Student film part of official selection for the Student Film Awards 2023

A short film produced for assessment by MA Film Photography and Media students has been voted to become part of the official selection for the National Student Film Awards 2023.

This is the second time in two years that our film students have been recognised by the judges of this prestigious competition. 

Congratulations to students Ziyi Zhang, Chenghui Li, Dake He and Zhuoyi Yang who will receive a Laurel for their achievement. 

The Student Film Awards 2023

The film, called LIAR, was selected by the School of Media and Communication to represent the University in the annual National Student Film Awards held by the National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image (NAHEMI)

The selection panel narrowed down all entries to a shortlist of the best films made in the UK by students in 2023. 

In the final round of competition, the awards panel gives prizes to those films which excel in certain areas. LIAR won the Creativity Award. 

The full list of selected films and successful institutions are as follows: 

  • Still Life by University of York 
  • Whisperers by London College of Communication (UAL) 
  • Crush London by College of Communication (UAL) 
  • LIAR by University of Leeds 
  • Katya by University of the West of Scotland 
  • Tipsy Sugar Flipping by Falmouth University 
  • Eternity's Grace by Angela Ruskin University 
  • Forgotten Fibre by University of Western England 
  • Saving Art by London Film School 
  • Coconut by University of Gloucestershire 
  • Picking Glue by University of Plymouth 
  • CARE by Edinburgh Napier University 
  • The Curse of Dracular by Norwich University. 

Dedication, hard work, fun and growth 

Dake He, the Director of LIAR said: “I was very happy when I knew that LIAR won the award. I felt that my creative instincts were right this time and I had lived up to the trust and commitment of my group members. At the same time, I was very grateful to our instructor for recognizing our work and to the University of Leeds for giving us an opportunity to earn this honour.” 

Producer Chenghui Li said: “First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizing committee of the competition for awarding us this award, which will be a very important encouragement for us on the path of film learning. Dake is a very capable director with excellent directing skills and creative ideas. As a producer in the group, I am honoured to coordinate and arrange all the work in the group to ensure the smooth progress of the work. Thanks very much to the University of Leeds for giving us this opportunity on this platform.” 

Ziyi Zhang, the Director of Photography said: “This is one of the best and most united crews I've ever been a part of, and I love each one of the crew members who have worked so hard together. Each one of them did so well that we had the chance to win this award, and I'm so thankful to them for giving me the chance to do what I am doing best, and for trusting each other so deeply. Thank you for being there, love you guys.” 

Zhuoyi Yang, Art Director said: “Our team is very honoured and excited to win the award for the short film "LIAR". We experienced many challenges and difficulties in the process of creating this short film, but thanks to the dedication and hard work of all team members, we had countless fun and growth in the process. This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of our team. We thank the jury and organizers and everyone who supported us. This award encourages us to continuously pursue innovation, explore the unknown and continuously improve our artistic standards. In the future, we will continue to work hard to bring you more exciting movie experiences. Thanks again!” 

Actor Ziqian Dong said: “I am honoured to be part of LIAR in this short film which is a blend of imagination and real life. It expresses some of the real life and communication situations that international students encounter in their lives. In the process of acting, I discovered that I also have this kind of LIAR-style self-expression and obstacles, so I am honoured to be able to empathise with "myself" in this way. I would like to thank all the members of the LIAR team, without their dedication this film would not have been possible, and I sincerely wish the LIAR creative team the best of luck in their future lives and careers. Once again, congratulations on the success of LIAR and love you all.”