MDX student films victorious in RTS London Student TV Awards

Two Middlesex University student productions have triumphed at the Royal Television Society London Student Television Awards

Ben Bogdan-Hodgson and Alina Ilin received the Entertainment and Comedy Drama Award for their quirky parable The Other Half, at the recent Royal Television Society (RTS) London Student Television Awards. Their film is about a town where every resident, male and female, sports a handsome moustache.

Sanaa Hamdoun won in the Factual – Short Form category for her documentary short The Turning Point about a young Lebanese woman overcoming many obstacles to achieve her dream of becoming a cinematographer. 

Ben and Alina described how the idea for their film came to them jokily as a way of entering a US film festival where to be eligible, a movie must have a moustachioed lead character; and more seriously, because they wanted to make a film that talks about minorities and advocates diversity and inclusion. The plot involves the main character Ash who conforms to wearing a moustache like everybody else, but he must admit its falseness to save Nadia from the town's adversity.

The pair shot the film in Sighisoara, Romania, which provided the desired backdrop of colourful historic buildings less expensively than would be possible in the UK, but there remained huge challenges.

"Many people doubted the feasibility of raising £10,000 for a student short film, but we embraced the challenge and made it happen through our hard work,” said Alina.

As producer, Ben and the team had to spend much of their time fundraising. In addition, the team faced the challenge of making a film abroad where most locals could not speak English and the weather was harsh and changeable, making it an even bigger feat than usual to ensure cast and crew were kept warm, fed and watered and had accommodation.

Meanwhile, Alina kept up exacting standards in her eye for detail as director, directing around 30 extras in a beautiful opening scene where the main character delivers post to the locals. Alina also got two cast members to pretend to be beating out a carpet in front of a car, to preserve the illusion of a world without motor vehicles.

“We received invaluable support from many amazing people, many of whom were not familiar with the film industry but believed in us and our capabilities,” said Alina.

The team persuaded the town’s Mayor to grant them permission to film in the Town Citadel, a UNESCO world heritage site, with local police blocking the street so cast and crew could work their magic. 

The Other Half has been nominated for a Learning on Screen award and will be showcased at the Curzon Soho cinema on May 2nd. Ben and Alina hope to develop the concept from a 15-minute short into a TV series or miniseries. In partnership with an MDX fellow student, the pair have a production company and make show reels for child and adult actors. They have just converted the studio space they work out of in Richmond.

Sanaa Hamdoun, who graduated in BA Television and Digital Production at MDX last year, was delighted with her win for The Turning Point. Sanaa has more than 20 years’ experience as a freelance filmmaker, presenter and producer of programmes on social and humanitarian topics, in particular making films about diverse women overcoming various challenges.

Her second-year documentary for her course at MDX, entitled Against All Odds, told the story of an immigrant woman surviving domestic abuse to rebuild her life.

As a mature student from Lebanon, Sanaa was determined to make a film about a woman from her homeland who was surviving and progressing in life despite the obstacles she faced.

She found a remarkable woman called Rayan, secured access to her and her family, and flew out to Beirut to make The Turning Point.

Rayan had witnessed the huge explosion at Beirut port in 2020. “That day was overwhelming and a huge turning point, especially in Rayan’s career as a cinematographer,” said Sanaa. “On that day she tried to document everything, which she could only bear to witness through her camera.

“My film reflects on the dreams of many young people in the Middle East, or anyone facing adversity, to chase those dreams and never give up, just like Rayan.”  

Sanaa added: “I was delighted to attend the award ceremony. I met a lot of talented and inspiring filmmakers, and I was incredibly pleased to win the Factual – Short Form category with my film.”

Dr Helen Bendon, Interim Head of the School of Film and Associate Professor of Film and Media at MDX, said: “This is a fantastic result for our Middlesex students to win in both major categories at the London RTS awards. Both films were overseas productions, which comes with challenges. The students have delivered rich, urgent storytelling and displayed fantastic skills and professionalism in filmmaking, and I am immensely proud that this work has been rewarded by the RTS.”

Paul Kerr, Senior Lecturer in Television Production at MDX, said: “We are hugely proud of the achievements of our graduates and hope these deserved awards help them make their way in the film and TV industry as they start their careers as professional filmmakers.”

The RTS Student Television Awards recognise the best audio-visual work by undergraduate and postgraduate students across the UK, and nurture and support this talent and potential of students to make film and video content. The national awards will be presented in June.

Watch Sanaa's film The Turning Point.  

Ben and Alina's film studio: ASB Showreels.

Award Photos: RTS London/John Stone.

Find out more about studying film and television at Middlesex University.