it took iron willpower to not stop at a hedge puzzle on the way

The hard to read thing on the right is a Mackinnon and Saunders Animation Award and the harder to read thing on the left is a Grand Jury Award, both from the Exposures festival in Manchester. If you could read the one on the left you would see that it doesn't have a name on it, which is because I was a joint winner with Stuck On The Edge by Jennifer Fearnley, and they clearly didn't plan for that. She kindly allowed me to keep the award which normally I would feel bad about, but she had already won two other awards and only has two hands.

Whilst there, I met Peter Saunders who was ridiculously complimentary about Heartstrings and informed me that in all the years they have been judging the award, mine is the first stop motion film that has won. I feel very honoured. Apart from this lovely rectangle of glass my prize is a tour around Mackinnon and Saunders who are currently working on the puppets for the new Tim Burton feature, Frankenweenie. I also now own Peter Saunders' business card which takes pride of place in my wallet, ruling over all the other business cards. Words cannot describe how glad I am that entered this festival.

Manchester had a huge German Christmas market, it just went on and on, and made me wonder who is left to man the markets in Germany. It was still November at the time so I was a Grinch and refused to enter in to the Christmas spirit. A giant, cute, light up Father Christmas almost made it happen but I resisted.

a sheepish post

Heartstrings has been shortlisted for judgement in the 'Best Student Film' category at the British Animation Awards. Yay!

It's all very exciting but I don't really know what it means. It sounds suspiciously like a TV talent show where I've made it through to the next round. Hopefully I don't have to go to London and animate on stage in front of hundreds of people and a panel of judges.

award update

I was awarded 'Best Student Film' at the Norwich Film Festival which was pretty exciting. It was the first festival to screen the film, the first one to give me an award and it was also the first year of the festival. I wish it much success in the future.

Last weekend I went to Canterbury AniFest. It was the first time I'd seen the film with a biggish audience and it was a good feeling. It was great to see Barry Purves again as he talked about things that influenced him. Also one of the judges is Peter Firmin, co-creator of Smallfilms, Bagpuss and The Clangers, who was very complimentary about Heartstrings and a pleasure to chat with. I walked away with the 'Runner Up', 'Technical Accomplishment' and 'Audience' awards. I won them I didn't just walk off with them. A huge thank you to everyone who voted for me and to the festival for being so supportive.

While in Canterbury I learned of a fireworks display near by organised by the British Fireworks Champions. It would've been rude not to go. I can report that it was excellent and also that the people of Kent don't appreciate how lucky they are.

asian premiere

Today is the first day of Aniwow! and much to my amazement Heartstrings has made it into the final competition for the White Poplar Award. This means it is screening on a loop for the next two days at the CUC in Beijing. I am very lucky that the theme of my film fits with the theme of this year's festival and so I get to be included in a programme of the best student work from around the world.

As it is in Beijing I am imagining all sorts of Olympic style ceremonies. My favourite is the giant firework hand prints that travel across the city. The hands only have three fingers of course.

north american premiere

This weekend is the first year of The Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival. There will be a strong Newport presence in the academic competition with myself, Lorna Bailey and Joseph Wallace all being selected. There may be more but the website hasn't posted the nominees so I can only report the facts as I know them.

I will be thinking positive thoughts about one of us winning the award. The trophy is an armature which is extremely useful. I think other festivals should take note and make their trophies functional too. A statuette that is also an external hard drive, a framed certificate that is also a graphics tablet or for the festival with a tiny budget a trophy that is also a pencil sharpener.

live and covered by dots

This event coincides with the opening of the shiny and newly renovated Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. It will probably still smell of fresh paint but don't let that put you off.

A fantastic opportunity to hear Gareth Bonello's wonderful score live from his banjo to your ears! If you've already seen the other films then this is the chance to see them again but with a new soundtrack which will transform them into brand new films.

It's also a chance for you to see me try and talk in front of a room full of people without exploding in panic. On second thoughts, I'm sure you all have better things to do that night so maybe you should do those things instead.

Although this event is very exciting, what made my heart sing with glee was being printed in the Chapter programme, of which I've been a flipper for many years.

if i could turn back time, would i have found a way

I have just discovered that Heartstrings has been selected to screen at ReAnimania which is on from 3rd to 6th October. Today is the 8th October so if any Armenians can let me know how it went I'd be grateful.

Congratulations to Nick Parki, as he's known in Armenia, as he's won yet another award for A Question Of Bread And Death.