The NFTS has made history by beating off competition from the world’s major film schools to win ALL three CILECT awards - the equivalent of film school 'Oscars'.
160 institutions from 60 countries are members of CILECT (The International Association of Film and Television Schools), which organises a competition every year to find the world’s best student films.
For the first time in CILECT’s history, members voted overwhelmingly for student films submitted by the NFTS to win all 3 categories: Fiction, Documentary and Animation.
CILECT Executive Director Stanislav Semerdjiev said in a message to the Association’s members: “It is astounding. For the first time in the history of the competition we have a situation that until now was considered only a theoretical possibility. In all three categories, CILECT members have voted for films entered by the same school - the NFTS in the UK.”
“I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to our friend and colleague Nik Powell and to the whole team, staff and students of NFTS and to wish them the very best in all their future endeavours!”
Head Over Heels written and directed by Timothy Reckart and produced by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly won the CILECT Animation prize; After written and directed by Lukasz Konopa won the Documentary prize and The Mass of Men written and directed by Gabriel Gauchet was awarded the prize for Fiction. These films have collectively been screened at 160 festivals world-wide, won over 60 prestigious awards including the Royal Television Society Student awards, Locarno Film Festival, San Sebastian, Encounters, Anima Mundi, the first ever Student Annie award and Head Over Heels was the only student film in the world nominated for an Oscar in 2013.
The 3 films will be shown at the CILECT Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where prizes will be awarded on September 17-18th.
NFTS Director Nik Powell said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the students involved and another phenomenal first for the NFTS! To win all three categories by an overwhelming majority of the globe’s major film schools is unprecedented. It puts British talent firmly at the top in the world following the NFTS' 6th Student Academy Award win and an Oscar nomination earlier this year, an NFTS graduate winning the prestigious Camera d’Or at Cannes 2013– not to mention Britain bagging the Ashes, Wimbledon and the Tour de France!”
Head Over Heels has been screened at over 75 festivals around the world, has won over 30 festival awards, won three Oscar-qualifying grand prizes (Anima Mundi in Brazil, and Heartland Film Festival and Austin Film Festival in the USA) and won the first ever Annie Award for Student Film. It was also nominated for an Academy Award and the Cartoon d'Or.
Head Over Heels Director Timothy Reckart said: “I feel lucky to be part of such a historic moment for the NFTS. Beyond simply providing an education, the school creates a tight community of filmmakers who support and inspire each other, and I think the success of all three film departments at CILECT says a lot about the richness of that artistic community.”
The Mass of Men has been screened at more then 60 festivals worldwide where it has won 25 Awards including the Grand Prix in 4 Oscar qualifying festivals: Locarno, Tampere, Short Shorts Asia in Tokyo and Huesca.
After has been screened at 25 film festivals around the world so far, including SXSW, Visions du Reel, Camerimage and Encounters, winning 4 awards. After Director Lukasz Konopa said: “Being recognized in this competition means that through this simple, modest documentary we managed to say something new, something that touches people around the world. I am grateful to my tutors and my friends for their support and encouragement.”
CILECT - The International Association of Film and Television Schools (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision – CILECT) was founded in Cannes, France in 1955, the brainchild of the two leading figures of the French film school IDHEC (Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques) – Marcel L’Herbier (IDHEC President) and Rémy Tessonneau (IDHEC General Director).
Featured image: Gabriel Gauchet, director of Mass of Men, with his Golden Leopard for Best International Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival.
