News and Events

BU Graduate Wins Royal Television Society Award

14 May 2007

BU Television Production graduate Louise Palmer holding her award

BU Television Production graduate Louise Palmer has won the National Student Royal Television Society (RTS) award for Best Undergraduate Factual programme.

Louise collected the award for her graduation film "Zabbaleen: The Rubbish Collectors of Cairo," which focuses on the lives of the informal waste collectors and recyclers in Egypt’s capital city.

The 2006 graduate had previously won the Southern UK Regional RTS, the sixth year in a row that BU’s Television degree has won such an honour.

“Zabbaleen” is also the Grand Jury Winner at the Exposures UK Student Film Festival.

Louise is understandably thrilled with her award.

“It was a fantastic feeling winning the RTS. So much hard work goes into producing our degree films and it is great to get recognition for your work.

“The most important thing for me was that industry professionals pick the nominees and winners.

“The Bournemouth TV production course is fantastic. The tutors were always very supportive and gave great advice.

“I think that one of the benefits of the course is that each student produces and directs their own film. This means that you can make exactly what you want and feel passionate about,” she adds.

Louise has high hopes for her future career:“I am now working at a production company called Drive Thru Pictures, where I feel I have good future prospects to direct again.

“I am currently a researcher, but as it’s a small company I am very involved.

“I do feel that my degree has prepared me for the job, and also I think that the quality of my degree film has helped me to get work.”

The RTS Awards were hosted by David Lowen (RTS Honorary Secretary), with citations read by Paul Watson and Tim Vaughan (Granada).

The Ceremony was attended by key television professionals, students and tutors.

“[This is] as good an example as you can get of one of the first principles of film-making – to see the world in a grain of sand. A moving, insightful and sobering film,” Tim Vaughan commented.