St John’s hosts Cambridge international student film festival

This weekend, Watersprite – Cambridge University’s free film festival designed to tear down barriers to the film industry – is taking place at St John’s. 

Watersprite, Cambridge’s free international student film festival, will take place at St John’s this weekend. The events schedule will feature talks from industry-leading guest speakers and showcase outstanding student films.

Over the course of the weekend, 25 student films shortlisted from over 350 entries spanning 43 countries will compete for this year’s prestigious Watersprite Awards, which celebrate the next generation of international film making.

This year the festival welcomes Paul J. Franklin, the Oscar and BAFTA-award-winning visual effects supervisor of Captain America: Civil War and The Dark Knight; Gareth Milne, the Screen Actors Guild award-winning stunt coordinator/performer for Skyfall and The Bourne Identity/Ultimatum; Roger Michell, the BAFTA-award-winning director of Le Week-End, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies and Notting Hill; and Dr Jonny Keeling, executive producer of the critically acclaimed BBC One series, Planet Earth II.

Events across the weekend will explore a range of subjects including the filming of a political protest in the Middle East, LGBT representation in film, and the art of stunt filmmaking as well as masterclasses in directing, cinematography and scriptwriting.

Student filmmakers will also compete for the Filmmaker of the Future prize - an award for filmmakers wanting to make a change in their world. This year’s nominated films grapple with pertinent social issues such as the refugee crisis, violence against women in Turkey, border disputes and the corruption of mainstream hip hop music. The filmmakers are from the Czech Republic, Turkey, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The award-winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Cannes International Film Festival 2017, sponsored by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).

Watersprite events and workshops are completely free and open to all, making the art of film accessible to everyone.

For further information on the events during the Watersprite Cambridge International Student Film Festival weekend, visit: http://www.watersprite.org.uk