James entered the 2010 Virgin Media Shorts film competition with his short film Blind Luck, and out of over a thousand entries, James made it to the top 12. James, the director, along with the short’s director of photography Matt Carter, actor Alan Booty, and his family, made it down to the Virgin Media Shorts awards at the Southbank Centre in London. Although James didn’t take home the prize, he received an overwhelming positive reaction from all of the judges there including Harry Potter director Mike Newell, who said of James’ film:

“I’m incredibly impressed with the structure of this short. It is an elegant joke with a very strong central idea, a beautiful set-up and tremendously successful punch line.”

The film that received the Grand Prize was Oscar Sharp’s Sign Language, with the People’s Choice award going to Bus Baby, directed by Gino Evans and Jason Wingard.

Other positive feedback included:

“Very strong for something so punchy and short.”

“Excellent witty pointed structure. Very well cut. A successful joke.”

James W Sieradzki is director of video at S7 Media and is currently studying his degree at Staffordshire University.