A University of York student documentary, HUNT, has been nominated for a Royal Television Society student film award.
The film follows Freddie Hunt, son of James Hunt, a former British racing champion that competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1979.
Shot on location in Scotland where Freddie Hunt lives and farms, the production was shot in just five days and was funded by a crowdsourced budget of £2,500 with the help of the University of York’s YuStart charity.
The story, born from an encounter with Freddie Hunt at an event, was pitched by producer of HUNT Dave Merrit and features Freddie Hunt sharing his life after giving up his dreams of racing and winning Le Mans, a 24-hour endurance sport car race, for his passion of sustainable farming.
The student film crew, including Thalia Saleh (director), Dave Merritt (producer), Charlie Ord (cinematographer), Ed Shaw (editor) and Alex Weir (sound designer) have already won Best Student Documentary award in October 2024 at The Graddies, a film festival that showcases and awards graduating film students. They have also won Best Film and Best Non-Fiction at The Luma Film Festival in 2024. This documentary is the first film from the University of York to win a national award.
Speaking to The York Tab, director Thalia Saleh said: “I’m incredibly proud of HUNT, it’s been a very rewarding journey, and seeing it come to life in such an authentic way has been truly fulfilling. The team has poured their hearts into this project, and it’s amazing to see our hard work recognised”.
When asked about how she is feeling about the Royal Television Society awards and their nomination, Saleh commented: “It’s an honour to be nominated, and regardless of the outcome, I’m very proud of our team and how far we’ve come. The journey we’ve had and the impact this film has already made is unbelievable”
She added, “I really believe we’ve created something special, and I’m looking forward to seeing how audiences continue to connect with the story”.
Senior lecturer, film producer and BBC Radio York contributor Lorraine Hall supervised and executive produced HUNT. She described the doc as “A sensitive portrait of a compelling character with a complicated past who has managed to forge an identity outside of his father’s shadow, delivering a compelling and engaging story full of humour, resolve, and affection for family, legacy, and nature.”.
Lorraine also praised the students for doing “An amazing job at capturing intimate moments with Freddie with compassion, warmth, while showcasing their enormous creative and technical talent”.
She shared that she has “No doubt they will continue to create thought-provoking, emotive work for the future of the UK film and television industry”.
Currently, HUNT is not yet available to watch as it is still being submitted to film festivals but you can keep up to date with any news on their Instagram page @huntdocumentary
The Royal Television Society awards will take place at York St John University on March 5th at 7pm and we wish the film crew the best of luck!
Featured image via Instagram
