Boy scoops the pool

Associate Professor Welby Ings' film Boy has scooped at the pool the Drifting Clouds film festival

A film which developed out of an AUT lecturer’s PhD research has cleaned up at the Drifting Clouds Film Festival in Wellington. The New Zealand festival, which celebrates short films, honoured Boy with four awards.

Boy won the John O’Shea Best New Zealand Film Award, Best Art Direction and Best Director (Welby Ings) and Best Editing (Bella Erikson).

Welby, an Associate Professor at AUT’s School of Art & Design, says the film came out of his PhD research into narrative structures and storytelling in music video and television commercials.“It is really gratifying to receive these awards,” says Welby.

“It has taken a long time for the film to be recognised in New Zealand despite recognition at international festivals. The Drifting Cloud awards were particularly satisfying because they recognised all the different elements that had come together to make Boy what it was.”

Boy is the story of a young male prostitute in a small New Zealand town who discovers the truth behind a fatal hit and run accident.

The Drifting Clouds Film Festival awards continue a run of recent awards for Boy including the Grand Jury award for Best Narrative short film at CINEQUEST and Best New Zealand Short Film at OUTTAKES Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

It also follows the film’s short-listing for the 2006 Oscars and official selection for more than 40 international film festivals including Montreal, New York, St Petersburg and Clermont Ferrand.