Jury

Elly Condron has been working as a stage and screen actor and musician for the last ten years and writing for the last 5. Her work in theatre spans the RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe and The National Theatre and on screen, she has worked for Sky, BBC and, recently, has dipped a little toe into Hollywood. She became a mother for the first time 2 years ago, but just before she did that, she wrote, directed and starred in a film about her experience of maternal ambivalence and societal pressure to conform - it went on to win Best Performance at This is England festival 2024 (and a few other awards to boot). She is currently writing her next film - so keep your eyes peeled!

Christian Cargill is a documentary director. His first film ‘Heart Valley’ had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival, where he won the award for Best Documentary Short. It won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Short Film and was later nominated for a Grierson Award. His Oscar-longlisted second film ‘Recomposing Earth’ premiered at London’s Barbican Hall and won Best Documentary at This Is England 2024. Christian is currently in post-production on his debut feature, Executive Produced by Tilda Swinton.

Ross Stringer is a UK based Animator & Director, known mostly for the BAFTA winning film Crab Day (2023). His body of work explores many different animation techniques. The content of his work varies, from narrative film, to experimental music-based visual performances. Ross occasionally tutors for art and animation. He has held workshops and guest talks for a variety of age groups, ranging from primary school to undergraduate students.