A STUDENT from Stockton is looking forward to seeing his work on the big screen after being shortlisted for a national award.

Ryan Bartle will see his short documentary screened at the Leeds Young People’s Film Festival next month after being named among the finalists for The INDIs’ Independent Directions Young Filmmaker Award.

His three-minute film, Is Britain a Religious Nation?, offers a three-minute insight into people’s views on religion.

The 20-year-old Stockton Riverside College student said: “Britain has become such a multicultural society so the documentary is about establishing whether it is still religious, and what religions are in society." 

Describing his film as “an interactive documentary” Mr Bartle, who is studying a BTEC extended diploma in film and television production, carried out a series of vox pop-style interviews.

His short film will now be shown, along with the other finalists’ films, at the Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds, on Monday, April 7.

The INDIs is a national film award scheme championing the talent of young UK independent filmmakers under 25.

Mr Bartle, who plans to go on to university to study film and philosophy, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got the email telling me I had been shortlisted. I was quite surprised and overjoyed really.”

View the documentary at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZulUaVrS3-A