27 April 2009

Khoda of honour for Dundee animation graduate

An animation graduate from the University of Dundee has seen his short film nominated for a prestigious national award and handed the opportunity to showcase his work to influential industry figures.

Reza Dolatabadi’s film, Khoda, which was originally produced for the final assessment of his studies at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, has been nominated for a RTS National Student Television Award.

Iran-born Reza (24), graduated from the University last year, and Khoda has been receiving praise and winning awards ever since.

Earlier this year, it received the Best Animation prize at the Scottish Royal Television Awards ceremony. This follows Reza’s success in winning the Best Animation award at London's Canary Wharf Film Festival in 2008.

Khoda also won the Best Student Film prize at this year's Flip Festival, and has been screened at film festivals in Germany, Greece, Space and Italy, as well as across the UK.

It has been described as 'a lavishly painted masterpiece that contrasts with the depiction of a nightmarish world and asks the question, even in the mind, is escape ever possible?'

Reza himself says that the film was inspired by the King Crimson track '21st Century Schizoid Man' and that it was his intention to make a film where each frame had the quality of a photograph or painting. The 6000 frames painstakingly pieced together for the five-minute piece took two years to complete.

'When you pause a film you are facing a painting, and that was what guided my thinking and standards during the making of Khoda,' said Reza. 'I like to make things that look nice, and that retain their quality throughout each and every frame of the film.'

'Things have been going really well with Khoda, and have gone even better than I could have hoped for when I made this film.'

'I see myself as a director rather than an animator, and I have been working on a number of freelance projects since graduating. Taking part in the Student Television wards will help me make a lot more contacts, and hopefully help me find more work as a director.'

Reza’s film will now be considered amongst other works from students across the UK competing in the animation section of the Student Television Awards. The winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 8th, 2009 at The Barbican Centre in London.

The event will be attended by key industry figures, and students will have the opportunity to benefit from their experience and expertise, as well as making contacts that could help further their careers.

Animation Programme Leader at Duncan of Jordanstone, Chris Rowland, congratulated Reza on his latest success, saying, 'Reza has now won and been nominated for quite a few awards, and he’s fully deserving of all the recognistion he’s received.'

'Khoda is a wonderful piece that took an amazing amount of craft to create. Reza’s novel approach to filmmaking, and the subsequent success he’s received, show what’s possible and will act as an inspiration for students currently studying on the animation course.'

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk