Graduate Shorts Commission: Industry Panel Announced

We are honoured that this year’s Graduate Shorts Commission submission panels will each feature a leading industry figure. We are excited and thankful to welcome John Stevenson for animation entries, Nico Marzano for documentary and experimental entries, and Henry Blake and Victoria Bavister for scripted narrative.

John Stevenson

John Stevenson has over four decades of experience in film development and production. Most recently Stevenson directed Sherlock Gnomes for Paramount and MGM, a sequel to the 2011 hit Gnomeo and Juliet, and an animated twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. Stevenson directed Kung Fu Panda with Mark Osborne, which starred Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie. Released in the summer of 2008, Kung Fu Panda has grossed over $600 million worldwide and spawned two sequels.  In 2009, Stevenson was nominated for an Academy Award with Mark Osborne, and both won the Annie for best direction of an animated feature.

Nico Marzano

Nico Marzano (Founder/Artistic Director) curates the film programme and runs the film distribution arm at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London (ICA) bringing a unique programme of independent and socially relevant films to UK audience. As well as hosting industry debates, masterclasses and Q&As with contemporary international artists and filmmakers, Nico regularly serves on international film festival juries including Venice Film Festival, Sundance, BFI London Film Festival, Cinema Du Reel, and as a tutor for pitching forums and film workshops including Cannes Film Festival and CPH:DOX among others.

Henry Blake & Victoria Bavister

County Lines was one of the best British films released in 2020. The feature film, nominated for a string of BIFAs was written and directed by Henry Blake, and produced by Victoria Bavister. The film drew on Blake’s experience as a social worker, working specifically with victims of child exploitation and ‘county lines’ drug trafficking. The film was critically lauded, including by Variety who describe the film as ''Brute social realism with a thriller’s ticking clock”.

The deadline for applying for School of Film & Television and Screen Cornwall Graduate Shorts is Friday 25th June 2021 at 5pm. 
Information on how to apply and what to consider can be found here.