Shelby Loasby | Head of Print
Budding film makers, actors, cinematographers, and animators have a lot to look forward to next Monday, 21st March. The Trident Film Festival is hosting it’s very first awards night in The Forum, and after over two hours of footage being submitted to the judging team on Thursday, a shortlist of some of the best student films has been made.
Students from the University of Hertfordshire entered some of their best work to be judged for the following awards;
Best Picture: Winner will have their film screened at Rapture Film Hub in St. Albans
Best Cinematography: Four tickets to a Trampoline Park with the Students’ Union
Best Post Production: Four tickets to the Students’ Union Cocktail Night
Best Script: Two tickets to Thorpe Park
The awards will be presented on the night by a panel of experienced, impartial judges and film buffs. Amongst the judges is Ben Roper, head of Rapture Film Hub – a monthly short film screening in St. Albans.
One of the organisers of the Film Festival, David Witchell – who has even submitted his own short film – has been impressed with the amount of high quality submissions they received;
“The variety and quality in the submitted films has blown me away. It’s gonna be an awesome night full of wicked films and toughly contested awards. If you study at Herts and you’re into film, it’s the place to be. And to those who submitted but are not on the selection list, thank you for entering – it was really hard to narrow it down this far from over 2 hours of video! We hope you still come to the night to support the above films and to have a good time “
So what have you got to look forward to? Take a look at the shortlist to see what’s on offer!
Artist Undefined Director: Ryan Kenwrick
This is the first of the mockumentaries in the shortlist and will have you literally LOL-ing. The crew meet an ‘up and coming artist’ who believes he is the next big thing, taking inspiration from trees and rubbish.

Croaked Director: Rose Timperly
Croaked is the only animated submission this year and showcases the skill and talent on Herts’ animation course. The film is a clever twist on an old favourite fairy tale – see if you can guess which one!

Deadication Director: Jamie Sims
Time for another great mockumentary. If you liked the horror comedy What we do in the Shadows, then Deadication will have you hooked. The film follows Donny the Zombie and his mum, on their journey to make Donny a British Citizen.

Justeet’s Restaurant Director: Hussein Ali
If Artist Undefined and Deadication weren’t enough for you, then Justeet’s Restaurant will definitely satisfy your mockumentary needs. Justeet owns an Indian restaurant and take away and it’s time for the inspector to visit – this will have you giggling in your seats.

Learner: The Paint Job Director: Ryan Beman
This short film has all the ingredients for another great heist movie. Think Ocean’s 11 meets Hot Fuzz. There’s a comedy duo, a painting to steal, and a deadline to meet.

Mr Ludifico Director: David Witchell
Time for something a bit different. Mr Ludifico is ultimately just a conversation between two men, but as the story progresses you become more and more entranced. The film takes such a simple scene and turns it into something mysterious and powerful.

Speechless Director: Elias Michael
Speechless is one of the shortest short films in the shortlist, (tongue twister!) but this doesn’t stop it from leaving the audience with an important and meaningful message.

Suit Up Director: Long Khuat
Have you ever read Pinocchio, or seen the film Liar Liar? Suit Up is the student version, and we can’t get enough of it. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is the message to remember in this clever little film, and will leave you either grinning or feeling guilty about all your lies!

The Thing From The Beach Director: Christopher Stewardson
Are you sitting there moaning about the lack of scary, creepy, thrillers? Well The Thing From The Beach is exactly what you’re looking for! The music, the setting, and the storyline builds up the tension and will probably freak you out. Prepare yourself.

The Inevitable Downfall of a Manly Relationship Director: Sarah Maerz
We can guarantee that nearly every student in Herts will be able to relate to this little piece of comedy gold. The inevitable downfall of a manly relationship is a story of two drunken men walking home after a night of getting boozed. One has stolen a glass from the pub they were in. We won’t spoil the fun, but we can tell you the situation escalates quickly!

So that’s it! Congratulations to everyone who submitted their films to the festival! Don’t forget that the Film Festival will run from 6-9pm on Monday 21st March at The Forum, entry is free, and everyone is welcome! The Forum bar will also be open for refreshments, so you can grab a drink and network with other film-makers who are looking to collaborate.
To keep updated, check out the Facebook page and check out the official Trident Film Festival trailer!
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