Students from University of the West of Scotland (UWS) claimed three major wins at this year’s Royal Television Society (RTS) Scotland Student Awards, securing top prizes in the Saving the Planet, Drama, and Craft – Best Camera work categories.

With five graduate film projects shortlisted, UWS students took home nearly a third of the awards on the night, reinforcing the University’s reputation for excellence in filmmaking and media production.

The winners included:

·      Saving the Planet category: On the Red List by Mathilde van Ooijen, Andrea Costa, Carla Basu, and Sean Burns (Broadcast Production)

·      Drama category: Gas & Electricity by Daniel Kelly, Grace Bisland, William Duguid Cox, Eszter Kenez, Kelly Halpin, Lewis Robertson, and Skye Morrison (Filmmaking & Screen Writing)

·      Craft Award – Best Camera work: William Duguid Cox for his work on Lamia and Gas & Electricity (Filmmaking & Screen Writing)

Speaking on the success of On the Red List, director Mathilde van Ooijen said: “It has been such an amazing journey, and an incredible honour to receive an award from RTS for our film. 

“We have had more than 40 days of filming for On the Red List, as is often the nature of wildlife filmmaking. And in this, I have just been so incredibly lucky with the support from UWS and my amazing Crew (Andrea Costa, Carla Basu, Federica Massini and Sean Burns) that have weathered storms with me to make this film. 

“Winning this award from RTS has really given me a renewed sense of determination to create more works in the future, increasing the quality of storytelling and filmmaking.”

 

These wins reflect the exceptional talent and dedication of our students, as well as the high-quality teaching and industry focused training that UWS provides. Seeing their creativity recognised at this level is a proud moment for everyone involved in the programme.

Kate Cotter, Programme Leader for BA TV, Radio & Podcast Production

 

The BA (Hons) Filmmaking & Screen Writing degree at UWS offers students hands-on experience in scriptwriting, production, and post-production, preparing them for careers in the film and media industries.

The BA (Hons) Broadcast Production: TV, Radio & Podcast Production course equips students with the skills to create and produce engaging digital media content across multiple platforms. The university’s Performance and Music courses also played a key role, with students from these disciplines contributing to the winning projects.

 

Throughout my time at UWS, I've learned that filmmaking is a collaborative process. The people who have been part of this process are more than just colleagues - they're friends who have put their trust in me, just as I've put my trust in them. This award isn't just mine, it's theirs too, and I owe it to them.

 

William Duguid Cox commenting on his Craft Award – Best Camera Work, for his work on Lamia and Gas & Electricity, 

 

The lead roles in both Lamia and Gas & Electricity were played by students from UWS’s Performance course, demonstrating the university’s interdisciplinary approach to creative arts education.

Dr Gill Jamieson, senior lecturer and Programme Leader for BA Filmmaking course praised the winners: “To have UWS take home three awards from this year’s RTS Scotland Student Awards is an incredible achievement. These awards recognise the outstanding creativity, talent, and dedication of our students across multiple disciplines. I’m immensely proud of their work and can’t wait to see what they do next.”

The awards ceremony, held at St. Luke’s, Glasgow, was attended by UWS staff members and students who contributed to the winning projects from Filmmaking & Screen Writing, Performance, Music, and Broadcast Production. The night’s success further adds to UWS’s growing reputation, with its trophy cabinet now packed with industry accolades.

The full list of winners is available here.