Manchester School of Art academic nominated for prestigious documentary award

Professor Steve Hawley from Manchester School of Art has been shortlisted for the Best Short Doc Award at the 2017 Sheffield Doc/Fest.

His experimental short film, War Memorial, is part of the ongoing Calling Blighty project, which showcases footage of British soldiers stationed in India and Burma during World War Two sending morale-boosting video messages home to loved ones.

Special screenings of the original video footage for families of the servicemen and women have been held across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire over the last two years, and the project was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in 2016.

Hawley’s new film examines the footage from a critical perspective and uses video technology techniques to focus on the doubt and uncertainty of the soldiers. It also highlights the often surreal directorial choices of the unknown filmmakers.

Professor Hawley, Associate Dean of Research at Manchester School of Art, said: “I am delighted to have been nominated for this award. Sheffield Doc/Fest’s reputation as a leading international documentary festival continues to grow, and it is an honour to be shortlisted.

“War Memorial is an artistic and critical perspective on remembrance, following the camera lens beyond the soldiers’ messages to give another view of their experiences on the frontline.”

War Memorial premieres at Sheffield Doc/Fest on 12th June. To buy tickets and for further information, please click here.