MetFilm School graduates in the spotlight

At MetFilm School, we have a long history of supporting students as they build careers in the screen industries. Our graduates go on to work on feature films, drama series, documentaries, and other screen projects across the industry.

Summer 2026 has been a busy season for our alumni and students, with graduates across our campuses seeing their films recognised at festivals, winning pitching competitions, taking on new industry opportunities, and appearing on screen.

We are proud to see our graduates putting their skills, creativity and experience into practice. Here are some of the highlights we have been celebrating this summer.

Festival success for our filmmakers

It has been a busy summer on the festival circuit, with films by MetFilm School students and graduates picking up awards and reaching new audiences.

MetFilm School London graduates Callum Burn and Ryan J. Smith both premiered their feature films at Raindance Film Festival this summer. Callum premiered Landship, while Ryan premiered Arthur’s Empire. We caught up with both filmmakers to discuss their individual experiences of bringing their films to the festival. Callum’s Landship is now also available on DVD.

MetFilm School London BA Practical Filmmaking (Two-Year) graduate Assaf Machnes’s feature film Where To recently won Best Israeli Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Leading Role at the Jerusalem Film Festival, alongside 11 nominations at the Israeli Academy Awards.

The film follows Hassan, a middle-aged Palestinian Uber driver in Berlin, whose repeated encounters with a young passenger led to an unexpected friendship. Where To has also secured international distribution deals in countries including Italy, Brazil, Australia, the US and Canada.

Assaf will also return to MetFilm School Berlin as a lecturer this September, bringing his industry experience to the school where he once studied.

MetFilm School Berlin MA Documentary & Factual graduate Matthew Langley has also had festival success. His 2025 graduation film Searching for Goshawks won Best Short Documentary at the Berlin Indie Film Festival. The film follows a father and son searching for the elusive goshawk among Berlin’s parks, graveyards, and wooded spaces.

Alumni making an impact in the industry

Our graduates are also taking on roles across film and television, gaining experience on productions, developing their own projects, and contributing to new work for audiences.

MetFilm School talent behind Lady

This summer saw the UK cinema release of Lady, the feature debut from director Samuel Abrahams. A satirical mockumentary produced by MetFilm Production, our partner production, distribution and sales company, and starring Sian Clifford, the film also gave MetFilm School talent the opportunity to gain hands-on experience on a feature production.

MetFilm School graduates and students contributed to Lady across production, post-production, sales and distribution. Eleanor Cooke worked as a Production Assistant, while Andra Sascau joined the team as an Assistant Editor. Martha Missingham and Lena Atallah worked as Producers’ Assistants, with Imogen Baker working as a Runner. Jenny Bohnhoff and Ella Pham also supported the film through MetFilm Sales, working across sales and distribution.

MetFilm School graduates on major productions

MetFilm School London BA (Hons) Practical Filmmaking (Two-Year) graduate Leopold Hughes is the producer of the upcoming The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. Leopold’s producing credits include Knives Out, Glass Onion and Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.

Starring John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, and Steve Buscemi, the film follows Harry, an old-school New York hustler whose criminal trade is changing as he navigates a new world of credit cards, mobile phones, and cryptocurrency. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is set for release in October 2026.

MetFilm School graduates are also working behind the camera on upcoming television projects. MA Directing graduates Megan K. Fox and Giulia Gandini are directing The Rachel Incident, the highly anticipated screen adaptation of Caroline O’Donoghue’s bestselling novel. The project is currently in post-production, with Megan and Giulia bringing their directing experience to the adaptation ahead of its release.

Turning pitches into projects

Our graduates are also finding new ways to develop and fund their own work.

MetFilm School Manchester BA graduate and current MA student Detroya Angele recently won the ABC Pitching Competition after pitching her film to a live audience. Her five-minute pitch was voted the audience favourite, earning her £500 towards her project. Detroya studied screenwriting, directing, and editing during her BA and is now specialising in post-production on the MA at MetFilm School Manchester.

Our graduates on screen

There has also been plenty to celebrate among our acting graduates at MetFilm School Leeds.

Leeds graduate Indigo Kamal-Poole has officially joined the cast of Hollyoaks, taking on the new character of Xander. Indigo was also part of the team behind Green Jumper, which was nominated in the Postgraduate Drama category at the Royal Television Society Student Television Awards, alongside fellow MetFilm School Leeds students and graduates Maisie Edwards and Harvey Anderson.

In case you missed it, MetFilm School Leeds BA Acting for Screen graduate Patrick Gilmore has taken on the leading on-screen role of Pete Best in the upcoming BBC drama Hamburg Days. The six-part series follow The Beatles’ formative years in Hamburg, with Patrick playing the band’s original drummer.

Celebrating our graduates

These are just a few of the achievements of our graduates this summer. Across all our campuses, alumni are continuing to make films, develop new projects and build careers across the screen industries.

Their work reflects the range of roles and opportunities available across film and television, as well as the different routes graduates can take as they develop their careers.

For our current students and graduates, support continues beyond their studies. Our Creative Futures team, MetFilm School’s dedicated careers advice team, is available to every student and graduate, providing guidance and support as they take their next steps into the industry.

If you’re thinking about starting a career in the screen industries, our graduates offer plenty of examples of the different roles, projects and career paths available.

We are proud of our MetFilm School community and the work our graduates continue to do across the industry. We look forward to following their careers and welcoming the next generation of filmmakers, actors, and creatives to MetFilm School.