Every month, Sparks Film School awards a new film produced by students, winning the Film of the Month Award.
This October, our judges have chosen a brand new film production to celebrate. Every month, our judges assess films from across all Sparks Film School crews and select one as their Film of the Month.
October 2025: Congratulations to the crews behind When Time Cuts Short from Sparks Film School Hampstead
This October’s Film of The Month Award goes to film students from Sparks Film School Hampstead for their touching film When Time Cuts Short.
The film was produced by young filmmakers in Studio 4 (ages 11-14) during the 2025 summer term of weekly filmmaking classes.
When Time Cuts Short follows a man who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. As he looks back on his life through flashbacks, he is led to the realisation that his life was enriched by friendship. The film is made with lots of care and a gentle approach to the more mature themes by the young filmmakers.
From the Judges…
“We were very impressed by the crew’s ability to show the audience the key moments of the main character’s life through snappy and qualitative flashbacks.
The flashbacks are shown in black and white, so we as an audience are clear on where we are in time, whether that be looking back on the character’s past, or in the present day as he deals with his feelings during a difficult time. There is some great use of time and place in storytelling here from the filmmakers.
Our panel noticed the strong use of camera technique in the film. Every shot feels thoughtfully and artfully composed, with a good attention to detail on the framing. There is a lot of technique and creativity on display with approaching the flashback scenes.
One particular example is the flashback to the parents arguing about the boy. The crew have used silhouettes and shadows of the parents in this scene, rather than simply showing us the argument. This lends the scene a stylistic and thematic edge that captures attention and enriches the storytelling even further.
It almost makes us feel like we are hearing something we shouldn’t hear, like the character himself it puts us in his shoes. This is a great technique for the crews to use, it has the effect of pulling the audience into the world of the film.
Finally the film has a very well realised emotive tone throughout, which is appropriate to the subject matter put forward by the young filmmakers.
The story feels mature and tentative, yet still entertaining with some moments of levity. The crew have handled their story really well and should feel very proud of this film!
Overall we found When Time Cuts Short to be a well executed and impressionistic short story that will really bring an audience closer to a character. It showcases some dynamic filmmaking techniques and a strong visual identity. Congratulations to the crew behind this film – it’s a very well deserving Film Of The Month!
About Sparks Film School’s Film of the Month
The Sparks Film of the Month Award shines a spotlight on a new film each month from the imaginative filmmaking talents of Sparks Film School students.
Each month, a film production made by Sparks Film School crew members is chosen as Film of the Month.
Our panel of judges – assembled from our team of filmmaking instructors – look at submissions from across Sparks Film Schools nationally and choose one film that they think stands out as an impressive piece of filmmaking.
They assess based on each film’s impact on screen and explore all its little details to uncover all the things we love about each film chosen.
Film of the Month: Selection Criteria
To be selected as Sparks Film of the Month, a film production needs to be…
Original:
We look for originality and imagination above all else when choosing the winner of Film of the Month. We looks for films that surprise us, offer some inventiveness and challenge convention.
Interesting:
To be chosen as Film of the Month, a production needs to be interesting. We want to see what happens next; we want to learn more about the characters. We should be invested in watching until the very end.
Well Made:
We need to be appreciate the technicality in how a film has been made for it to be awarded Film of the Month. It should feature a clear storyline, be well shot, well acted, well edited and put together.
Made by Students of Sparks Film School:
Film of the Month can be awarded to any film production made by students at any Sparks Film School across the UK. It can be made independently or during film school sessions.
About Sparks Film School’s Filmmaking Courses
Sparks Film School offers filmmaking, animation and photography workshops for ages 5-18, including term time classes and holiday camps.
We offer free taster classes and there are lots of opportunities to get involved. You can find out more about our filmmaking courses here >>>
