DIRIGO 11 - 2025

11th International Student Film Festival

Dirigo is an International Student Film Festival directed and produced by BA Film & Media Arts Production students from University Centre Weston. This festival aims to inspire and showcase the creativity of student filmmakers worldwide. It is an open festival with no set boundaries; we actively encourage new styles, voices and direction.

We return to Arnolfini in Bristol for this year’s film festival, on Wednesday 29th January 2025. Reserve your free ticket ,via link below.

There is still time to enter DIRIGO 11! Final Late entry deadline is January 6th 2025. Enter your film now via filmfreeway, see link below.

Dirigo is produced by BA Film & Media Arts Production students at University Centre Weston.

Film & Media Arts Production, BA (Hons)

This practical, project-based course offers students the opportunity to develop their creative, technical and professional, skills specialising in a range of practices across Film, Photography, Audio and Media Arts.  Underpinned by theoretical knowledge and with access to industry standard equipment and studios, students will build their portfolios and showcase their work in preparation for freelance work and employment in the creative industries.

To find out more about our course please visit University Centre Weston

DIRIGO 10 - Jan 2024

If you missed last years screening at the Cube, we also streamed the programme here on this site, see video links below. Which we will leave up a little longer here. Videos are unlisted, please do not share elsewhere, only to be viewed as part of this festival. Thank you.

AWARD WINNERS

We are proud to announce the winners of Dirigo 10th International Student Film Festival.

Best International Film

• WINNER - A Walk - Directed by Varvara Aleshkevich, Moscow Film School, Russia

• RUNNER UP - Babushkas - Directed by Lyubava Yarovaya, Moscow Film School, Russia.

• RUNNER UP - The Leak - Directed by Paola Cubillos, KASK & Conservatorium School of Arts Ghent, Belgium

• RUNNER UP - Wagon - Directed by Aleksandrs Vasks,  Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia

Young Filmmakers Award

• WINNER - Feeling blue - Directed by Alexander Larner, National Film and Television School

• RUNNER UP - Expiration date - Directed by Izzy Buhler,  Denver School of the Arts, USA

• RUNNER UP - You are enough - Directed by Children of St Luke's Primary School, Northampton, UK

• RUNNER UP - Invasion of the dolly snatchers - Directed by Ava Bounds, Capa College, Wakefield

Best of South West

• WINNER - Undying Love - Directed by Min Quek, Sean Rump, UWE, Bristol.

• RUNNER UP - Buses and bay leaves - Directed by Josh Hooker, Falmouth University 

• RUNNER UP - Next day delivery - Directed by William Emmet, UWE, Bristol

Best UK Film

• WINNER - Biological Clock - Directed by David McMartin, Middlesex University. Nominated for Best UK Film

• RUNNER UP - The Eliminating - Directed by Mengqing Xia,  University of the Arts London. Nominated for Best UK Film 

• RUNNER UP - Forgotten but not Gone - Director Biography - Boyu Wang, Goldsmiths, University of London. Nominated for Best UK Film

Best Animation Film

• WINNER - Horace: Last day of a life - Directed by Alice Slater, University of Central Lancashire, UK

• RUNNER UP - The curse of Dracula - Director - Jack Paterson, Norwich University of the Arts, UK

• RUNNER UP - The Water Ghost - Directed by Hongzhou Xue, Royal College of Art, UK

Audience Award (Votes cast at Cube/ during screening)

• WINNER - You are enough - Directed by Children of St Luke's Primary School, Northampton, UK

To see who is in the lead on online vote or to add your vote go to: https://strawpoll.com/YVyPmevLonN

On 6/2/24 with 142 votes (61.21%) Wagon is in the lead. Wagon - Directed by Aleksandrs Vasks,  Latvian Academy of Culture. Also Runner Up - Best International Film

WATCH DIRIGO 10 - LIVE STREAM - HERE -
PARTS 1 & 2 - Premiere’s - 7.30pm Friday Feb 2nd 2024
PART 3 - 7pm Premiere’s - Saturday Feb 3rd 2024

Screening Programme - Part One

 2. Forgotten but not Gone (14m03)

Director Biography - Boyu Wang, Goldsmiths, University of London. Nominated for Best UK Film
‘Forced to go digital when the local bank closes. A 75-year-old recent widower, Archie, struggles to adapt to a rapidly changing world. He must set aside his pride and ask for help accessing the internet. What he doesn’t realise is that getting online will bring about a surprising human connection.’
 

3. The Curse of Dracular (7m16s)

Director - Jack Paterson, Norwich University of the Arts. Nominated for Best Animated Film
‘ My dad was just nine years old, he conceived the narrative of his very own horror film. Little did he know that decades later his terrifying vision would finally be brought to life...’

