Student success at Making Waves Film Festival

A film created by second year BA (Hons) Film Production students, was awarded Best Film in this year's Making Waves Future BAFTA Winners Short Film Competition.

The screening took place in March at No6 Cinema in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and saw over 100 students from Winchester, Portsmouth and Solent University film production courses in competition for a handmade award crafted by local artist James Waterfield of Lawn of the Dead.

The winning film Callback, was directed by student Zsófia Bujáki and a team of Solent students. Judges said “Jane Lu’s performance was outstanding in this. In fact, all the acting was outstanding. We really liked the storytelling – it was clear and moved at a good pace. The original score by Bonnie Green really carried the film forward. We felt this was a powerful film.”

We caught up with BA (Hons) Film Production student, and the film’s Director, Zsófia Bujáki to find out more.

Please tell us a bit about the film you entered into the awards, and the idea behind it

The Callback is about a determined, young actress, Eva, looking for a starring role, who has a chance to succeed but faces an abusive encounter with a predatory co-star during a vital audition.

I wasn’t particularly interested in the nature of abuse, but rather the feeling of what comes after. That very short but critical period after the assault happens. What are the first impulses Eva gets in this situation, in this environment that she desperately wants to be a part of and how this will affect her choices and ultimately the person she is.

This film will always feel personal to me. I felt very passionate to work on this story with my course mates and make a film that can start crucial conversations about important topics of our time.

How did it feel to win?

Getting recognised means the film has had an impact on an audience which is a wonderful and an incredibly fulfilling feeling. I was so proud to stand up with many of our crew members in Portsmouth to receive this award. Engaging in conversations with audience members after the event and hearing their thoughts on something that we have worked truly hard on, means this film has reached its goal. Personally, this makes me genuinely happy. I am grateful to the festival for giving us the opportunity to be seen and heard.

What’s coming up next for you?

Our crew is working on another film, called “Frequency”. This short is about the effects of parental neglect and emotional oppression, told from a little girl, Riley’s perspective in the early 2000s. After stealing a walkie-talkie from her friend, Riley starts to develop a dangerous friendship with a mysterious voice coming through it. Production will start very soon, I hope this film will have just as much impact on people as The Callback had, if not even more. We are all super excited for it. 

Roy Hanney, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Media Production and Making Waves organiser, said “This competition gives young people a taste of the festival experience and is a steppingstone to their next national or international competition.”

Student team: Zsófia Bujáki, Peter Andras, Yuka Nakazawa, Elias Highsmith, Kitty Pilcher and Bonnie Green.