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A University of Nottingham student will have her film played at the biggest show on earth this summer, after winning London 2012’s Film Nation Shorts competition.
Megan Salter, a third year Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience student, and her friend Sara Harrak will have their film - ‘Hath Not a Child Ability’ - played at Olympic and Paralympic venues during the Games.
The film, which will also be shown on the London 2012 Big Screens around the country as part of the Cultural Olympiad, was praised by London 2012 Chair, Sebastian Coe.
He said: “At London 2012 we hear stories about amazing achievements by young people every day and this film perfectly illustrates just that. The film itself is simple but really impactful, and I’m delighted Megan and Sara have been recognised by the Cultural Olympiad for this great short film.”
A delighted Megan continued: “‘Hath Not a Child Ability?’ explores the themes of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - Courage, Determination, Equality, Excellence, Friendship, Inspiration and Respect.
“We were initially inspired by Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and Shylock's famous speech. We changed the context of the speech, highlighting that kids can be equally as determined to succeed at a high level of sport, and to remind us that though we watch the games and predominantly see older contestants, behind the scenes younger hopefuls are working incredibly hard towards their goals.”
Bafta success
Despite having already tasted recognition for her film work – a First Light Open Access Award in association with BAFTA for ‘AWOL’ in 2010 – Megan admitted she was incredibly excited and proud to have had her film chosen.
She said: “When I came across the competition to make a film and have it shown at the Olympics, I thought it was an incredible opportunity and would be a lot of fun to make. I think it’s wonderful that the Olympics have opened up so many opportunities for young people - if only I could have got a ticket to the Games.”
After hearing that Megan’s film had been chosen, Head of the School of Psychology Paul McGraw, described the achievement as “fantastic, though not altogether surprising as Megan is a very talented student”.
He continued: “The film itself focuses on the tenets of the Olympic movement, with the central theme of self determination equally relevant to other aspects of life - perhaps most notably academic study.
“Staff in Psychology take an active interest in the extra-curricular activities of our students. We always try to instil in them the confidence and courage to pursue their goals in life. Megan’s success is a great example of this.”
Both ‘Hath Child Not Ability’ and ‘AWOL’ were produced by Real Hark Productions, a company set up by Megan Salter and Sara Harrak. To see the film ahead of its screening this summer, please visit: http://www.filmnation.org.uk/watch/film/‘hath-not-child-ability’-0
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK by 2012 application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
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