Student scoops two international film awards

Dean Arnott won the awards at a film festival in India

A student who knew "absolutely nothing about cameras" has won a brace of awards at an international film festival.

Dean Arnott, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, had success in the Best International Short Film and Best Student Filmmaker categories at the Golden Lion International Film Festival in India last month.

The 39-year-old, who made the film Pay The Piper, enrolled on a film-making course as a mature student at Northampton College after spells as a barman, a shop assistant, a groundworker and a car battery tester.

"I entered it into various festivals and awards, and even though I was really pleased with it I can't say I honestly expected to win," he said. "It's been pretty crazy."

"I had been doing various jobs around the local area, but I had always liked films, and I had started teaching myself screenwriting when I turned 35.

"When I first started, I knew absolutely nothing about cameras, but the course was fantastic and the support and guidance I got from the teachers was first class."

Pay The Piper is a 10-minute horror film which he made for his final project on the digital film production course.

"I threw everything at the final project and spent six months getting a producer on board and putting together a crew," Mr Arnott said.

"I never did well at school and drifted from job to job, but Northampton College has given me the opportunity to find something I didn't know I had until enrolling on the course."