UWE Bristol students triumph at regional RTS Awards

UWE Bristol filmmaking and animation students have won three categories of the RTS West of England Student Awards, held at Watershed in Bristol on 3 March 2025.

In the Animation category, all four shortlisted nominees were from UWE Bristol, with the prize going to ‘The Happy Pig Brand’ by Léo Bournas Milazzo, who studied BA Animation.

Max Bingham-Grote, Marco Suthya, Charlie Kneller, William Emmett, Stan Mountford, Rob Loud, and Tom Beavis won the Drama category with ‘Peace Process’.

‘Sonder’ byJulia Wojcik, Lucy Cox, Charlie Kneller, Esme Birch, Aaron Botelho, Toby Coles, Matthew Stenson, Nicholas Curtis-Purnell, Arlo Sullivan, Luke Coulson, Alfie Skinner, and Josef Stringfellow, took the top spot in Factual – Short Form.

In addition, the UWE Bristol School of Arts students won a further 12 Craft Awards:

Animation:

• The Happy Pig Brand – production design, writing, editing, sound, camerawork by Léo Bournas Milazzo.
• Litter Pecker – writing and editing by Maisie Race.
• The Deep – lighting and visual effects by Oliver Cooke.
• The Canteen – camerawork by Samuel Chapman.

Drama:

• Peace Process – sound by Stan Mounford, and production design, costume, and directed by Marco Suthya.
• From Your Younger Self – writing by Martha Elsen and Robert Allen, and on screen performance by Helen Laurens.

Comedy drama and entertainment:

• Adam Abducted – writing by Ismael Perez De Gracia and Katie Brown.
• Rocky Road – sound by Jennifer Willmore and Suzie Topolska, writing by Abigail Watson and Khaya Mbanga.
• The Enduring Legacy of Gus Comstock – production design and sound by Nicholas Curtis-Purnell, camera by Elio dal Lago, writing by Sam Kendall, and editing by Zac Wilding.

Factual – short form:

• Sonder – camera by Aaron Bothelo and Toby Coles, editing by Arlo Sullivan, sound by Nicholas Curtis-Purnell, writing by Julia Wojcik and Charlie Kneller for production design.
• Gareth, Where’s Your Handbag? – camera by Lily Ainsworth, sound by Jaiden Braddock, and editing by Lorna Martin.

Additional craft award:

Water Ways – camera by Olivia Merrick and sound by Suzie Topolska and Jay Ho.

Ian Friend, Programme Leader BA Animation, said: “The incredible talent of our animation students has once again shone brightly at the regional RTS Awards. Every single shortlisted film in the animation category came from UWE Bristol again this year, showcasing the outstanding creativity and skill within our programme. A huge congratulations to Léo and all the exceptional animators who made the shortlist. We couldn’t be prouder.”

John Podpadec, Senior Lecturer Filmmaking, added: “It was a great night for the UWE Bristol Filmmaking programme winning two major awards and a collection of craft prizes. Huge congratulations go to Marco Suthya and his team for winning the Best Drama category for their wildly ambitious and professionally produced story set around the Indonesian civil war. Also, to Julia Wojcik and her team for winning Best Factual for their beautiful and deeply moving film about near death experience.”