The annual Midlands Movies Awards took place on 21st June in front of a packed house at the Y Theatre in Leicester, bringing together an eclectic mix of talent from across the region. Now in its ninth year, these awards have come to be a highlight of the calendar and with hosts Mike Sales and Ed Stagg, there is always the guarantee of an excellent and fun-filled evening no matter the outcome.
This year however we were both shocked and delighted to receive the awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Adam Horvath in the role of Marcus, and the overall Best Short Film in a competitive category as judged by actor and writer Richard Armitage. Hailing from Leicester, Richard is a multi-award-winning stage and screen actor best known for his role of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of ‘The Hobbit’. For Netflix he has been involved in multiple Harlan Coben adaptations, as well as undertaking star turns in blockbusters Captain America: The First Avenger and Ocean’s 8.
Of the films Richard said, “There was some beautiful cinematography and brilliant writing, but above all, a collection of brilliant ideas. The one that stuck with me was the film that felt most fully fleshed-out. It’s the one that tricked me into believing it was a feature film”.
Midlands Movies editor Mike Sales said, “It was another evening of excitement and memorable moments but most of all we hope it provided a huge does of inspiration to every creative out there in the Midlands”.
In addition to the nominations for Best Short Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role we were delighted to receive nominations in two other categories including Best Director for Christopher Bevan and Best Supporting Actress for Dani Tonks in the role of Ruth.
We are incredibly grateful and appreciative to the cast and crew for making this all possible and as some will know this film has been in the works for a long while. Special thanks must go to our writer Ben Errington, producer Belinda Basson of Dreamfusion Productions and to our editor Stef Hrycyk who helped keep the film alive in the most challenging times. Thanks also to everyone who backed the film to help us get it over the line and complete filming many years ago. It has been a long road, certainly not without its challenges, but we are grateful to have the film celebrated.
Thank you to Mike Sales, Midlands Movies and of course Richard Armitage for a high point on this unlikely and unexpected journey. We are pleased to also be able to share some excellent photos from Poyner and Me Photography of the awards evening.
For further information about The Other, please head over to our dedicated page here where you can learn more and watch the official trailer.
