Making Waves Film Festival

Category: Wave Makers

The latest updates on MWFF’s talent development and workshop schemes.

Future Filmmakers Shine at Wave Makers Talent Day 2025
The Wave Makers Talent Day returned to Portsmouth on Friday 21 March at the Wedgewood Rooms as part of the Making Waves Film Festival, offering an inspiring showcase of the next generation of filmmakers and screen talent.

The event brought together students and emerging creatives from across the South to share their work, hear from industry experts, and build connections that could shape the future of their careers.
Hosted at Portsmouth’s historic Guildhall, the day featured the much-anticipated Future BAFTA Winners screening, highlighting short films from students at institutions including Bournemouth University, Solent University, the University of Portsmouth, and the University of Winchester.
Samuel Preston from the University of Winchester took home the Judges’ Award for Best Film with 25%, while Emma Heal from the University of Portsmouth won the Audience Award for Best Film for Autumn of Life—both receiving enthusiastic recognition from peers and professionals alike.
Best Film (Judges Award) “25%” – University of Winchester
Industry insight came from Alison Norrington, who offered a dynamic talk on the Business Builder Grant, sharing valuable guidance for creative entrepreneurs seeking to fund their next big idea. The day’s headline conversation saw Ben Cloud of Millstream Productions (event sponsor) in conversation with filmmaker Dan Pringle, exploring the journey from indie filmmaking to industry impact.
Best Film (Audience Award) “Autumn of Life” – University of Portsmouth
In true Wave Makers style, networking took centre stage—this time with a twist. Attendees enthusiastically took part in Networking Bingo, an interactive challenge that encouraged meaningful connections, with some participants proudly completing all three bingo cards.
Wave Makers Talent Day continues to play a vital role in supporting and showcasing the rich pool of creative talent emerging from the South Coast, giving early-career filmmakers a platform to shine, share, and connect.
For the full list of films screened, visit: https://makingwavesfilmfestival.com/future-bafta-winners-2025/
Find out more about the Wave Makers programme at: https://makingwavesfilmfestival.com/wave-makers-talent-day-2025/
The Wave Makers Talent Day was made possible through generous support by Millstream Production, University of Winchester, University of Portsmouth and Southampton Solent University and was supported by Kabuki Productions.
March 27, 2025
Step Into the Story: An Immersive Theatre Workshop for Pompey Dogs Live Cinema!
By: Martha Austin
Of all the things I imagine myself doing at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, taking an Immersive Theatre class in a brewery was not one of them and yet now I can’t imagine a better way to spend my weekend.
I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the Interactive Theatre workshop run by the Making Waves Film Festival in conjunction with immersive theatre director Joe Hufton. It was a fantastic experience during which I learned a number of new techniques, made connections, learned from industry professionals, and above all, had a lot of fun!
From professional actors to people just there for a laugh, 30 of us gathered together to learn the ins and outs of producing an immersive theatre experience. We warmed up our (somewhat rusty, in my case) improvisation skills by telling stories to one another based on things in the room. From dinosaur uprisings to portals in fridges, we heard it all.
After we were feeling sufficiently creative, we were split into groups to create semi-scripted scenes to guide an audience along a narrative journey. The storyline of the day centred around a gang preparing for the ultimate job (cue terrible mobster accents all round) so after a very important discussion on who would be on Team Weaponry and who would be relegated to Team Tech, we got cracking.
I have to say, it’s been a while since I’ve properly been able to play with a new concept. While initially somewhat depressing, Joe’s mantra of ‘whatever you make the first time will almost certainly be rubbish’ turned out to be shockingly freeing. Having permission to make something more than a bit rough around the edges and for that to be completely OK was something I think we could all do with a bit more of in life.
And, for me, that mantra turned out to be one of the key points of the workshop. Don’t waste time standing around wondering what it would be like if you tried something, just try it and see for yourself.
The Acting & Directing for Immersive Cinema Experiences workshop was part of a preparation process for Pompey Dogs, a live cinema screening of Reservoir Dogs (1992) at Staggeringly Good Brewery as part of this year’s film festival. You can find out more by taking a look at the event programme.
February 12, 2025
Wave Makers Talent Development Day: A Celebration of Emerging Film Talent at No6 Cinema
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The Wave Makers Talent Development Day, an integral part of the Making Waves Film Festival annual season, recently unfurled its sails at No6 Cinema, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, revealing the vibrant potential of South West’s filmmaking talent. This day-long event showcased the work of 2nd year fiction production students at three local universities; the University of Winchester, Solent University and the University of Portsmouth’s BA (Hons), in the Future BAFTA Winners Short Film Competition.
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The standout short film, ‘Daylight’, directed by Alfie Sadler and produced by Ben Steed, clinched the Judges’ Award. Judges praised ‘Daylight’ for its “sense of frustration,” exemplary editing, and the effective use of cross-cutting, which significantly elevated the film’s narrative tension. The audience vote went to another University of Portsmouth team, with the prize being awarded to ‘When this You See’, produced by Ben Jones and Directed by Megan Lyons. The handmade awards, created especially for the competition by local artist Lawn of the Dead, were presented by Ben Cloud and Dan Musty from Millstream Productions.
The event wasn’t just about competition; it was a comprehensive platform for networking, insight, and celebration. Beyond the screenings, the Wave Makers Talent Development Day featured networking sessions and a Q&A hosted by BFI NETWORK Talent Coordinator Ella McDonald who spoke with funded filmmaker Corinne Walker.

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We then had the opportunity to watch four BFI-funded films including Corinne Walker’s ‘Homegrown’, which explores the experience of migrant farm workers. Providing attendees with a unique opportunity to engage with emerging talent and learn from those who have been through the BFI production funding scheme.
Sponsored by Millstream Productions, and supported by BFI NETWORK, and FILM ACADEMY, the event stands as an annual beacon for film enthusiasts and creators, emphasising the importance of partnerships between educational institutions, and funding bodies and highlighting the invaluable support of local businesses in cultivating the next generation of filmmakers.

[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”default” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” flex_grow=”0″ top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”20″ width=”” height=”20″ alignment=”center” border_size=”” weight=”” amount=”” sep_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” icon=”” icon_size=”” icon_color=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” /][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]We congratulate all the participants and winners for their outstanding contributions, we genuinely believe we will see some of these young people winning BAFTA’s in the not-too-distant future. Their stories serve as a reminder of the powerful ways in which film can explore our world and give expression to our ideas.
Stay connected with us for more inspiring stories of creativity and here’s to the next wave of film talent, nurtured and celebrated here in the South West. Join us in this cinematic voyage.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”default” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” flex_grow=”0″ top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”20″ width=”” height=”20″ alignment=”center” border_size=”” weight=”” amount=”” sep_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” icon=”” icon_size=”” icon_color=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” /][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]
This event was sponsored by Millstream Productions, and supported by No6 Cinema, BFI NETWORK, BFI Film Academy, University of Winchester, University of Portsmouth and Solent University.
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April 3, 2024