A Strabane student has been honoured by The National Lottery as a rapidly rising star within the film industry.

Ross Wilders, 21, directed the successful short film ‘Plumbing the Depths of Knowledge’ through the BFI Film Academy, funded by The National Lottery, and has subsequently seen his work recognised on the banks of the River Thames.

That comes in celebration of this year’s BFI London Film Festival, with The National Lottery teaming up with the BFl to create the ‘Walk of Stars’.

The installation on London's South Bank, the heart of the festival, celebrated some of the incredible talent behind brilliant films and rising stars of the UK film industry supported by The National Lottery through the BFI.

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Wilders made the trip to London to observe the exhibit and reflected fondly on the project which helped him make giant strides within a fiercely competitive industry.

“Having that film with my name on it as a funded film through the BFI and The National Lottery is something I've been able to use in applications,” said Wilders.

“Since then I’ve been able to show a trajectory through my work, from working on that film to companies like The Manchester United Foundation.

“It really set my career off and I constantly refer back to it as what gave me my start.”

Wilders studied drama from an early age but soon realised that his skillset was best suited to off-camera work.

His unwavering passion led him to The National Lottery-funded programme delivered by the Nerve Centre in Derry, which offered a first real glimpse into the world of directing.

“Working with the BFI to have a budget to pay actors, hire locations, hire excess crew and create a professional screening really made me fall in love with this as a potential career,” said Wilders.

“Before enlisting on the programme, I thought the industry was hard to crack, especially for someone who doesn’t live where opportunities tend to arise.

“It felt like this was my opportunity right on my doorstep, and that’s thanks to The National Lottery and their funding that I’ve been able to do that.”

 

National Lottery players raise around £30 million every week for good causes across the UK and the contribution to the UK film industry is funded through the BFl, making more than 600 films in the past 26 years, which have won an astonishing 504 awards including 16 Oscars, 124 BAFTAs and 33 Cannes awards, from more than 1,868 nominations.

Wilders is targeting a career as a content creator within the sports industry after the conclusion of his masters degree at Ulster University, but identifies The National Lottery-funded film as the springboard for his fledgling career.

“I thought I needed a more ‘realistic’ career, but having that funding and backing made me think that my dreams are possible,” said Wilders.

“Making a funded film allowed me to implement my creative freedom and make films that I truly resonate with. 

“To cap it off with an exhibit on the Thames is something I’ll cherish for a really long time.”