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Congratulations to NFTS 2013 Directing Documentary graduate Marc Williamson, 2011 Producing graduate Emma Lamont and their team whose film Boys has won the Student Documentary Award at the 20th Sheffield Doc Fest - the UK's premiere documentary and digital media festival.
This is the third time the NFTS has won this award at the Sheffield Docs Fest in the past four years. Boys has also been selected for the Open City Docs Fest, in London this week.
Student Award Jury spokesperson Kate Townsend, who is executive producer for BBC Four's flagship international documentary strand Storyville, said: “The student competition showed an impressive range in subject and approach. But this particular documentary stood out for two components key to a documentary – remarkable access and sensitivity of approach. Boys is an observational film which follows the struggles of two pupils over a term in a boarding school for boys with emotional and behavioural disorders.
“There are no interviews in the film and the director shows an impressive ability to shape his self-shot footage to pursue the narrative of the boys’ slow progress and the challenges of the staff who try to help them. What emerges is a powerful film, which unpeels layers of destructive behaviour to show the vulnerable children beneath. So for grasp of its material, for some gut wrenchingly memorable scenes and deep humanity, this year’s student award goes to director Marc Williamson and producer Emma Lamont for Boys.”
Kate Townsend also announced that Channel 4 has commissioned a new version of the documentary to be broadcast on the ‘First Cut’ strand. Marc was presented with the award by Jeremy Hardy at the festival closing on Sunday June 16.
Marc Williamson said he and the team were delighted to win the award, adding: “It was a privilege to make this film and even more so to be able to share the devoted and challenging work that Muntham House School does and to highlight the moving and ultimately uplifting journeys the boys go on.”
He added: “We are currently shooting a second film at Muntham House for Channel 4's 'First Cut' strand, which is being Produced by Emma Lamont (NFTS Producing Graduate) and Exec Produced by Minnow Films. We are incredibly grateful to Lina Prestwood for commissioning the film and for the chance to reach a wider audience.”
NFTS Head of Documentaries, Dick Fontaine said: “Congratulations to Marc, Emma and the whole NFTS team. They managed in a short time to gain access and trust and to structure a film which any semi professional would be proud of.”
The NFTS crew who worked on Boys are as follows: Director/Producer/DoP Marc Williamson; Production Manager Georgia Orwell; Sound Recordist Amee Simpson; Sound Designer/Dubbing Mixer Peter Warnock; Editor Johannes Bock; Composer Finn McNicholas; Online Editor/Grade Ruochen Wang; Producer Emma Lamont.
The Student Doc Jury members included: Dr. Ian Dodgeon The Wellcome Trust; Seb Feehan Next Door Films; Jing Hasse Nordisk Panorama; Cinza Spironello Some Like it Short and Kate Townsend.
Boys was competing against other films including another NFTS documentary – Sodiq – by Director Adeyemi Michael. Sodiq is also showing at the Open City Docs Festival this week in London.
The NFTS previously won this award in 2012 with the documentary The Betrayal and in 2010 with No Easy Time.
Pictured are Heather Croall Director CEO of Doc/Fest with NFTS Directing Documentary graduate Marc Williamson and and Hussain Currimbhoy Doc Fest Programmer.
Credit: photographer Jacqui Bellamy, Pixelwitch
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