COVENTRY University students have triumphed at a film festival with their ‘captivating stop-motion short’.
A film showcases the journey of a piece of paper transforming into a delicate flower has clinched a prestigious award for two Coventry University students.
Titled ‘Flowers,’ the piece was created by film production students Lois Bathgate and Alvaro Cruz Soleto, earning them the title of ‘Best Film’ at the Expresso 90 Film Festival.
Hosted by the Mockingbird Cinema in Birmingham, the festival challenges filmmakers to captivate judges with films lasting 90 seconds or less.
Opting for stop-motion animation, Lois and Alvaro embarked on a creative venture to make their project stand out.
‘Flowers’ portrays the metamorphosis of a piece of paper as it ventures to imitate the elegance of a nearby bloom by transforming into a rose.
Alvaro said: “It was a wonderful process. I think the aspect I enjoyed the most was how intuitive it all felt.
“Even though we were two people, two brains, Lois and I immediately understood each other and trusted our decisions.
“Even though we would not necessarily logically understand our narrative choices, we were moved and felt strongly about the story we came up with.
“The process taught me that emotion is the most important thing when creating a story.”
Daniel Finnemore, lecturer on BA Film Production at Coventry University, said the students had produced a beautiful short film animation and to take away the main prize was a real achievement and a sure sign of things to come.
Lois said: “It’s the overall award for Best Short Film at the festival, so it’s a really nice thing to win.
“Me and Alvaro had such a good time making it, we were in the basement of one of the university buildings for two days straight taking pictures.
“This is actually the first time I’ve made a stop-motion film.”
