative environment which produces such high quality work from teams of super talented students.

“It’s also notable that all three of these nominations are led by female directors, in a world that was previously far too male-dominated. Long may it continue.”

Dr Laura Stephenson, course leader for BA (Hons) Film at USW, said: “I couldn't be happier with how the Royal Television Society Awards have gone this year; the standard of work from our recent graduates was so high that we dominated the nominations for the Drama category, and came out with a well-deserved win for Benighted.

"It’s brilliant to see USW Film students getting recognition at the outset of their careers – this is exactly the encouragement many filmmakers need to persevere in a competitive industry.”