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Leeds Met graduate film nominated for Academy Award
The nominated film, Border Patrol, is a collaboration by Peter Baumann, Nishad Chaughule, Simon Bolton-Gabrielsen, Justin Litton and James Gover, all graduates of the Filmmakers' MA at Leeds Met's Northern Film School.
The film, which tells a story of two German border force officers, Karl and Franz, has been nominated in the Foreign Category for the 41st Student Academy Awards, a student film competition conducted by the Academy and the Academy Foundation to support and encourage excellence in student filmmaking.
The students' short film was shot in Germany and tells a story of two German border force officers, Karl and Franz, who, whilst working on patrol on the Austrian border of Germany, come across a dead body hanging in the woods. The team describe how the film "shows us the powerful relationship between the younger cop Karl and the old worldly-wise Franz, while packing a strong comic punch and a strong dose of the macabre."
Larra Anderson, Director of the Northern Film School at Leeds Met, said: "We are tremendously excited for our team of students who were involved in the making of this lovely, funny short film. It was a successful project from start to finish and we are not surprised by the accolades it has received, but being nominated for a Student Academy Award is just about as exciting as it gets. It is clear from this nomination and the film's international reception that each and every one of these graduates is going on to a fantastic future. Congratulations to all of them."
The Student Academy Awards was established in 1972 and each year over 500 college and university film students from all over the United States and beyond compete for awards and cash grants, with films being judged in four categories: Animation, Documentary, Narrative and Alternative. The presentation ceremony is a popular event that is annually attended by a capacity audience in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre.
Through the Student Academy Awards, the Academy recognises and encourages the most promising new filmmakers. Past winners include Spike Lee, Trey Parker, Bob Saget and Oscar winners John Lasseter and Robert Zemeckis.
In November 2013, Border Patrol won 'Outstanding International Student Film Award' at the International Student Film and Video Festival in Beijing and was selected for Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland which is the world's best festival dedicated to cinematography as well as screenings in festivals in Bucharest and Moldova.