4. Invasion of the Dolly Snatchers (1m47s)

Directed by Ava Bounds, Capa College, Wakefield. Nominated for Best Young Filmmaker
‘Revenge is sweet for the dolls that the girl chucks away.’

5. Babushkas (7m42s)

Directed by Lyubava Yarovaya, Moscow Film School, Russia. Nominated for Best International Film

‘When the grandson finds out that his compassionate grandmother was once again deceived by a fraudster, he decides to help her achieve justice. And it turns out that all old ladies of the residential building crave the same.’

6. Biological Clock (12m)

Directed by David McMartin, Middlesex University. Nominated for Best UK Film
‘A childfree woman discovers to her horror that she is pregnant. Confronted by her family’s pressure to have children, she distorts reality to induce her own miscarriage and reject parenthood.’

8. Wagon (2m8s)
Directed by Aleksandrs Vasks,  Latvian Academy of Culture. Nominated for Best International Film

‘A girl is sent away in a cattle wagon, shackled to the Soviet authorities. While on the wagon with several women, including her peers. One of her attempts to escape from the wagon and is shot, leaving the protagonist facing the reality and uncertainty of her fate.’

Dirigo – 10th International Student Film Festival - Part Two

1. Horace: Last Day of a Life (2m51s)

Directed by Alice Slater, University of Central Lancashire, UK. Nominated for Best Animated film
‘A retelling based on the true story of the dramatic final hours of Horace the Elk. To accurately depict Horace's life and death in a single day, vast research was conducted along with contact with the Harris Museum where Horace's bones remain.’

4. The Water  Ghost (4m50s)

Directed by Hongzhou Xue, Royal College of Art, UK. Nominated for Best Animated film
‘An epic on the smallest scale. A romantic poem about my childhood. A subjective fantasy that changes the memories of the past. False memory can reveal the true self.’

5. The Eliminating (13m)

Directed by Mengqing Xia,  University of the Arts London. Nominated for Best UK Film

‘Four people sit in a stifling dungeon, their emotions consumed by the encroaching darkness, leading them towards madness. The curtain of a sinister drama begins to rise, as hidden faces in the shadows gradually become distinct in the changing light. Where will the conclusion of this conversation lead?’

6. Next Day Delivery (5m20s)
Directed by William Emmet, UWE, Bristol. Nominated for Best in the South West

‘Next Day Delivery follows an unfortunate day in the life of Cricket as he is tasked with making a bloody delivery but on his way everything goes a little wrong.’

7. Expiration Date (3m23s)
Directed by Izzy Buhler,  Denver School of the Arts, USA. Nominated for Young Filmmakers Award

‘Teenage girl Iris considers herself very average, except one thing - she has thirty days to live. She considers it a challenge to complete as many outlandish things as she can before the thirty days are up, all while recording it for her crush Jack. She’s forced to come to terms with herself - and her illness.’

8. You Are Enough (7 min Extract)

Directed by Children of St Luke's Primary School, Northampton, UK. Nominated for Young Filmmakers Award. ‘Abbie is struggling with life in primary school. SATS, growing up, moving to secondary school . and losing her friends is making her increasingly worried and upset. Each night she has nightmares about her future, until her dreams appear and take her on an adventure of self-discovery where she must learn to overcome her anxieties. But will she be able to do it?’

9. A Walk (11min)
Directed by Varvara Aleshkevich, Moscow Film School, Russia. Nominated for Best International Film
‘Nikita walks Tanya home after their high school reunion. They talk about life on the way through the streets that they used to stroll along holding hands. Slowly they begin to understand what they want from each other.’

Part 3 - Premiered Sat 3rd Feb 7pm (online, here)

1. You are Enough (Full version 14m55s) - Director Children of St Luke's Primary School, in Young Filmmakers Award (18s and Under), United Kingdom.

2. Shroom Omelette - Director Katie Brown, in Best of South West, United Kingdom

3. Whale Fall - Director Bronte Higgs, in Best Animated Film, United Kingdom

4. Trojan - Director Leo Harper Gow, in Best UK Film

5. Down the Northbound Lane - Director Liviu Rotaru in Best International Film, Norway

6. Stain - Director Daniel Thomson, in Best UK Film

7. Nature Attack - Director Erik Semashkin, in Best Animated Film. France

8. Artist’s Hand - Directed by Alice Lichang Wang, Amy Ziyi Yao, Cathy Ziyan Yang, George Qixuan Pan, Guaiguai Qingyu Zhang, lris Xinyan Shi, Michael Zelai Li, Peter Peiyi Lin, Ziting Keven Pi. (in Best International Film). China.

