Private School News

Bedford Modern School former student wins European Short Film Competition at Angers Film Festival

Former Bedford Modern School student and up-coming London-based film producer, Michael Berliner, with Director, Fyzal Boulifa, has just won the Grand Prix du Jury in the European Short Film Competition at the prestigious Angers Film Festival in France.

The Angers Film Festival took place between 22nd and 31st January. Michael’s award-winning film, “Whore” runs for 10 minutes and the prize for winning the European Short Film category was 1,500 euros offered by Scania.

Michael, who attended Bedford Modern School between 1995 and 2004 directed his first short film ‘Thief’ as a 14 year-old student at BMS, casting the then-headmaster in a cameo role alongside school mates.

He began his professional career in film while a student at Oxford University. “I began by helping out as a runner on big screen movies during my university holidays but when I graduated in 2007 it gave me the time that I needed to move into producing.

“Alongside my job as Projects and Development Assistant at arts agency, B3 Media (www.b3media.net) in London, I am now a serial short film producer. I am currently planning my debut micro-budget feature film, a psychological drama called Christie, which I hope to be shooting in October.”

Winning the Grand Prix means a higher profile, more opportunities to work with talented directors, and more exposure to my existing portfolio of work. All of this will hopefully help me make the jump into feature film-making!

“ I’m ecstatic about winning this prize. The Angers Film Festival is one of the oldest and most highly regarded of all the international film festivals. Even to get your film picked for showing there is and honour. But to go on and to win the Grand Prix when you are competing against high quality films from all over the world is incredible.”

“Whore” (www.b3media.net/whore) is a gritty, urban drama set in a London school. My director, Fyzal, cast unknown young actors in the leading roles playing a young couple unable to communicate properly. I cast my mother, Wendy Berliner, a former BMS governor, in the role of a teacher!

Michael is no stranger to awards. The first film he produced professionally, “The Beachcombers”, won the ITV Local/Film London Best of Boroughs Viewers’ Choice Award in 2008. His second film “Looking for Marilyn”, was shown on TV as a Channel 4 Three Minute Wonder after winning the Straight 8 short film making competition, and “Whore” was selected for the 2008 “Life is Short” UK Film Council Talent DVD, and has also screened at Gijon, Warsaw, Cork and Bangkok film festivals. “In Passing”, which he produced last year, is a WWII drama starring Lesley Sharp, Sean Pertwee and Russell Tovey, which has been picked up by BBC HD for exhibition on the HD channel and on iPlayer in HD. Michael also has two brand new UK Film Council Digital Shorts out, Big Tingz and My Dad the Communist, which recently premiered at London Short Film Festival and have both been picked for the 2009 “Life is Short” UK Film Council Talent DVD – a selection of ten of the best UK Film Council funded shorts.

Photo: Michael Berliner, winner of the Grand Prix du Jury in the European Short Film Competition at the prestigious Angers Film Festival