Neil Baker
Alex Zane returned to host the third annual British Short Film Awards on November 7th in London at the Marylebone Theatre. The red carpet was rolled out for nominees, hoping to take home a coveted British Short Film Awards trophy. Among the attending nominees were Academy Award-winning directors Chris Overton (The Silent Child), Tom Berkeley and Ross White (An Irish Goodbye), and BAFTA-nominated actor Kosar Ali. Electricity was in the air as nominees gathered, hoping to hear their names. However, every single artist in attendance was a winner, as each nominated film demonstrated, in the words of Alex Zane, that short film production “wasn’t just surviving, it was thriving.”
In a delightful celebration of the Oscar® and BAFTA-winning short, An Irish Goodbye (2022), writers and directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White took to the stage to talk to Alex about their rollercoaster ride since winning best short film at the 2022 Awards. Talking about the whirlwind of nerves and excitement of the Oscar® Awards Ceremony, Tom said, “There were many moments in this film where the planets aligned; one of those was it was James’ who plays Lorcan’s birthday on the night of the Oscars, and that was really helpful as it kind of took away the pressure from the ceremony. We had a birthday that needed celebrating, and James is the best person to be with in those situations. We are quite shy, and we would be like, “Oh gosh, there’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson”, and then we would be like, where’s James, and he was over already giving him a massive hug.” Ross added, “My folks were saying you looked so calm, but inside, I was actually screaming. We’re not even smiling; it’s just so overwhelming; the pressure of that moment is like, just put one foot in front of the other and get on with it.”
Talking about their journey, Tom said, “An Irish Goodbye was our first script together, and it was about three years’ of our lives; it was such an amazing journey. Our new short is about warring siblings, but it is quite different, and it was exciting to be pulled into a different space. We initially set ourselves the task of doing three short films in three years; we never had the chance to attend film school, so the shorts would become a defacto film school for us. Our latest short, The Golden West (also up for several British Short Film Awards), is our most ambitious to date and gave us a wonderful opportunity to continue to learn our craft.”
In the regional categories, the Best Northern Irish Short Film award went to Candlelight, with the Best Scottish Short Film award going to Terror, a film four years in the making. Meanwhile, Best English Short Film went to A Dishonourable Death, and the Best Welsh Short Film award went to Sin Eater. The award for Best British Short Film went to In Too Deep. Picking up the Best Student Film was Requiem, while the Auteurs Award for a short film with exceptional creative value went to Otto Baxter’s delightfully dark The Puppet Asylum.
The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to Okhmatdyt, a powerful exploration of the impact of War on children in Ukraine, while Best Foreign Language Short Film went to Icelandic Poppies. Meanwhile, the award for Best Animated Film went to Middle Watch and Best Screenplay to Bell Tolls. Best Editing went to Jellyfish & Lobster, with Best Score and Cinematography going to Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s The Golden West.
The award for Best Supporting Actor (male) went to Cavan Clerkin for ManMade, while the award for Best Supporting Actor (female) went to Paula Wharton for Dog Run, a film selected by BAFTA’s ALBERT as a case study and exemplar of best practice in sustainable short filmmaking. The award for Best Actor (male) went to Michael Salami for Saving Art, a beautiful short exploring cancer diagnosis and treatment through the eyes of a father and his five-year-old son, while the award for Best Actor (female) went to Kosar Ali for the exquisite Muna.
MUNA
Muna would also pick up one of the most prestigious awards of the night with Best Short Film, while Best Director went to Tom Berkeley and Ross White for The Golden West with the award for Best British Director awarded to Yasmin Afifi for Jellyfish & Lobster. Also awarded on the night were Best Hair and Makeup – Empress ClawScream, Best Costume Design – The Witch’s Daughter, Best Sound Design – You’re Absolutely Right, and Best Production Design – Waving.
Speaking about the event, the awards chair, Tommy Clarke, said:
“I founded The British Short Film Awards to help celebrate, nurture, and provide funding to a vital sector of the British film industry that acts as such a crucial breeding ground for emerging talent. Supporting and celebrating the short film industry often provides more opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and stories to be told and, in turn, provides filmmakers with a vital testing ground for storytelling techniques and experimental narratives.
