Following a fantastic buzz at the DepicT! Showcase in the afternoon, filmmakers and guests gathered on the evening of Sat 19 Nov for the 17th Bristol Encounters International Film Festival Awards Ceremony hosted by Peter Carlton to learn who'd scooped this year's DepicT! competition prizes.

Out of a dizzying 500 films from 30 countries, 14 tiny films were shortlisted for their distinctive, imaginative and engaging qualities.

DepicT! is a brilliant opportunity for filmmakers to challenge themselves to come up with a strong, imaginative idea to engage audiences in less than 90 seconds. It's the original ultra-short film competition in this country offering a space for quality and ambition, giving short-listed filmmakers priceless exposure, through networking and development opportunities at Encounters, the UK’s leading short film festival.

Juror David Sproxton of Aardman Animations and Screen International's Sarah Cooper presented the main DepicT! Award of £1,500 to Nick Fogg for her documentary film ‘Wake' about 87-year old Lis who is still determined to live life to the full.

Winner Nick Fogg says:

It's brilliant, and very exciting! There's been such a positive response to the film so far. And hopefully it will now be screened in lots more places. DepicT! is a very accessible competition with a fantastic set of prizes - the prize money will be a huge help towards the budget of my next project. Thank you DepicT!

Jury member Sarah Cooper says:

After presenting the DepicT! Award, I headed to the festival’s buzzing Brazillian themed wrap party...with a host of talented filmmakers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs,Watershed felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow - albeit in a cool informal setting. It was also a great finish to a festival which is doing an increasingly important job in providing a showcase for short films in a climate where funding for shorts is increasingly hard to come by, and traditional distribution becomes more limited.

Maddy Probst, Watershed Programme Producer, says:

With a record number of over 500 entries from 30 countries, we had a really tough time getting the shortlist down to the final fourteen. I was delighted with both the quality and range of work in this year’s shortlist and was particularly impressed with the British entries. It’s also great to see a documentary pick up the main Award, a first in DepicT!’s history.

BAFTA-winning director Patrick Collerton announced the British Special Mention Award winner Michelle Arbon for her film ‘Above as Below’. As a winner, she receives a great package of support from BAFTA, the National Film and Television School, The British Council and Shooting People. The jury also decided to give a special mention to Ben Jacobson for ‘Candy Crime’.

Winner Michelle Arbon says:

I feel very privileged that my short film was selected. It was an honour to win and the career development opportunities accompanying this award present an incredible opportunity for me within the industry. I am very excited and feel this will help me to pursue my career goals as a writer and director.

Jury member Patrick Collerton says:

The jury thought that the winner is a beautifully timeless and timely animation that brings home the horrors of war in a poetic, cinematic and evocative way. In storytelling terms it’s that hardest of things to achieve – a simple story well told that lingers in the memory. We feel that it’s lovely to be able to give these further opportunities to someone who already has such a strong directorial vision.

Last but not least, the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award went to Tim Bassford for ‘The Launderette’. Tim will receive a lifetime membership to Shooting People, along with a selection of DVDs and other goodies.

Winner Tim Bassford says:

It's an absolute honour to win the Audience prize amongst some really stiff competition. I think DepicT! is a real trail blazer in getting film makers to think hard about how to be as concise as possible in telling a story. The whole experience has certainly inspired me to increase my ambition and submit some more films next year. I'm a massive fan of Shooting People anyway so the prize will help me make future connections and raise the profile of my future projects for many productive years to come!

Our congratulations go to all three, as well as to all the DepicT! shortlisted filmmakers. We'd like to thank the jury for their work in coming to decisions on this fine selection of films. The jury felt that the films were 'all worthy to be shortlisted' which resulted in a very lively discussion. The jury were: David Sproxton, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aardman Animations, Gina Fucci, MD of Films at 59, Nik Powell, Film Producer, Director of the National Film and Television School and Deputy Chair of BAFTA Film Committee, Christine Bardsley, Head of Film for the British Council and Sarah Cooper, reporter for Screen International.

A huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of DepicT! who enable us to run the competition, and also to all the filmmakers who submitted their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition! If you're thinking ahead to next year already, we anticipate DepicT! 2012 will launch earlier than usual – in January as Encounters is happening in September. If you haven't yet had a chance to see the films yet, they are still available online at depict.org.

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