West London Film Festival: Natalie Lauren wins Richmond Prize

In partnership with Richmond, the West London Film Festival announced its winners over the weekend, with prizes including a half day to spend filming in our Film and TV Studio.  

Premiered exclusively at Chiswick Cinema, the festival took place over Friday 25^th to Sunday 27^th, showing a range of short and feature films from UK and international filmmakers.  

The winner of the half-day in our studio is Natalie Lauren, actor and filmmaker, whose pitch for a semi-autobiographical film impressed the judges. Natalie tells us that the film will be about “exploring grief, identity, and a ‘coming-of-age’ narrative outside of the teenage context we usually see that in. Returning home after the death of a parent, our protagonist comes face to face with childhood she left behind and undergoes a journey of re-discovery.”  

Natalie added, “Right now, the Film, TV and Theatre industries are tasked with the challenge of de-centralising their stories, personnel, and operations. I want this film to show the pressures, and consequences, that being so London-centric has on an individual level, as well as the striking cultural contrast between a city like London and the countryside of Norfolk where I grew up. The support of the organisations involved in this prize are going to be a big part of making that happen!” 

From the 58 films selected for the festival, 15 awards were given. Keep an eye on the West London Film Festival’s social channels for a full list in the coming days. 

We look forward to welcoming Natalie to our studio on campus!  

Want to hear more about the festival? Read about student Tristen’s experience here.