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Royal Television Society recognition for talented University of York student filmmakers

A student filmmaker from the University of York has won the prize for the best fiction film of 2013 at the Royal Television Society (RTS) Yorkshire Region Student Awards ceremony.


Diogo Gerner (second left) with some of the cast and crew of Snapshot receiving the Fiction category award (credit: Hannah Ali, 2013)

Undergraduate student Diogo Guerner fought off strong competition from 15 other entries in the Fiction category to win the top prize with his film Snapshot, while second prize went to fellow Department of Theatre, Film and Television student Liam Bracey for his film Someday Soon.

This is the second year running that students from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television have taken the top two prizes in the highly competitive Fiction category.

The biggest student TV awards in the country, the RTS Yorkshire Student Awards offer the opportunity for talented media students across broadcast and audiovisual to showcase their work to some of the industry’s biggest names.

I'm really proud and excited to have Snapshot representing Yorkshire but also the University of York at the RTS national competition

Diogo Guerner

The 2013 Yorkshire Royal Television Society (RTS) awards were held at York Racecourse and hosted by ITV’s Victoria Whittam. A panel of industry judges picked winners across four categories – News, Factual, Entertainment and Fiction, from a field of over 50 entries from universities and colleges across Yorkshire.

Diogo, now a third year student on the BSc in Film and Television Production course, directed his winning film in his second year, while Liam, who graduated in July, produced Someday Soon as a final year student on the same course.

Judges said Snapshot stood out because of the way “a simple story was so effectively told with assurance and real skill, with the quality of the script matched by the quality of the camera work”. They also commented on the great use of special effects and overall standard of direction.

Diogo said: “It was a great honour to receive the prize for best fiction film at the RTS Yorkshire Television awards. I'm really proud and excited to have Snapshot representing Yorkshire but also the University of York at the RTS national competition.

“I would like to say thank you to everyone involved in the project. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for everyone’s hard work and commitment, and this award is not just mine but for all of us.  I would also like to say thank you to the Department of Theatre, Film and Television for allowing me to create this film.”


Poster for Snapshot, winner of the Fiction category

Robin Small from RTS Yorkshire said: “The RTS Yorkshire Centre was delighted at the quality of the entries received. The Fiction category was very tough with many strong entries and for a second year film to win is a fantastic achievement. We are proud for the University of York film to be representing Yorkshire in the Fiction section of the RTS National Student TV Awards in London in May 2014.”

The University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television offers some of the best professional production facilities of any UK university, boasting a media complex of two theatres, two television studios, a large sound stage, production labs, extensive post-production facilities and a digital cinema, as well as rehearsal and dressing rooms.

Professor Andrew Higson, Head of the Department of Theatre, Film and Television, said: “This is a tremendous achievement by our talented filmmakers and our warmest congratulations go to Diogo Guerner and Liam Bracey and their production teams. Their success is testament to their hard work, skills and creativity, and to the excellent support and guidance they receive from our staff. Our student filmmakers have also undoubtedly benefitted from access to some of the best professional production facilities of any university in the country.”

John Mateer, who leads York’s BSc in Film and Television Production, said: “We are very proud of Diogo Guerner and Liam Bracey who are very talented filmmakers. We designed the BSc Film and Television Production course with the goal of enabling our students to become world-class filmmakers and television programme creators and our students are certainly rising to the challenge.”

The student filmmaker category winners now go forward to represent the RTS Yorkshire Region in the Royal Television Society National Student TV Awards in London in May 2014.

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