We’re delighted to announce the winners of this year’s DepicT! 90-second filmmaking competition, produced by Watershed as part of Encounters Short Film Festival​.

​Each year DepicT! challenges filmmakers from around the world to create an original and imaginative micro short film. The 20 films that made the DepicT! '15 Shortlist were selected from over 700 entries from 49 different countries, and each film premiered in the cinema at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase on Sat 19 Sept 2015: filmmakers, friends, family, film fans and industry professionals gathered to see which films had made the final cut. Most of the DepicT! filmmakers were in attendance at Encounters and were welcomed up on stage to discuss their film and their background in a Q&A hosted by our Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove.

The conversation continued in the Café/Bar at a Drinks Reception sponsored by St Austell Brewery, before heading to the sold out Awards Ceremony to hear what the expert DepicT! jury panel had to say about the films in the shortlist.

Each year the DepicT! judging panel features some of the top names in film and television, and this year was no different as we were joined by Oscar® and BAFTA award-winning Director Of Photography Robbie Ryan, the National Film and Television School's Chris Auty, Shooting People’s Anna Bogutskaya, Random Acts at Channel 4 Editor Pegah Farahmand, Director of the London Short Film Festival Philip Ilson, BAFTA-winning short film writer and director maker and screen writer Jennifer Majka, and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations David Sproxton. We we’re also delighted to have BBC Radio Bristol presenter Laura Rawlings as compère for the evening, presenting the awards to the lucky winners.

The DepicT! The Royal Photographic Society​ Award of £1,000 went to The Factory, co-directed by Thomas Phelan, George Lewis, Jack O'Dowd, James Hambleton-Plumb and Isaac Jack McCardle. This writing and directing group were inspired by the writings of Kafka and The Factory was originally a longer piece that was cut down for the competition.

Judge Robbie Ryan on behalf of the Society had this to say about the winning film:

“The visual storytelling and emotion grabbed me, with great compositions making me want to know more. Its story and cinematography are intrinsically linked to keep us engaged.”

DepicT! 2015 British Special Mention Award - which wins a UK filmmaker some incredible talent development opportunities via BAFTA​, the National Film and Television School and Shooting People​ - went to Steve Kirby for If The Cuckoo Don’t Crow, “a brilliantly animated, sly, humane and comedic short that made us laugh unanimously.” Steve Kirby is a freelance motion graphic designer and animator based in London and Norfolk, and he first came across the audio clip used in the film when a friend shared it on Facebook.

The jury also gave a special commendation to the UK’s Tom Edmondson for Don't Feed The Ducks - “for taking a simple everyday situation into a global breakdown.”

The DepicT! Random Acts Award, which gives one lucky winner a unique opportunity to be featured on Channel 4’s Random Acts platform and a chance to pitch for a new Random Acts commission, went to the UK’s Rosa Fisher for Conformity Juice. The jury praised the film’s “surreal originality and apparent simplicity in disguising big ideas.” Rosa is currently at University and the film was made as part of her coursework.

A commendation also went to Spain’s David Castro González and his film A2042 for “its simplicity, powerful narrative and accomplished sound design.”

The Main DepicT! 2015 Award of £1,500 and a lifetime membership to our friends at Shooting People went to Hand Maid from Morocco, made by Karim Souissi, Robin Wijnhold and Reda Zniber, a film “that made the jury think in new ways; a purely visual story that touched us without even showing a face".

And the last DepicT! award was chosen by you - we received over 2,500 votes over the two weeks that voting was open, so thanks for joining in! The Shooting People Audience Award winner is Hand Maid by Karim Souissi, Robin Wijnhold and Reda Zniber, making Hand Maid a double award winner.

Watch all the films at depict.org/watch-films

Once again, a big thank you to all the filmmakers who entered this year, to our fantastic judges, to all of your who voted and supported the competition, and of course, to our sponsors: Royal Photographic Society, Channel Four​, Aardman Animations​, Films@59, BAFTA, NFTS, Shooting People, British Council​, Independent Cinema Office​, Encounters

Like DepicT! on Facebook to get short film news, updates and opportunities every Saturday.

www.depict.org

Photos: Jon Craig Photography

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