Salford student films continue awards buzz with double national nomination
Two regional award-winning student films by University of Salford graduates have been nominated for national awards as one continues to make waves across the North West film circuit.
Following the University’s clean sweep at the Royal Television Society (RTS) North West Student Awards in March, Double Yellows, the winner of the Best Entertainment and Comedy gong, has been nominated for a RTS’ National Student Award for Best Undergraduate Entertainment and Comedy Drama and docu-series Tales from the Dales, which was specially commended at the North West awards, has been nominated in the Best Undergraduate Journalism category.
Set and filmed in Halliwell, Bolton, Double Yellows follows protagonist Robbie, who after a failed job interview is on his way to his anniversary meal, however, he soon gets lost on route and encounters a group of zany characters who do their utmost to ensure he does not arrive on time.
The film’s director, Joe Macaulay, a BA Cinematography and Film Production graduate, said: “I knew it was funny and I knew we had a great cast, but all of us working on it were students, in our third year working on our final pieces, so I am super proud and over the moon about how well it has done.
“To even win at the regional RTS awards was amazing and to be the first University of Salford film nominated at the national awards is great.”
The crew for the film was led by four Salford graduates Joseph, Producer Callum Atherton, Director of Photography Phoenix Thompson and Editor Archie Williams.
Tales from the Dales was the final project from BA Broadcast Journalism graduate Marcus Smith, now freelance journalist at BBC Radio Leeds, and is an in-depth look at the rural communities of the Yorkshire dales and the transport challenges that they face.
Marcus said: "I am really proud of the series as it felt like a culmination of all the work I had done over the three years. I had never picked up a camera before I started at Salford.
"The series is a mix of really interesting people stories in which we showcase the inaccessibility of the Dales and how residents overcome that. I had a couple of great speakers with such heartwarming stories. It's a series that has people at the centre of it.
"I was never going to apply initially [for the North West awards] but my parents really pushed me into submitting it and it is fantastic to get the national commendation. For me, Its such a great achievement to even get nominated."
Double Yellows continues to garner praise on the circuit after being awarded ‘Best Short Comedy Film’ at the Lit Laughs International Comedy Film Festival 2022 and has been accepted at multiple film festivals including the Manchester Film Festival and Bolton Film Festival.
The RTS Student Television Awards are set to take place on the 23 June at the BFI Southbank in London.
Watch Double Yellows and Tales from the Dales below.
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