Banff Deaf filmmaker wins awards in 48 Hour Film Project
A Deaf British Sign Language filmmaker won big in a project that challenges participants to put a film together in two days.
Sandra Duguid from Banff was recognised for her film Rowies v Butteries SAGA! about the great debate over what to call Aberdeenshire's favourite baked good.
Sandra wanted it to be as inclusive as possible, which is why she captioned her film for The 48 Hour Film Project in both English and Doric simultaneously.
Not only did she win the Grampian Champion award for Best Showcase of Aberdeen and Shire, the star of her film, her cat Belle Duguid, won the Paw d'Or for Best Animal Performance.
The 48 Hour Film Project was fully accessible with BSL interpretation at events, and even had a special lighting board that lit up when the audience clapped or laughed.
Sandra is an accomplished actor and performer who worked professionally in London for many years before returning home to Banff where she advocates for the deaf community and takes part in many creative projects with other deaf artists.
Cineworld Union Square screened the 14 films by local filmmakers, all made the previous weekend as part of the 48 Hour Film Project.
The screening was followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers themselves, and an awards party complete with red carpet in Union Square.
Awards were given out in 28 categories, including everything from Best Costumes to Best Cinematography.
The winning team, Dropshack, wowed audiences and judges alike with their hilarious comedy HERE COMES THE NUN about an unlikely exorcist, starring professional actors Catriona Faint (James V) and Simon Weir (T2 Trainspotting).
Kirsty Craib and Omid Farkhondeh, who run the Aberdeen-based company Komodo Creative, took home the Best Director award for their thrilling horror SHIFT set in an eerie Aberdeen office building after dark.
Jamie Sundance, of Aberdeen filmmaking community Crow House Projects, delighted audiences and judges alike with For a Few Rowies More which won Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects and even Best Use of a Rowie.
Teams had gathered the previous weekend where they were given the following elements to include:
• Character: Iain or Iona Ferguson, a guard.
• Prop: A rowie.
• Line of dialogue: "What's for dinner?"
A real life Iain Ferguson attended the awards to give out the prize for Best Iain or Iona Ferguson, which went to Beau Minnis for a transcendent performance in Butter by Team Neurovision.
The winning team has won £1500 towards their trip to Filmapalooza in Seattle, Washington, in March 2025 where HERE COMES THE NUN will be screened on the world stage.
Sam Goldblatt, producer of the 48 Hour Film Project, said: "It was a night like no other. Aberdeen on screen!
“From Marischal College to Crathes Castle, audiences were treated to some incredible films featuring local landmarks, local talents...and rowies!"
Louise E Knowles, producer of the 48 Hour Film Project, said: "Coming from Aberdeenshire it's so refreshing to see the north-east on the big screen for a change.
“The films on show were amazing and there's a real wealth of film talent in the area that needs more opportunities to be seen. We can't wait to be back next year."
The public can now watch all the films online on the project’s YouTube page.
