Wednesday 07-11-2018 - 10:06

MMU Graduate Bella Watson has been nominated for a Golden Film Award in Hollywood for ‘Best Animation’ for her film ‘Exposure’.

“I didn't realise I had been nominated for an award at first. I have submitted 'Exposure' to a lot of animation festivals, so every week I get a lot of emails rejecting, accepting or telling me my film is so far through various judging rounds.” Bella said after we asked how it felt to be nominated. “I thought this was an update email and left it for a couple of days but then re-read it. It wasn't until I read my name on the official nomination list that I realised my film really is being considered for its first award for ‘Best Animation.’”

'Exposure' is an animated documentary exploring the normalisation of drug usage. Bella describes on her website about her long and varying relationship with drugs. Firstly, with her parents telling her they’re terrible for you and having fears that you’ll die – to accepting and normalising her friends’ drug use. “For my final animation project, I decided that this was my opportunity to explore, investigate and maybe even try to understand the dependency that many students have on drugs.”

The animation was hand drawn and animated in Photoshop and took an immense 9 months to create. It has also been selected for several international film festivals, as well as featuring in our Arts Festival in October. “I always planned to submit 'Exposure' to festivals, as I wanted it to be watched on a cinema screen with an audience instead of on people’s phones. You can spend months making an amazing piece of work, but in my opinion, it is not going to have the same aesthetic on a small screen with headphones watching it on a bus. Although eventually I will be releasing it publicly online once the festival circuit is over and hope that lots of people will give it a watch.”

The US Hollywood International Golden Film Awards are happening on the 12 December 2018 at Le Foyer Ballroom, North Hollywood. “Apparently, they have a 40ft red carpet...”

If you want to see Exposure, the next public screening is at Home MCR at the Manchester Animation Festival or you can keep up to date on Bella’s website.