Leading lights from the world of Film and TV gathered last night at the TriForce Short Film Festival 2016 to support diversity across the industry.

Stars including David Gyasi, Jermain Jackman and Game of Thrones’ Josef Altin walked the red carpet at the festival’s gala event at BAFTA where writer Haley Bishop and director Alasdair MacKay’s Glow was awarded the prestigious Best of the Fest prize.

The event marks five years since the TriForce Short Film Festival was launched with a focus on recognising and supporting emerging diverse talent. Hundreds of entries were submitted to a panel of judges including Nicholas Pinnock, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Shiver’s Alex Gardiner with the final sixteen screened across the day to an audience of peers and key industry representatives.

The festival culminated in the star studded gala where the final four films were screened and the winners of the Best of the Fest Award, the Audience Choice Award and the inaugural Best Non Scripted Award, were announced. All of the winners were rewarded with career development prizes provided by Stefan Allesch Taylor CBE, Shiver and Sharp House,  as well as cash prizes. Other partners this year included BFI, Creative Skillset, Directors UK, Shine Media and Broadcast.

Glow was celebrated for its compelling story about how light can be found in even the darkest of times. When Elijah is diagnosed with a brain tumour, his best friends are determined that he sees the Northern Lights. However, as he becomes aware of how much they are willing to do for him, the harsh reality of the situation soon reveals itself.

The winning film-making team were awarded a £1000 cash prize as well as the chance to pitch to Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE for funding and mentoring for their next short film.

The Best Non Scripted Award was won by BAFTA nominated Victoria Thomas for I Believe in Pink. Following a tattoo artist in Lagos who has found his niche by tattooing the lips of men pink, Victoria’s film explores his story and why the men he tattoos believe having pink lips makes them more acceptable to society.

Thomas won a £500 cash prize as well as the opportunity to meet with Shiver MD Alexander Gardiner following the festival for advice and guidance on their career.

Fraser Ayres, CEO of TriForce Creative Network, says: “The Triforce Short Film Festival was set up to encourage film makers from any background and it’s great to see that, as in previous years, we’ve been able to showcase high-quality work from such a diverse range of UK filmmaking talent.

Selecting the winners is always difficult when you have incredible work to choose from, but this year’s stood out for telling important stories in such a compelling way.”

The Audience Choice Award, voted by the audience on the night went to The Dead Sea, a story of two refugees trying to reach Europe by boat.  Emmanuel and Olu nearly reach the safety of shore before being returned to Libya and incarcerated in an infamous detention camp.

The Audience Choice Award winner took home a £250 cash prize as well as a chance to pitch to Ian Sharp, CEO of Sharp House and the Sharp House team for advice and support on their next project.

All prize winners also receive a 1 year membership to the Institute of Videogrphers and a copy of HitFilm 4 Pro, a VFX and editing software to help them with their next project.

TFSFF boasts a wealth of high profile patrons which include; writer, director and sometime actor, Kathy Burke, The Walking Dead star David Morrissey, Broadchurch’s Marianne Jean Baptiste, actor David Oyelowo (Selma, Nightingale), actress Kacey Ainsworth, (EastEnders,Grantchester), producer Hilary Bevan Jones (The Escape Artist, Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot), Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play), actor, writer and director Noel Clarke (Star Trek Into Darkness, Kidulthood), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, Fortitude), Zawe Ashton (Dreams of a Life, Fresh Meat) and award winning writer Roy Williams OBE. 

TFSFF, which is a career development focused initiative, has also secured a number of high profile companies and organisations as partners for this year’s festival, including Broadcast, 4Talent, Creative Skillset, Sharp House, Shiver, MAMA Youth Project, BECTU, Shine Media, Hiive, Shorts TV,Directors UK, HitFilm, Institute of Videographers, Miffy Moments and Baxter of California, who will be providing seminar speakers, prizes, opportunities and guidance to entrants and attendees, as well as supporting seminars, awards and the industry expo room at BAFTA.

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