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Students nominated for national award

Both The Cunning Folk, a documentary about the Pendle Witch Trials, and Life’s a Drag, a documentary about professional drag queens, have been shortlisted in the factual category. They have also been broadcast on the Community Channel.

Last year, the Made of Steel documentary made by 2013 graduates won the category and went on to be shortlisted for a Grierson Documentary Award.

Jack Hinchey, writer and director of The Cunning Folk, said: “Thank you to the University and everybody involved who allowed us to go out and bring to life the ambitious sequences we had conjured in our heads. We really pushed ourselves with this production and didn’t want people to see it as a student piece, but instead we wanted to produce something of broadcast quality; and thanks to the support from the university and companies throughout Gloucestershire we really feel as though we have come close to it. It was always the goal whilst we were making it that we aim to produce a documentary worthy of entering into the RTS awards, as previous students had done so well, and now we are thrilled to be nominated alongside our friends who produced Life’s a Drag.”

Life’s a Drag producer and director Rachel Duncan added: “I could have never expected what has happened in the past year, with Life’s a Drag airing on the Community Channel and featuring in two nationwide TV magazines; the response has been great. None of this could happened without the effort and dedication from all of the contributors and most importantly, all of the team. Scott, James, Amanda, Sam and I all worked very well together and without them, I strongly believe Life’s a Drag wouldn’t be where it is now.”

Course leader James Dalby said: “We are extremely proud of both student projects and their crews, firstly when they were both broadcast on national television last year, and now that they have both been nominated for this exciting award. The amount of work that went into both pieces is phenomenal and it is a testament to the dedication, professionalism and creativity of the students that they are achieving this success now.”

The winners will be announced at The Watershed, Bristol, on February 2.