Canterbury film graduate wins world distribution

A media production graduate from Canterbury Christ Church University has won a national film award and a worldwide distribution deal for his short film.

Chris Hooper, from Canterbury, has won the 'Best Drama' category for his film 'Stung' at the prestigious Exposures Film Festival in Manchester.

Hooper's film will now be aired at festivals across the world. Hooper, who graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University with an MA in Media Production, said: "It is fantastic to win this award and I am glad that the film will be gaining worldwide exposure. The film 'Stung' is about the strange and complex relationship an aging beekeeper has with her bees over the course of 50 years. It took six months of pre-production and six days to shoot, and I am delighted with the response it has received."

Senior Lecturer at the University's Media Department, Tim Jones, said: "We are very proud of Chris's achievement. The award was well deserved and his talent should be applauded. I have no doubt that he will go far in his chosen field."

Hooper is now putting together ideas for his next filmmaking project, having just production managed a National Film School short,'Hopscotch.' Hooper intends to continue writing and directing short films but says he intends eventually to become a casting director.