Major players from the worlds of film and TV come to Cambridge for student film festival

When it comes to film, the University is still struggling to escape the shadow of ‘Chariots of Fire’. Thankfully, the Cambridge International Student Film Festival, also known as Watersprite, is taking on this cinematic cliché, by turning the city into a new home for the world’s freshest young film talent. From animation to the avant garde, the festival has fast become a focal point for the very best in original student filmmaking.

Started by students from the University in 2010, Watersprite is already attracting some of the biggest names in the British film industry and beyond, despite its relative infancy. One of the highlights of this year’s festival, which kicks off this Friday and runs over the weekend, will be a keynote speech from director David Yates, who helmed the last four Harry Potter films - making him the most commercially successful British director of all time.

Other top speakers include Vice-President of HBO Films Maria Zuckerman, who will be discussing development and production across the pond, and Oscar-winning make-up artist Christine Blundell, who has worked on Casino Royale and Vera Drake among others.

The weekend peaks on Saturday night with the Watersprite Awards ceremony at Queens’ College, where all the category winners will be announced. The Awards are sponsored by internet giant YouTube, and hosted by film actor and Cambridge alumnus Tom Hollander.

In addition to the awards ceremony there are plenty of talks and workshops on a wide range of cinematic subjects, including how to write music for films, VFX, careers in the industry and the return of the successful Script Lab, as well as a number of screenings spread across the weekend featuring some of the most daring and innovative short films around. Speakers include Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA award-winners, with events taking place at Emmanuel College and other venues throughout Cambridge.

Watersprite is unique in that it is entirely free – both for competition entrants and attendees of the festival. Booking isn’t essential in all cases, but is recommended to avoid disappointment. For more information go to www.watersprite.org.uk

Watersprite and its team pride themselves on showcasing short films from student filmmakers all over the world, receiving 250 submissions from 41 countries across six continents this year. Organisers regard the chance to share creative ideas with professionals and other filmmakers and film-lovers as central to the ethos of the festival.

“We aim to establish a festival that recognises and rewards talent, inspires and educates young filmmakers and provides a meeting ground for students and industry professionals,” says Ellie Rofe, Watersprite Chair. “Over the past three years we've been very pleasantly surprised to discover that many industry leaders share our ideals and are happy to volunteer their time to help the next generation of talent.”

The festival proved to be a springboard for filmmakers from its earliest days, with the inaugural festival’s winning film leading to the development of a feature, with assistance from the festival’s Patron, award-winning television producer and former BAFTA Chair Hilary Bevan Jones. Will McGregor’s ‘Who’s afraid of the Watersprite’ - from which the festival now takes its name - was described by the Royal Television Society as “the best student film we have ever seen” - although the team at Watersprite will tell you there’s plenty more to come!

The full Watersprite 2012 events and screening schedule is available online at www.watersprite.org.uk. All events and screenings are free to enter, but booking is advised.