Staff members from London College of Communication, UAL have been celebrated at the British Association of Film, Television, and Screen Studies Awards (BAFTSS) — congratulations to Dr. Joe Jackson, Dr. Fotis Begklis and Mike Wyeld who have all received awards at the ceremony in March.
Lecturer in Communications and Media, Dr. Joe Jackson's debut book, Kahlil Joseph and the Audiovisual Atlantic, was awarded Runner-Up for Best First Monograph in the publication awards.
Released in August 2024 with Bloomsbury Academic, Joe's book explores the works of Kahlil Joseph, a multi-award-winning US film director and music video creator known for his collaborations with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and FKA Twigs. The book takes a deep dive into Kahlil Joseph’s influential work — challenging traditional hierarchies in media and culture, particularly in how music video directors are often overlooked compared to their film counterparts.
Joe shared how his role at LCC aligns with his passion for disrupting conventional knowledge structures which tend to marginalise the arts.
He explained, "One of the things I love about LCC is that we take the arts really seriously. I'm trying to teach my students that they have a voice, just like Kahlil Joseph, and that their creativity matters."
For Joe, the recognition at BAFTSS was a significant milestone: “It was my first competition, and the standard was really high. Just to be nominated was brilliant, and to come second was amazing.”
Joe's book Kahlil Joseph and the Audiovisual Atlantic is available through Bloomsbury Academic. Looking ahead, Joe has contributed to the recent publication Contemporary African Screen Worlds with Duke University Press, which is now available on the Screen Worlds website.
Dr. Fotis Begklis, Lecturer in Film and Television post-production at LCC, was awarded Runner-Up in the Best Screen-based Practice Research (Short) category for his documentary The ‘Strangers’ Home.
The ‘Strangers’ Home, produced by Thames Festival Trust, delves into the rich history of London’s Royal Docks, exploring how the area became one of the most ethnically diverse places in Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The project came to life through collaboration with eight local east London residents and the Newham Archive, documenting the often-overlooked stories of mixed-heritage families. The film links these personal histories to the wider social and political climate of post-WWI Britain, marked by a moral panic in which migrants were scapegoated in the media and government restrictions on migration first began.
“It was important to give a voice to people who didn’t have one,” says Fotis, echoing the film’s tagline: “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will tell it for you.”
Fotis sees his roles as a filmmaker, researcher and educator as interconnected and inseparable. He draws inspiration from his teaching into his creative projects and vice versa.
Following the success of The ‘Strangers’ Home, Fotis has introduced this same participatory documentary model in his teaching — his second-year BA (Hons) Film and Television students are producing a participatory documentary project exploring LCC’s new building.
The ‘Strangers’ Home is now available for viewing on the Thames Festival Trust website. Fotis is currently working on a new documentary about the transformation of farmland into forests in Essex.
Mike Wyeld, Lecturer in Sound Design and Film and Television at LCC, contributed as sound designer and academic researcher to the film Her Name Was Moviola, which achieved Runner-up for Best Practice Research in the Feature category.
Her Name Was Moviola is a cinematic tribute to the Moviola editing machine, showcasing how the device revolutionised English-language filmmaking for much of the 20th century. Written by and starring Academy Award-winning editor Walter Murch, the project reflects on the legacy of this powerful analogue editing tool in a digital age.
Mike integrates lessons from Her Name Was Moviola into his teaching, encouraging students to rethink the editing process beyond software. “Editing, for Walter, is a full-body experience,” he explains, referencing Murch’s ‘paper edit’ method, where shots are physically arranged by hand. “It’s about stepping away from the screen and mastering the material.”
"It’s a milestone moment for me as a lecturer to be able to share such a unique and impactful project with my students."
Teaching, for Mike, is a constant source of inspiration. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s a single artist-practitioner lecturer at LCC who isn’t influenced by the students,” he says. “LCC-ers bring energy, curiosity, and fresh, inventive ways of telling stories — and that kind of enthusiasm is contagious.”
Reflecting on the BAFTSS recognition, Mike believes it signals a shift in how film and TV production is viewed as research. “We don’t need to write long academic treatments,” he says. “Practice generates knowledge. The making is the thinking.”
Currently screening internationally, Her Name Was Moviola has upcoming showings in California, France, and Italy. Watch the trailer for Her Name Was Moviola.
Congratulations to all 3 members of staff.
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