Strabane filmmakers star on the rise

WHILE it might not be quite as famous as one on Hollywood Boulevard, an aspiring young filmmaker from Strabane found himself in London last week to unveil his own star on the BFI & the National Lottery’s Walk of Fame.

Ross Wilders joined a group of individuals, including ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ director Gurinder Chadha OBE on London’s Southbank to unveil his ‘Rising Star’ to the world.

A member of the 2018-19 BFI Film Academy class at the Nerve Centre in Derry, Ross learned his trade, directing short film ‘Plumbing the Depths of Knowledge’ in the process. Ross was asked back this year to the programme as part of the teaching staff, guiding young people through the programme with the benefit of his experience whilst also working as a freelance videographer and doing his masters in Cinematic Arts in Magee.

“I’m absolutely over the moon!” Ross exclaimed. “To have my name on the BFI Walk of Fame means so, so much to me and it’s the biggest self-esteem booster to have been recognised and my family were equally delighted. It shows that the work I’ve been doing to date has me on the right track to where I want to be in my career.”

Asked how it all came about, Ross offered, “I was nominated by Eavan King, who was one of my tutors when came here and is currently Film Projects manager at the Nerve Centre. The nomination went in ages ago and I knew about it, but Eavan called me one day when I was en route to a master’s class to give me the good news. There was a quick turnaround and I only had a week between finding out and having to be in London so, off Ross went for the unveiling.

“I had a great day and it was a wonderful experience to be able to speak with other filmmakers, gain knowledge and network. I told Gurinder how I was inspired by ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ when I did my own documentary ‘The Growth of the Women’s Game’ which will screen at the QFT next month, competing in the Best Short Documentary Category.

In between Nerve Centre stints, Ross worked on his craft, delving into the world of content producing , factual content and digital marketing, which he has a degree in and which led him onto a dream placement; creating content for his beloved Manchester United.

“That was a dream come true. I was lucky enough to be a content creator for Manchester United; I was a part of projects including a Masters game between Man United and Liverpool and was able to visit the site of the Munich disaster for content creation purposes. It was a wonderful experience.”

So, what’s next for Ross?

“I’m hoping this will open more doors; you never know who you’re going to meet. It’s given me an opportunity to reflect on how far I’ve come, how blessed I am, and how lucky I’ve been to work on the projects I have with the help of the BFI and the National Lottery.”