FilmCheltAcademy Showcase Celebrates Bournside's Young Filmmakers

Thursday 23rd October, 6 - 8pm, University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus. Tickets now available via the Film Chelt website - £5

Join Mr Watts, Head of Film and Media, and 15 of our talented Film and Media students this week, for an inspiring evening of short films produced by our students – each the product of the FilmChelt Academy, a collaboration between the Cheltenham Educational Partnership and the Cheltenham Film Festival.

Bournside students have worked alongside industry professionals through workshops and mentoring to create films for the showcase that are bold, thought-provoking, and emotionally charged. From psychological horror to experimental narrative, this showcase is a glimpse into the exciting future of British cinema.

Among the highlights is ‘Red Ballet’, a striking and unsettling short made independently by Bournside Year 13 students Marta Toderenchuk, Catherine Hyatt, and Emily Wilkin. Influenced by Black Swan and Saint Maud, the film immerses its audience in a haunting exploration of obsession and identity.

Bournside (Graduates)

• Jay Denver – Confinement
  A child’s warped perception of reality blurs innocence and dread in this Kubrick-inspired study of isolation.
  
• Matthew James – Escher
  A child’s warped perception of reality blurs innocence and dread in this Kubrick-inspired study of isolation.
  
• Ruby Buxton – The Last Dance
  A young dancer struggles between caring for her ill mother and pursuing her dreams in this tender portrait of duty and freedom.
  

Bournside (Year 13)

• Marta Toderenchuk – All Clear
  A Ukrainian soldier haunted by memories of war battles conflicting emotions as she adjusts to civilian life abroad.
• Emily Wilkin – Behind Drawn Curtains
  Fragmented memories and therapy sessions intertwine as a survivor rebuilds her identity after trauma.
• Catherine Hyatt – The Road Less Travelled
  Two friends embark on a journey that tests loyalty, courage and loss in a richly coloured adventure story.
• Tilly Halford – flower children
  A dreamy, retro-styled take on the 1960s acid-hype and its echoes in today’s youth culture.
• James O’Riordan – Five Minutes
  Social anxiety becomes a suffocating presence in this taut, minimalist psychological drama.
• Jack Hutton – Routine
  Everyday actions loop and distort in a surreal descent into repetition and unease.
• Marta Toderenchuk, Catherine Hyatt & Emily Wilkin – Red Ballet
  A dark, expressionist exploration of obsession and identity inspired by Black Swan and Saint Maud.
• Esme Philcox – Knock
  Two friends experience mounting terror as unseen forces close in, testing how fear divides and unites us.
• Jacob Peters – Final Call
  A noir-style thriller where love curdles into manipulation and morality collapses under emotional strain.
• Grace Borland – Guilt
  A character study of paranoia and self-deception, where normality unravels through sound and repetition.
• Lola David – first date
  A cautionary short exposing the sinister possibilities that hide behind modern dating.
• Harry McGill – Let Me In
  Claustrophobic thriller capturing the confusion and paranoia of a man trapped within his own mind.
• Luca Perez – Shed
  A couple face a demonic presence that watches, manipulates, and ultimately consumes them.

Rob Watts, Head of Film & Media, said:

"This year's showcase is a testament to what happens when young people are trusted to take creative risks and I am proud to have so many Bournside students featured on the programme. This year’s FilmChelt Academy Showcase brings together an exciting range of short films which includes expressionist thrillers and heartfelt dramas, programmed alongside surreal experiments and punchy genre pieces. They all reflect the imagination, skill, talent and passion of Bournside's young creatives."

Event details:

• Thursday, October 23, 2025
• 6.00 – 8.00 p.m.
• University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
  

Capacity limited to 100 people – early booking recommended. Tickets available via the FilmChelt website.

The showcase forms part of the wider Cheltenham Film Festival (October 18–26, 2025) and continues the Festival’s commitment to Supporting Britain’s Future Filmmakers.