Two student films have been shortlisted for the Royal Television Society (RTS) Southern Centre Student Awards 2026.
Solent University produced both films, with one finalist in the Entertainment and Comedy category and the other in Factual (Long Form).
James Gibson, editor of the nominated comedy short This Film Will Kill Us, said: "We tried to run with numerous ideas for our Final Major Project, but they kept on failing.
"After filming a bunch of footage, we weren't going to use, we realised that the whole process of trying to make our Final Major Project made for an over-the-top entertaining story in itself!"
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Mr Gibson also said the team, including Ben Fry, Callum Felice, and Sam Kershaw, who graduated last summer, were surprised by the film's success.
He said: "We thought the film would only resonate with people who knew us, and the fact that is being recognised beyond that is really cool!"
In the Factual (Long Form) category, ITA The Forgotten Alphabet explores the Initial Teaching Alphabet, a 1960s Midlands experiment that used 44 phonetic symbols to help children read.
The scheme was abandoned in the 1970s due to mixed results and practical challenges, and many pupils later struggled to transition back to standard English spelling.
Recent graduates Ryan Maguire, Marshall Mencacci, Kidane Pusey, and Harrison Keast produced the documentary.
Kidane Pusey, who wrote and narrated the film, said: "I was very surprised, but also thankful and proud, that our documentary has received this recognition."
Kate O’Driscoll, senior lecturer at Solent University, praised the students' achievements.
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She said: "The Royal Television Society annually recognises the best of student work from universities across the UK.
"I am delighted that we have two student films nominated this year for the Royal Television Society Southern awards.
"These nominations showcase student talent from the BA (Hons) TV Production and BA (Hons) Post-production for Film and TV courses, demonstrating the quality of work they are producing for their Final Major Projects.
"Huge congratulations to both production teams, this is a thoroughly deserved recognition of their incredible hard work and commitment to their films."
Winners will be announced during the RTS Southern Awards, taking place on Friday, April 17.
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