Zahara Andrews wins a prestigious Winchester Film Festival Award

To view Zahara's film entitled "Olympics Promo 2010", please click here

I would love to work in the film industry and last November I spoke to Bend It Like Beckham director, Gurinder Chadha on the radio (in the middle of Mr Saralis’ art lesson), who offered to look at some of my work. I was so excited but I didn’t think anything I had made was good enough to show her, so when Mrs Piggott told me about the Winchester Film Festival’s Future of Film Award Competition I decided to enter it even though it was approaching exam time.

The film had to be based on the Olympics, so I decided that I would like to do a trailer for it. It was a lot of work as everybody was so busy and understandably not always so keen to be involved, although my thanks really go out to Ed Brooks who was a great help throughout the whole project.

The film stars Mr Sutton who dressed up in a toga (AKA white bed sheet) in the middle of the field, along with poor Jacob and Fizz who I had running up and down Butser Hill. Mr Cox was on hand as “sport authenticity coordinator” and helped me transform some of the 6th formers into team GB. I submitted the film with 10 minutes to spare and was told on Thursday that I had won it!

I am so pleased that I entered the competition and I hope it will encourage other people to do the same because it has given me just what I need to continue with my film pursuits! We were invited to the Festival's launch where the response to the film was brilliant! I was given work experience with Form Films and some editing software to help me with future projects. BBC Radio Solent also contacted me and want to follow my “progress” in pursuing a career in the film industry.

I am absolutely delighted with what has come out of the competition and I would urge anybody else who is interested in film to get out there and do something about it!

Zahara Andrews
L6D

Photos show Zahara with her prize, at the award reception with Ed Brooks, and the presentation itself.