UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 MAY
The Black Country Cowboy, directed by Birmingham City University alumnus Ryan Davis, has won Best Short Documentary Film at the London Independent Film Festival.
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.
Ryan, who studied for an MA in Creative Writing and Screenplay at BCU, 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."
Alex Mcqueen, Course Director for BA Filmmaking at BCU, produced the documentary, while four other BCU alumni -Bradfield Thomas, Kiran Panchal, Oliver DuPont and Betsy Jo Warren - also worked on the project.
"Our ethic has always been that we want to use local talent and involve the students as much as possible," said Ryan. "We are aware of how important practical experience is for learning, creating a network for future collaborators and making contacts in the industry."
Bradfield graduated with an MA in Film Production in 2022 and was invited to be Director of Photography and Editor for The Black Country Cowboy.
"While there were many hours put into the documentary, it was so enjoyable from start to finish," he said. "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.