South Tyneside film takes top prize at international New Forest Film Festival

The film ‘Pins’, created by South Tyneside company, Melting Pot Media, won Best International Narrative Short and was crowned the overall Best Narrative Short, at the New Forest Film Festival on Saturday, June 8.

The awards were presented by Mark Kermode, chief film critic for The Observer, and BBC Director Steve Finn, known for his work on EastEnders.

‘Pins’, which stars Dan Dobson, Anna Wraith and Millie Davison, was shot across South Tyneside, and follows a little girl who sabotages her Mum's romantic date with the help of a voodoo doll.

Writer Glenn Upsall, from South Shields, said: “We found earlier in the evening that Steve Finn had chosen Pins for 'Best International Narrative Short', which was mind-blowing, but then we got another call from Mark Kermode while he was live on stage, to present us with another one he personally chose, for Best International Short".

Director Gavin Randall, 37, added: "I'm really proud of our team. They’re an all North East cast and crew that gave their time and more importantly their passion to the project. An award like this opens the doors to bigger things for us".

The film has previously been included in the official selection of films shown at Sunderland and Oxford Film Festivals, and has also been submitted to the upcoming Cannes, Raindance and London Film Festivals.