Horror rookie’s first film scoops New York award

Sep 27 2007 by Liz Devine, Liverpool Daily Post

Horror rookie’s first film scoops New York award

A YOUNG Liverpool film-maker’s love of Hollywood’s “master of suspense” has helped earn him a top award in New York.

Alex Harrison won his short-film version of an Oscar with his first professional work, inspired by his admiration for the legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock.

Alex, 21, from Kensington, wrote and co-produced a psychological thriller entitled Blood on the Bath Tiles.

The 14-minute film has now won the Best Short Horror film award at the prestigious New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.

Alex has just graduated from Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, in High Wycombe, with a degree in video production, film studies and creative writing.

He has been interested in writing and producing films since he was at school in Liverpool. His ambition is to produce a full-length feature film – and make a name for himself in the industry.

The graduate and three of his friends shot their film on location in central and west London.

It tells the story of an American who moves to a flat in London and the shock discovery that he has a murderous past.

The film was entered and accepted in the world’s biggest independent film festival, The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, which took place in Manhattan, New York City.

Back home in Liverpool, Alex said last night: “I was definitely surprised to win the award.

“It was a prize in itself for the film just to have been accepted. I couldn’t have been more happy with the film and it was an amazing opportunity because some great horror film-makers were at the awards.”

The young film-maker said he was a big fan of Hitchcock – maker of one of the most nerve-tingling movies of all time, Psycho – but said his work was not a copy of Hitchcock’s style.

The New York festival was founded in 1993 and has been recognised by the entertainment industry as one of the leading events on the indepen-dent film festival circuit.

It ranges from high-profile to novice film work from around the world and gives film-makers a chance to get their name known in the movie industry.

While working on the project, Alex received some help from the Kensington Regeneration Bursary scheme, which provides full-time students from the area with financial support, which they can pay back by getting involved in voluntary work in the local community.

Alex recently finished his volunteer work at Phoenix Primary School in Liverpool, where he was working as a teaching assistant.

He wrote and co-produced Blood on the Bath Tiles with college colleague Andy Laas.

They now hope to set up in business to make freelance and independent music videos, promotional films, docu-mentaries and short films.