BAFTA - FUSED WINS 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT COMPETITION

FUSED WINS 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT COMPETITION

A six-minute short film entitled Fused has won the best film prize in the 48 Hour Film Project competition.

Fused, starring Iddo Goldberg, Ed Weeks, Greg Finnegan, Tom Turner and Marny Godden, tells of the unexpected events that occur at a dinner party when the power repeatedly fails.

As well as winning the best film prize, Fused also became the most successful film of this year's competition, by winning the best ensemble cast, best use of line and audience award prizes.

The 48 Hour Film Project, now in its seventh year, sees teams of filmmakers writing, shooting, editing and scoring a movie in just 48 hours.

The competition is simple: on Friday night you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your movie. 48 hours later, the movie must be complete. Then it is shown at a local theatre and judged by the general public and a round table of industry judges.

This year's judging panel included the BBC's James King, Bafta's Tricia Tuttle and the Script Factory's Briony Hanson, and all were impressed by Suzanne Heathcote's script.

"Story is the star for short films (well for any length of film really), and as soon as Suzanne came up with this one we knew were on to a winner!" said Fused's producer and director Wayne Marc Godfrey.

"It was a pleasure working with such a talented and experienced cast and crew. The team had a great weekend."

He added: "I think that's what happens when you use real wine! We are all thrilled to have won the London heat and now represent England against the rest of the world."

Fused will now compete against the winners of all participating 70 cities around the world for the elite worldwide 48 Hour Film Project prize while Heathcote's radio play Taken is to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in early 2009.

To see the award-winning film, visit http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4mbkyMQXogM.