9. Don’t Forget to take medicine - Director Xiaoxuan Han, in Best Animated Film,
China

10. Exotismos - Director Alessandra Regina Gama, Brazil
in Best International Film

11. I’m not a river, I’m the sea - Directors María Isabel Muñoz, Tony Meneses
in Best International Film, Mexico

12. 123 red light, green light - Director Liangyu Chen, in Young Filmmakers Award (18s and Under). Taiwan

13. Amnesia - Director Safiye Saeedi, in Best International Film
Iran, Islamic Republic of

AUDIENCE AWARD

To vote for your favourite film please vote via our Strawpoll, link below

THIS YEAR’S TEAM IS:

• Directors - Alistair Cameron/Jake Britton

• ⁠Producer - Nate Sadler

• Editor - Alfie Walsh

• Social Media - Meg Moody

• Graphics - Lucy Boardman

• Photographers - Lily Moore/Braden Evans

• Executive Producer - Richard Edkins/Ross Bliss

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INSTAGRAM FEED

Entries are now closed

Dates & Deadlines

• October 10, 2023 - Opening Date

• November 17, 2023 - Earlybird Entry Deadline

• December 8, 2023 - Main Entry Deadline

• January 5, 2024 - Late Entry Deadline

• January 15, 2024 - Notification Date

• February 2nd 2024 - Event Date. NOTE VENUE & DATE CHANGE - Now at Cube Microplex in Bristol

Trailer from last years festival- Dirigo 9 (2023)

ONLINE SCREENING from Dirigo 9

Watch last year’s programme below. These videos are unlisted, only to be shown here as part of Dirigo - 9th International Student Film Festival, please don't share elsewhere.

Part Three will premiere - Monday 30th January at 7pm. Below.

Dirigo 9 AWARDS

Well done to all of the nominees! Here are the runners up – 

• Best animation: The Last Straw, Cleo Parker; Lily Goodwin 

• International: Erden, Celina Schmidt 

• Young filmmakers: The case of Robin and Magpie Heists, Joe Capille  

• Best UK: Firm it, Teni Gideon Ayankoya 

• Best South West: The dreams in which you die, Cleo Rose Fehrling Leather 

And a big congratulations to the winners! - 

• Best animation: The most boring granny, Damaris Zielke  

• International: Darbohra (Another Time), Sarah Zammit 

• Young filmmakers: The space in-between, Jodhi Jeanmaria Ramsden-Mavric & Felix Siro  

• Best UK: Brown Sheep, Konna Thomson 

• Best South West: Phil Churchill: The hidden symptoms, Alexander D Churchill 

AUDIENCE AWARD: Brown Sheep, Konna Thomson  (Voted at Arnolfini, 26/1/23 9.45pm)
AUDIENCE AWARD: Online viewing/ voting - Vote/ see live results here

AUDIENCE AWARD

Please vote for your favourite film, after watching them all at this link below
https://strawpoll.com/polls/NoZr3qKW3y3

PART ONE PROGRAMME DETAILS

1. The Last Straw (3:45)

‘Cyril the Scarecrow is terrified of birds. How will he manage to scare away Bertie the crow who just won't leave him alone?’

Directed by Cleo Parker. Animated by Lily Goodwin (Bristol, UK)
University of the West of England
Best Animated Film - Runner Up
@Cleoillustrates_ @Lilygoodwin_animation
https://www.lily-goodwin.com/

2. Hard Resident (10:46)

Directed by Qi Mei Lin, Wan Yu Wu

Nominated - Best international, Taiwan

‘Pan shih ju chuan, a new immigrant who came to Taiwan from Vietnam for 22 years, even though she is used to the food and environment in Taiwan, life is still a thing to overcome for her.’

3. The dreams in which you die (4:15)

Directed by Cleo Rose Fehrling Leather

Best South West Film, UK - Runner up

‘The Dreams In Which You Die’, in short, is a film about conquering darkness. It is about the conscious decision to reclaim control after refusing to exist in a state of anxiety and trauma.’

4. Phil Churchill (13:53)

Directed by Alexander D Churchill

Best in South West, UK - Winner

‘A short documentary exploring Phil Churchill's Parkinson's diagnosis.’

5. Darb’ohra (13:33)

Directed by Sarah Zammit

Best International Film, Malta. Winner

‘Ben, a young boy with a keen and curious mind, stumbles upon a charming little toyshop in the heart of a Maltese village.’

6. Firm it (4:23)

Directed by Teni Gideon Ayankoya

Best UK Film, UK (Runner Up)

Exploring the hidden deeper meaning of the secrets of mental health in young black african boys, untangling stereotypes and revealing answers presenting the origin of violence and anger.

7. Erden (14:40)

Directed by Celina Schmidt

Best International Film, Germany (Runner Up)

When the Earth is about to end, Raya and Kaii are planning to move to an exoplanet together. 100 years later, an android ghost drifts through space, remembering their past love.

8. Gagging for it (1:00)

Directed by Hugo Docking

Nominated - Best animated Film, UK

‘We all know that smoking is a dirty habit, but this cigarette is utter filth. Smoking kills. Smoking abducts babies. Smoking sucks the living soul from your urethra, spits hot ash in your ear and insists that you call it "Daddy". Is this really what you want?’

