Graduate’s film selected for Africa International Film Festival

A University of Wolverhampton graduate, who has set up his own film and television post-production company, is set to showcase his film at an international festival in Nigeria next month.    

BA (Hons) Video and Film Production graduate Andrew Webber will fly to West Africa in November, when his short film ‘Second Wind’ is screened at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).
 
The film – nominated previously for awards at Birmingham International Film Festival, the Movie Screen Video Awards, Portobello Film Festival, and selected at the Jamaica Film Festival - was shot across locations in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, including the University of Wolverhampton’s Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing.
 
Andrew Webber, who graduated in 2007 and was born and raised in Birmingham, said:
“I really want to bring home the Best Short award; my team and I have worked so hard to create a polished product, and I’m so proud of the response to my film; what started off as a small pet project has now gone on to receive international recognition around the world. This is incredible.
 
“The University has been extremely supportive, through my studies and after graduation. It helped me to facilitate my dream of this film – the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing had remarkable facilities for my shoot, the location looked like a real hospital; its authenticity reinforced the film’s credibility. The University staff were welcoming with open arms and smiles on their faces.

“I returned home to the West Midlands to produce ‘Second Wind’ for many reasons; I wanted to direct a film with a universal story based here, featuring actors with regional accents rather than focusing on London where the majority of the TV and film industry is centralised.”  
 
Tracy McCoy, Head of Department of Film, Media and Broadcasting, Faculty of Arts, University of Wolverhampton, said:
“We’re extremely proud of what Andrew is achieving and he has a bright future ahead of him. He inspires our current students and often comes back into the University to give guest talks; he talks realistically about his journey, what to expect going into the industry and knowing your worth.”
 
Andrew will be coming back to the University this semester for a special screening of his film and a Q&A with students.
 
Since graduating, he’s set up his own company AW Broadcast: a boutique film and TV production house, and has worked with companies such as ITV, Channel 4, ITN and OH TV to name a few. 
 
Andrew is also in the process of turning ‘Second Wind’ into a full-length feature film, and is aiming to film a series of shorts – a 20 minute periodic drama ‘Retribution’ and sci-fi thriller ‘Retina’ – and to get a TV series off the ground in 2016.
 
For more information on courses within the School of Media at the University of Wolverhampton, please visit www.wlv.ac.uk/arts
 
The biggest film festival in Africa, AFRIFF runs from 8 – 15 November 2015 and is held in Lagos, Nigeria. For more information, please visit www.afriff.com
 
To watch the trailer for Second Wind, please visit www.secondwind-movie.com and visit
www.aw-broadcast.tv for more information on Andrew’s work
 
ENDS

For more information please contact Claire Tallentire in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736, email: C.Tallentire@wlv.ac.uk