UWE Bristol student shines light on climate emergency in award-winning film
A PhD student from UWE Bristol has won a Research in Film Award for his powerful short film about the Arctic.
Doctoral student, Adam Laity, was presented with the award for Best Climate Emergency Film at a recent virtual ceremony held by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. He also receives a £5,000 prize fund for future filmmaking purposes.
The 29-minute film, titled A Short Film About Ice, combines stunning visuals and aerial footage of Arctic landscapes with poetry and literary extracts from authors such as Lord Byron and Allen Ginsberg.
Adam spent a month filming in the Arctic in 2017, travelling on a scientific sailing ship along with a small group of artists and scientists from across the world.
Touching on themes of cultural responsibility and eco-anxiety, the film depicts some striking moments, including a particularly awe-inspiring scene of glacial ice plunging into the sea in real time.
Adam said: ‘‘The message of A Short Film About Ice is essentially that humans and nature are inter-connected in ways that are hard to understand, and that lack of understanding has caused the break-down of our global climate system. It is a really personal film and attempts to deal honestly with the effects of eco-anxiety and poor mental health I was suffering when I shot it.
‘‘I’d like viewers to feel emotionally moved at first, and then I’d like them to be curious about the subject matter on an intellectual level. We need to start seeing ourselves, specifically in the images we create, as an integral part of the natural world, rather than in front of or separate to nature.’’
A nine-minute excerpt of the film is available.
The film is the major research output for Adam’s PhD at UWE Bristol exploring how the craft of cinematography can offer new ways of seeing the world, particularly at a time when images are so vital to how we communicate.
A Short Film About Ice has also received international acclaim after winning the Best Short Film award at Green Fest Belgrade, Serbia, earlier in the year.
Related news
22 November 2024
UWE Bristol professor unveils blue plaque honouring Bristol’s Cary Grant
Dr Charlotte Crofts joined Historic England to unveil a blue plaque celebrating the Hollywood star.
11 November 2024
UWE Bristol alum wins at TIGA UK Games Education Awards 2024
Kieran De Sousa, a UWE Bristol BSc (Hons) Games Technology graduate, has won a top video game industry award.
17 October 2024
Immersive Arts opens applications with grants up to £50,000 available
Immersive Arts, a UK programme to support artists to make and share extraordinary immersive work, has opened applications for its first round of funding.
17 October 2024
Creatives from across Bristol’s Global Majority cultural scene celebrated at upcoming event
The creative work of some of Bristol’s most inspiring Global Majority filmmakers, musicians, artists and writers will be celebrated at the next BDAS event.
14 October 2024
UWE Bristol photography student exhibits in Paris after prestigious award win
MA Photography student Alice Poyzer has won a prestigious award that will see her photographs exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris next month.
10 October 2024
UWE Bristol graduates release song for Bristol-based Talk Club on World Mental Health Day
Through a university-led scheme, UWE Bristol graduates have created a music single aimed at raising awareness of national mental health charity Talk Club.
07 October 2024
Opinion: why UWE Bristol is championing immersive arts as a 21st Century artform
A new £3.6m programme will engage artists across the UK to help understand the role that technology can play in driving forward immersive arts.
03 September 2024
World-first rubies grown in situ from waste materials
A UWE Bristol researcher looks set to transform the jewellery industry after successfully growing the world’s first ruby in situ, in a platinum ring.
28 August 2024
Funding opportunities and information events announced for 'Immersive Arts'
Immersive Arts, a UK-wide programme to support artists to make and share extraordinary immersive work, has unveiled its first round of funding opportunities.
20 August 2024
UWE Bristol art and design students explore diverse global issues at MA Degree Show
UWE Bristol’s Showcase: MA Degree Show returns to Spike Island on 5 September, featuring the extraordinary artwork of around 50 graduating students.
17 July 2024
Chief executive of charity that runs Bristol Beacon receives honorary degree
The chief executive of the charity set up to manage Bristol Beacon, the renowned music venue in the city, has been awarded an honorary degree by UWE Bristol.
16 July 2024
Watershed chief executive recognised with honorary doctorate from UWE Bristol
The chief executive of one of Bristol’s leading cultural organisations has been awarded an honorary doctorate.