The British Short Film Awards serve as a bridge to international audiences, promoting British culture and talent worldwide. So, the investment I have made into the British short film industry is not just investment in entertainment but also in cultural enrichment and creative excellence.”
Attending the award ceremony for Cinerama Film, Neil Baker, Executive Editor, said:
“I was honoured to attend this year’s award ceremony and celebrate the artistry, imagination, skill and hard work of all those nominated. Short film is the foundation of our film and TV industry; it’s where emerging directors, crew, composers, artists, sound designers and actors home their talents and share their imagination and creativity with us all, often for the first time. Cinerama Film has always been proud to champion short-form film, and each of the nominees and winners this year showed the sheer power, creativity and artistry of short filmmaking at its very best.”
The nominees and winners
Best British Short Film:
In Too Deep (winner)
Jellyfish and Lobster
ManMade
Meet Me By The Sea
Winner Fights the Moon
Best Animated Short Film:
Alongside
Candlelight (winner)
Inner Polar Bear
Middle Watch
Best Documentary Short Film:
Okhmatdyt (winner)
Pulse
Unbroken: A Story of Resistance
Where the Sun Always Shines
Best Short Film:
By Any Other Name
Muna (winner)
Requiem
Saving Art
The Golden West
Best Foreign Language Short Film:
Icelandic Poppies (winner)
Isla Soledad
IYOV
Married
Best Screenplay:
Bell Tolls (winner)
Carma
Paps Trace
The Last Supper
Best British Director:
Emma Swinton – The Witch’s Daughter
Liam Pinheiro-Rogers – London’s Forgotten
Marnie Baxter – Hello, Muscles
Yasmin Afifi – Jellyfish & Lobster (winner)
Zak Harney – Reflections
Best Director
Anne-Sofie Lindgaard – Icelandic Poppies
Chris Overton – In Too Deep
Em J. Gilbertson – REQUIEM
Remi R.M. Moses – Saving Art
Tom Berekely & Ross White – The Golden West (winner)
Best Cinematography:
BANDITS
Everything is Out to Get Me
The Golden West (winner)
Winner Fights the Moon
Best Actress & Best Actor In A Female Role:
Bella Ramsey – REQUIEM
Eileen Walsh – The Golden West
Flo Wilson – Jellyfish & Lobster
Helen Behan – Suzie
Kosar Ali – Muna (winner)
Best Actor & Best Actor In A Male Role:
Ladi Emeruwa – When It’s Over
Lucas Jones – Winner Fights the Moon
Michael Salami – Saving Art (winner)
Paul Kaye – The Puppet Asylum
Ralph Ineson – Waving
Best Supporting Actress & Best Supporting Actor In A Female Role:
Alina Allison – Winner Fights the Moon
Avita Jay – By any other Name
Paula Wharton – Dog Run (winner)
Phoebe Campbell – Twofold
Safia Oakley-Green – REQUIEM
Best Supporting Male Actor & Best Supporting Actor In A Male Role:
Burn Gorman – The Witch’s Daughter
Cavan Clerkin – ManMade (winner)
Richard Rankin – Hello, Muscles
Sayed Badreya – Jellyfish and Lobster
Will Johnson – The Track
Best Score
Jellyfish and Lobster
Permanent Damage
The Golden West (winner)
Best Hair & Make Up:
Empress ClawScream (winner)
Rhyme or Die
The Puppet Asylum
Best Editing:
Boy in the Back Seat
Echo
Jellyfish and Lobster (winner)
Best Production Design:
OCRAS
Rhyme or Die
Waving (winner)
Best Costume Design:
A Dishonourable Death
REQUIEM
The Witch’s Daughter (winner)
Best Sound Design:
Between the Ocean and the Snow
The Golden West
You’re Absolutely Right (winner)
Best Student Film:
BANDITS
OCRAS
REQUIEM (winner)
Best English Short Film:
A Dishonourable Death (winner)
ORTOLAN
Séance
Best Scottish Short Film:
Just A Walk
Shackle
Terror (winner)
Best Welsh Short Film:
RoButler
SIN EATER (winner)
While Time is Away
Best Northern Irish Short Film:
Banshee
Candlelight (winner)
You, I know
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