MetFilm School Leeds students win prestigious filmmaking competition

Yara Gharios, studying MA Screenwriting, and Reuben Ellis, on the MA Cinematography courses at MetFilm School Leeds, joined forces and won the South Yorkshire Filmmakers Network’s 2 Weeks 2 Make It competition.

18 student teams were partnered up with an independent business from across the region and given two weeks to produce their promotional film. Yara and Reuben worked with the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and literally hit the ground running.

“We pitched them three concepts,” explained Yara, who produced the advert. “And they chose ‘Break the walls’, a 45-second advertisement.”

With just two weeks to produce the advertisement, the race was on to plan, write the script, film, create the score and edit. The first filming location was the British Open tennis tournament in Birmingham, where the women’s and men’s finals were taking place. The next was a squash club in Pontefract, to film on a practice court.

“Everything happened at a really fast pace,” explained Reuben, who filmed and edited the project. “The PSA loved the idea so much and they worked with us to make it happen, which was really amazing.”

As a prize for winning, Yara and Reuben received free mentoring for a year and free equipment hire. They have also made some strong industry connections, with the prospect of future work opportunities.

“We were told by the judges that the advert was very professional and could be posted online or used as a TV commercial, and that’s why we won,” explained Yara.

Both students, who are now working on their final projects, say their time at MetFilm School Leeds has been really rewarding.

“I’ve loved learning, and it’s given me a solid introduction to what it’s like to work in different departments, and it’s helped expand my horizons,” said Yara.

Reuben, who had some filmmaking experience in India before coming to the UK, says studying at MetFilm School has helped him advance his skills.

“If before I was somewhere around 60%, I know that I am now at 90%. The lecturers gave me harder work, and it pushed my boundaries, which was great.”

After graduation, both aim to continue working on film projects. Reuben wants to be a producer or cinematographer, and Yara would like to be a producer as well as a bridge between the UK industry and the industry in Lebanon, where she’s from.

“We are so proud of Ruben and Yara’s achievement. It not only demonstrates their individual excellence but the spirit of professional collaboration which is at the heart of what we teach on the MA degrees at MetFilm School Leeds” – Paul Gormely, Head of School, MetFilm School Leeds

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