Territory Studio London/ draftLine
Jun 2024

The inaugural Student Shiny Awards attracted entries from over 40 leading universities, colleges and training centres. Judges selected 10 fantastic short films, which got universal praise from the capacity audience.

As always with Shiny, c70% of the shortlist was work from under-represented directors.

The shortlist of 10 films were selected by Shiny’s Industry members. The final winners were selected by: Christopher Reed, Head of Production draftLine; Jo Arteaga, Creative Director draftLine; Parmjit Singh, EP draftLine, Belinda Grew, Production Director Absolute

WINNERS

Judges comments:

Leve Kuhl:

A very real and emotive love story told through beautifully crafted vignettes of the couple’s developing relationship using both macro and wides to detail emotion and environment. The performances were so real it didn’t need dialogue. The viewer is allowed to settle into the story and get to know the characters so well that when we are brought back to the start and the threat of their relationship never being able to be fulfilled, we feel genuine sadness. The message gives the resolution, and the craft and emotion give it weight.
Leve Kuhl doesn’t just play with time; he sculpts it, twists it, and molds it into something that feels both epic and intimate. Watching his films is like taking a lifetime’s journey in just a few hours. He’s a director with an established voice, each scene crafted with the confidence and precision of someone who knows exactly what story they want to tell and how they want to tell it.

Lea Thurner

Beautifully shot. The film somehow managed to be both raw and bold as well as honest and gentle. Each vignette felt unique and adapted to each story in terms of shot selection, music and performance.
Lea Thurner’s short films don’t just show us her characters; they plunge us so deeply into their psyche that you feel like you’re living inside their heads. She elevates their inner voices to the level of stunning visual metaphors, each frame a superbly rendered piece of art. You can’t help but get lost in the worlds she creates, where every shot is a testament to her uncanny ability to turn the mundane into the magical.

Zeb Goriely

Simple, stripped back story telling. Simple is often difficult to achieve but the editing was so well orchestrated and gave the film a tempo that didn’t linger too long or leave too early. The photos and the narration leave space for the viewer to allow the mind to develop the scenes and scenarios for themselves and feel as if they were there with them.
Zeb Goriely’s use of mixed media isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a revelation. He focuses on lost moments and instants in time, painting the mosaics of his characters’ lives with a delicate touch that allows viewers to see pieces of themselves in the fragmented beauty on screen. His films create a space for us to realise our own lost moments, and that kind of introspective artistry is something we desperately need more of in filmmaking.

Max Mir

Fantastic storyboarding. No wastage. The fact it was shot on super 8 with no editing is very impressive but it really is the storyboarding, pace, performance and camera work that make this film so well put together and laugh out loud funny. A lot of time was spent in pre-production here and you can tell and the preparation really comes out in the craft of the film.

AUDIENCE CHOICE: Ivan Baliuk

Ivan Baliuk’s short film is bursting with the kind of raw, unfiltered emotion that defined the great cineasts of the Soviet era - ironically. Baliuk captures the fragility of family and the fleeting moments of time with a rare sensitivity that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly original. He’s got something to say, and it’s worth listening.