Bristol Film School is celebrating a nomination at the RTS National Student Television Awards 2026, with degree student film Soil Survivors shortlisted in the Undergraduate Saving the Planet category.
Created collaboratively by degree students from BA (Hons) Filmmaking: Production and BA (Hons) Filmmaking: Post Production, Soil Survivors is a charming and visually rich short documentary exploring the hidden ecosystem thriving beneath our gardens.
Head of Bristol Film School, Freya Billington said: “We are so proud of the team behind Soil Survivors and delighted all their hard work, hours spent with long lenses, creepy crawlies and lots of mud, has resulted in this national recognition.”
Through striking macro cinematography and playful narration, the film shines a light on soil mites and other tiny insects whose vital work helps sustain the natural world.
“Being based in Bristol, we are extremely lucky our students get to work with lots of production and post production professionals working within Natural History programming, something which has inspired several of them to explore wildlife filmmaking during their degree, in both a serious and more light-hearted way!”
Freya Billington, Head of Bristol Film School
At the heart of the documentary is a powerful environmental message, exploring the fragile relationship between humans and nature while reminding audiences that even the smallest creatures play a crucial role in the story of sustainability.
Soil Survivors has already been screened as part of the Nature Calls programme at Bristol’s Watershed this summer, a season of films exploring conservation and humanity’s impact on the natural world.
The RTS nomination recognises the creativity, technical skill and collaborative filmmaking demonstrated by the student crew.
It also highlights Bristol Film School’s continued commitment to producing ambitious and socially engaged work across documentary and factual filmmaking.
The project was led by BA (Hons) Filmmaking: Production students Joe Mugridge (Director/DOP), Holly Parfitt (Producer), Tia Smith and Aine Bethell (Camera Assistants), alongside BA (Hons) Filmmaking: Post Production students Dylan Burgess (DIT/Online Editor), Bilal Hussain (Online), and Francis Smith (Sound Design). Connor Cousins worked as Foley Artist on the production.
To learn more about Bristol Film school and all of our degree courses at Boomsatsuma, as well as meet the team and see the facilities – you can book onto our June 13th open day here.
