One to watch (From Wiltshire Times)

One to watch

11:19am Friday 9th December 2005 in Corsham By David Giles

MOVIEMAKER Oscar Stringer has beaten off more than 100 competitors to land a place at a top film academy. Mr Stringer, 39, who runs South Street Studios, in Corsham, produced a short film about two women in a car crash for an online competition.

Judges heaped praise on the film and declared the father-of-three, "one to watch" in the future.

The inaugural competition, organised by UK Online F@ster Films, asked filmmakers over the summer to produce a movie on the theme of speed.

Mr Stringer used a technique called time remapping to vary the pace of events before and after the crash.

More than 100 people entered the competition and on Thursday he beat off five other finalists to win first prize. He won a week's filmmaking course in New York, Los Angeles or Oxford.

"I made the film just over a year ago with the Kipperfoot Dance Company based in Oxfordshire," he said.

"We have submitted it to various festivals and it has been screened around the country.

"The ceremony on Thursday was packed and really good fun. It was interesting to meet the other filmmakers from around the country."

The film, Again And Again sees two dancers playing the dead souls of two young women.

He explored the movements the body goes through when in a violent collision such as a car crash.

Mr Stringer, who runs his own film and animation company has worked in schools, colleges and prisons.

Each year he works for the British Council in Cairo, with young Egyptian filmmakers, giving them the chance to tell their stories using digital video.

Nik Powell, director of The National Film and Television School and producer of films Mona Lisa and The Crying Game was on the judging panel.

He said: "For a competition in its first year the quality of films submitted has been fantastic.

"The sheer depth and diversity demonstrates the huge range of directing talent that exists in the UK. Oscar's film shows great film making potential and he will certainly be a name to look out for in the future."

Chris Stening, general manager at UK Online: "This is the first of what we hope will become an established competition in the British film making industry.

The six films can be seen at www.ukonline.net/faster