Part Two PROGRAMME DETAILS

1. A portrait of greed and grief (5:38)

Directed by Sam Goddard

Nominated - Best of south west

‘Using a theatrical style, ‘A Portrait of Greed & Grief’ tells the story of two opposing characters, staged within a western backdrop. The film portrays its emotive narrative through spoken word poetry and realises the environment solely through the use of lighting.’

2. Oyum (6:21)

Directed by Aidai Askarova

Nominated - Best international Film, Kyrgyzstan

The film attempts to show the spiritual world of carpet weaving - an ancient kind of craft of the nomadic people, passed down from generation to generation. Beliefs, thoughts, the process and the artistry of this case are revealed in the film "Oyum", which is a play on words and translate from Kyrgyz language as "my thoughts", as well as ornaments, patterns with which nomads decorate carpets and more. In the absence of the usual literary monologue, all the director's decisions lie in a purely visual sphere.

3. The most boring granny (7:02)

Directed by Damaris Zielke

Best Animated Film, Germany. Winner

Greta has the most boring grandma in the whole world. When she falls asleep on the sofa, Greta gets the idea, to play funeral with her grandma. This confronts them with some questions they didn’t ask themselves before. Because what remains when you have to leave life behind?

4. The space in-between (5:00)

Directed by Jodhi Jeanmaria Ramsden-Mavric

Young filmmakers award - Winner. Australia.

What happens when we suppress the tendency to fast forward through the momentment of stillness in our lives and open our eyes to the beauty of emptiness?

5. Mind your head (4:37)

Directed by Taaram Zehra Cheema

Nominated - Best animated film, Pakistan

My film is about belonging, misplacement and freedom. Being born and raised in Pakistan with all its flaws and challenges of a deeply rooted patriarchal structure, this film is an indication of what is yet to come. A new era dawned the moment we began practising resistance; not a year ago and not ten, but long before.

6. The case of robin & Magpie Heists (11:49)

Directed by Joe Capille

Young Film makers Award - Runner Up

After both her parents are arrested, a destitute but talented private school student must commit a series of heists in order to pay her tuition fees.

7. There is nothing nice deep within (7:35)

Directed by Fiorella Spitzer

Nominated - Best animated Film, Hungary

A girl’s repressed feelings burst to the surface like devastating fire, destroying reality, forcing her to flee to a subconscious world where she has to face her demons.

8. Offerlamm (5:44)

Directed by Tova Persson

Nominated - Best animated Film, UK

A sheep writes a letter to his sister whilst being prepared for a ritual.

9. Brown sheep (12:42)

Directed by Konna Thomson

Best UK film, - Winner. Audience Award Winner.

I am a 2022 graduate of Manchester Film School with a special interest in character-driven storytelling and documentaries. My first film which I have written and directed is in festivals, and I am in the pre-production process of my next short which will be shot this year.

Part Three (Online Screening - Friday 27th January 2023 Tune in Here)

1. Dying to meet you: Directed by Ava Bounds Young filmmakers award, UK

2. The dark side of pet breeding: Directed Asher Elias Anantham, Alana Keira Anantham, Zarina Penn Aronson Young filmmakers award, United States

3. First snow: Directed by Anton Sytnik best international film, Ukraine

4. Cloud boy: Directed by Kieran Firth-Bernard Best animated film, UK

5. Strawberry shake: Directed by Lou Andréa Fiere best international film, Estonia

6. My first lockdown Ramadan: Directed by Aarif Laljee young filmmakers award, UK

7. An island in the middle: Directed by Alberto Montull Best international film, Spain

8. Salmon: Directed by Pengyu Qu. Nominated Best International Film, China

9. Daisy: Directed by Sofia Scarpa, Young filmmakers award, US
   
   Also nominated (but films not available)
   The ode on cure: Directed by Vladislav Motorichev. International film, UK
   Eviction: Directed by Alexandre Paquet . Animated film, Canada

Photography from Dirigo 9 festival by Dimitrios Panagiotopoulos

Dirigo 9 Team

• Festival Directors- Georgia Spencer, George Gamble

• Festival Producer(s)- Star Davey, Olivia Hext

• Festival Presenters - Georgia Spencer and Harley Bridgeman

• Marketing / Social Media - Matt Lyttle, Olivia Hext

• Graphic Design- Beth Jones

• Editor - Benjamin Camp, Harley Bridgman

• Submissions / Film Freeway - https://filmfreeway.com/DirigoFilmFestival

• Executive Producer - Richard Edkins & Ross Bliss
  
  To find out more about our BA Film & Media Arts Production degree please visit the UCW website.

We use Film Freeway for submissions, See festival page here

SEE PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF DIRIGO VIA MENU

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