ABOVE PHOTO: William Boyd
William Boyd, 23, has traveled a long way. He was born in the United Kingdom and was raised in Nigeria, returning when he was 16-years-old to complete his education at Bede’s school in Sussex.
“When I came back to London to stay, I experienced a massive culture shock, I have never considered myself a minority, and my upbringing prepared me to disregard the term, and helped me to overcome barriers.”
“My family is very proud and confident which has taught me that I know who I am, where I come from and what I can do.”
After completing his A-level exams, Boyd went on to the MetFilm School based at Ealing Studios to earn a BA in filmmaking and then completed his MA in directing.
So, at just 23, he has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree under his belt, and now two important film industry awards to boot.
Boyd’s short film, “The Trespasser”, has already won critical acclaim, he’s won an award at America’s National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and the Screentest Award at the UK’s National Student Film Festival.
Set in a British city, “The Trespasser” is the story of a young man dealing with the passing of his grandmother, and is intertwined with an African folktale.
“I am a Catholic, and my faith does play a large part in my film; it’s one of the reasons I used the rosary as a symbol depicting the strong bond between a grandmother and her grandson,” Boyd said, “That kind of bond is a powerful thing, like my relationship with religion.”
At school, Boyd was all set to become an architect. “Even though I’d planned my future, I was also investigating ways to do what I really love and make a living – I really love film,” he said. “And, after visiting MetFilm School for the first time, I understood that if you’re good enough, and have a little luck, you can thrive.”
Reflecting on his arrival back into the UK, Boyd said, “When I came back to London to stay, I experienced a massive culture shock. I have never considered myself a minority, and my upbringing prepared me to disregard the term, and helped me to overcome barriers. My family is very proud and confident which has taught me that I know who I am, where I come from and what I can do.”
On Friday evening, “The Trespasser” was screened at the British Film Industry’s (BFI) Soul Screen: Connect event and the film is entered into the 2019 London Short Film Festival. This is important, because this could see his film entered into the prestigious British Academy of Film and Theatre Arts.
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