James Moran accepting his award. Pic: Alex Hewson
A Croydon writer and director, whose work includes Doctor Who and Torchwood, was awarded the Best Horror/Sci Fi film prize at the annual Crystal Palace International Film Festival.
James Moran, who lives and works in Crystal Palace, won the award for his short film, Crazy for You, which tells the story of a serial killer who struggles to find love. Moran said he was “proud” to have been involved in the festival, which has been hosted in Croydon since 2009.
“I’m delighted to win. It’s a great, fun festival, with a unique, personal vibe, and the organisers put a lot of passion and heart into it. I’m extremely proud to have been a part of it.”
Moran, who was interviewed by East London Lines last August, has written for popular television shows, including Doctor Who, Torchwood, Spooks and Primeval as well as writing several feature films.
The awards ceremony, which was held at St John’s Church and presented by comedian Mark Steel, has become a centrepiece in South East London’s art scene.
Organised by co-founders Neill Roy and Roberta Gallinari, with the help of fifty volunteers, the festival has grown immeasurably from small screenings in bars and pubs to being hosted across two large capacity venues.
Speaking about the creativity in the area, Roy said: “Crystal Palace is a creative hub with artists and musicians everywhere, which was the original reason for starting CPIFF. We want to attract sponsors who can help expand our unique and successful model to greater heights.”
“Having never been to any other film festival we have done this from scratch our own way. We want each evening to be a memorable, enjoyable experience. We get a very special and unique film festival that stands out.”
The sold out ceremony brought a close to three weeks of screenings across nine different categories, with contributions from filmmakers across the world.
The winners list in full:
Best Animation – Remember
Best Music Video – Fåån; Valsaland
Best Student Film – Jewish Blind Date
Best International Film – Magic World
Best Documentary – Black Roses, the Killing of Sophie Lancaster
Best Short Film – Beverley
Best Horror/Sci-Fi – Crazy For You
Best Comedy – SuperBob
Best Feature Film – Two Down
For more information on CPIFF and the winners, visit http://cpiff.co.uk/
