UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 MAY
The Black Country Cowboy has won Best Short Documentary Film at the London Independent Film Festival, directed by BCU alumni, Ryan Davis.
Telling the story of a country musician from Stourbridge, the film follows 78-year-old Pete Boddis, who, despite being a local legend, has never been signed to a record label or publishing dealing.
Pete has been performing since he was 16 and has released his music independently over the last 55 years.
MA Creative Writing and Screenplay alumni and visiting lecturer on Screenwriting and Documentary Film, Ryan Davis, said: "It feels amazing to have the film nominated for awards across the world, and the win at the London Independent Film Festival was a great surprise!
"I think the film resonates with so many people because at one level his is a story of persistence and unrecognised talent, but at its heart it's love story between Pete and his wife Lynn."
Course Director for BA Filmmaking, Alan Mcqueen, produced the film, while four other BCU alumnus; Bradfield Thomas, Kiran Panchal, Oliver DuPont and Betsy Jo Warren also worked on the project.
Ryan said it was important to him to involve local talent: "Our ethic has always been that we want to use local talent and involve the students as much as possible. We are aware of how important practical experience is for learning, creating a network for future collaborators and making contacts in the industry."
Fellow BCU alumni, Bradfield Thomas, graduated with an MA in Film Production in 2022 and was invited to be Director of Photography and Editor for The Black Country Cowboy.
He says he found the experience very rewarding: "While there were many hours put into the documentary, it was so enjoyable from start to finish!
"Seeing audiences enjoy our film is rewarding and winning awards has been phenomenal. This whole experience makes me want to do it again."
"To any other students who want to go into film production and making, the best advice I have is to make your own, as often as you can."
The Black Country Cowboy has played at the London Independent Film Festival and the Golden Eyes film festival.
It will also play at Birmingham's Flatpack Festival (10-19 May) and Moseley Folk and Arts Festival (30 August-1 September), where Pete Boddis will also perform.