Film festival nod for director (From Wiltshire Times)

Film festival nod for director

8:25am Thursday 27th March 2008 in News By Craig Evry

A 29-YEAR-OLD film director from Semington has been nominated for a top award at an international film festival in Germany.

Jamie McDine, has moved back to Wiltshire after four years living in Germany, but will return to the nation next month to find out if he has won an award at the 11mm International Film Festival in Berlin.

Mr McDine, a former pupil at the George Ward School in Melksham, has received critical acclaim for his football-themed movie Blauweiss, which follows the fortunes of 1974 European Champions FC Magdeburg, from the opening of the their new stadium to the team's dramatic bid to win promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga during the 2006/07 season - which they narrowly failed to achieve.

Mr McDine's 103-minute film has been nominated for the Goldene 11 award and is up against Italian film Maradona - La Mano de Dios, New York Cosmos documentary Once in a Lifetime and Argentinian movie El camino de San Diego.

His film will be shown at the prestigious film festival at Berlin's premier cinema, Babylon Kino, which runs from April 4-7.

Mr McDine said: "It would be great to win, but it's an honour just to be nominated and featured at this fantastic and prestigious film festival.

"As a football and film fan I love watching as many of the different productions as possible to pick up ideas, feel the international flavour and just enjoy the action.

"I've had such an amazing response from Magdeburg's fans, and also football fans in general who love the film.

"The biggest testament to the emotion of the film was seeing huge German men brought to tears by the climax of the film.

"I was also devastated that the team missed out on promotion as I'd become good friends with all the players and coaching staff and felt like part of the team, but that's football."

Mr McDine has previously worked on short films with the likes of former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown and Oasis' Noel Gallagher.

He is currently working on projects with the German Tourist Office and the British Council.

He added: "I love the variety of projects and using my various technical and language skills. I really enjoyed my time working and living in Germany, but it's great to be back in Wiltshire."

More information about Mr McDine's film can be found at www.11-mm.de or www.ivisualise.co.uk