Ones To
Watch
Meet The New Faces of Cinema From London Film School
By Bridget Arsenault
The London Film School's imminent move to City Island marks an exciting next phase in the area's patronage of the arts and young creative voices from across the UK. We caught up with a handful of the talented students currently honing their craft, learning about screenwriting, directing, producing and the industry as a whole.
Teniola King, 25
Grew up between the UK and Lagos, Nigeria. She studied economics at the University of Liverpool before returning to Lagos, where she got a job as an intern on a TV show. She is currently studying to be a director.
Favourite film:
Shawshank Redemption.
Movie you've watched a trillion times:
Twilight, countless times. I can literally recite the words, I just love it! I love the books, I love the whole thing. I don’t even need to watch it; I can literally just recite it alone.
Embarrassing poster on your wall growing up:
No, funny enough not really. Because I was in boarding school for a lot of my life.
Actor crush/star-struck to meet:
I've forgotten his name now…The actor off Man of Steel. Henry Cavill, absolutely beautiful that man.
Thing you're most excited about in the industry:
Just making an impact.
Scott Trotter, 29
Came to film through an unconventional route; he got business degree from a college in Florida and landed a first job at Merrill Lynch. But it was a trip around the world that taught him he wanted to be a filmmaker.
Favourite film:
Shame.
Movie you've watched a trillion times:
Alfie. I used to watch it if I ever had girl problems because it would make me feel better.
Embarrassing poster on your wall growing up:
Coldplay. I don't know if that's embarrassing or not but it's definitely going against the other posters I had.
Measure of Success:
Being able to do what you love to do and having that actually pay for your life outside of that.
Pinch Me Moment:
Ironically, it was probably when I got offered my first job, which was at Merrill Lynch and turned out to be the worst job I've ever had in my life.
Roisin Agnes, 28
After 10 years working as a journalist, for Lonely Planet and for a TV station in Ireland, Roisin is studying screenwriting, a course that marries her two passions—writing and drama.
Favourite film:
Call Me By Your Name. It actually broke my heart. I think it is my new favourite film.
Movie you've watched a trillion times:
Bringing up Baby. I've watched it 24 times.
Embarrassing poster on your wall growing up:
A Jack Kerouac quote from On the Road that I printed out from my computer. Does that count?
Actor crush/star-struck to meet:
Patty Smith is like my idol, and I met her last year, which was amazing.
Balancing commercial versus creative ambitions:
I have no problem with selling out; I don't think that's a big deal.
Tayub Hussain, 27
The study of matter and motion—aka physics—has more to do with directing than may immediately reveal itself, just ask Tayub, who received a degree on the subject from King's College, London before enrolling himself at the London Film School.
Favourite film:
Oldboy by Park Chan-wook.
Movie you've watched a trillion times:
Street Fighter Alfa: The Animation. I watched it as a kid, and I watch it today
Embarrassing poster on your wall growing up:
Pokémon. Not because it was embarrassing, but I went for a job at Cineworld and I walked in and they were like what is your favourite film? I was like 14 so I said Pokémon the first movie, and I didn’t realise you had to stand up and give a speech. I had to talk about Pokémon to like 50 people!
Measure of Success:
I think Hitchcock said it, he was like a clear horizon. He expanded and said when there are no worries in the world, I can just think about what I am making and just concentrate on that. It's just so rare to have that. So, I don't think arriving anywhere is success because I’d get bored. But as long as I can keep creating no matter what industry I am working in.
Tamara Ansah, 22
At 18 Tamara Ansah joined her university film society and it all just clicked. Now, four years later, she's finding catharsis through writing, exploring and explaining the world around her pursuing a degree in screenwriting.
Favourite film:
The first thing that came to mind was Pan's Labyrinth. There are lots of amazing films, but it's the one that got me really hooked.
Movie you've watched a trillion times:
Mean Girls. I think maybe three times a year.
Embarrassing poster on your wall growing up:
I used to be painfully obsessed with Justin Timberlake because we have the same birthday. I used to send him birthday letters. It's really embarrassing.
Actor crush/star-struck to meet:
Probably bumping into Salman Rushdie, one of my favourite authors. He is amazing, and I mentioned I am really into magic realism. He’s got this book called The Moor's Last Sigh, which stunned me, so meeting him was an incredible moment.
Measure of Success:
When I have sold an award-winning feature-length script.
