Metfilm graduate's short film has made finals of international competition

An Ealing film-maker who entered a major competition 'on a whim' has reached the finals.

Edward Zorab, 23, studied the BA in Practical Film at Metfilm School, based at the world famous Ealing Studios.

He has been shortlisted for the 2019 BAFTA Student Film Awards in Los Angeles for his short film, Youth in Bed.

The shortlisted films have been selected from the 568 submissions by students at film schools in 38 countries across the world, including Pakistan, South Korea, Chile, Uruguay, Finland, The Netherlands, Portugal, France and more. 

The Ealing graduate says , 'it's only just sunk in.'

Edward said: “It's very exciting to have my graduate film shortlisted by BAFTA. I submitted my film on a whim, it took me about 10 minutes to complete the submission forms, I hit 'enter' and forgot about it.

“It is a huge honour to be nominated and in no way did I expect it.'

The 20minute film is the story of a bed. It follows three interconnecting stories of love, youth and pain spanning from 1979 to 2002 that remarkably all take place in the same bed. 

Edward said: “I first came across MetFilm School when I was 16, I'd been on a summer 3-day filmmaking course and knew that's where I really wanted to go once I'd finished school. I did a foundation course first, at Bournemouth, but I just wanted to be in London. I've always wanted to make films, and MetFilm School has a long history of producing graduates who have gone on to work in film and television.

The BAFTA Student Film Awards is an annual event celebrating the works of the next generation filmmakers. 

A panel of BAFTA members will review the films on the shortlist and vote for three finalists each in the categories of Live Action, Documentary, and Animation. The finalists will be announced on June 4 and the directors will be flown to Los Angeles for the glittering finals' screening and awards event.

Since graduating from MetFilm School last winter Edward has  been directing music videos and working in factual entertainment, and he is still writing and directing short films, he said: “By the time I'm thirty I want to have written and directed my first feature film, hopefully this BAFTA nomination will a valuable addition to my CV!' 

See Edward's film here

28 May 2019