NFTS Celebrates 10th Grierson Award Win For Best Student Documentary
This week, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) attended the 2024 Grierson British Documentary Awards, supporting our graduate student teams that made up all four nominations for the prestigious All3Media Best Student Documentary Award 2024: Beyond These Walls, Hungry for Freedom, milk and The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny.
Hosted by the effervescent Kerry Godliman (Afterlife), the awards kicked off with a fantastic introduction by chair of the Grierson Trust, Lorraine Heggessey, and celebrated the very best of British documentary talent.
The NFTS is delighted that The Waiter, The Scientist and Jenny, directed and produced by recent graduate Joe Snelling alongside a talented crew of fellow NFTS graduates, took home the All3Media Best Student Documentary Award.
The award was presented to the team by investigative journalist and presenter Seyi Rhodes.
On winning the award, Joe commented: “It was such an emotional journey making this film and I’m so grateful to my contributor Mark, who is an extraordinary character.”
This latest award marks the 10th win for NFTS graduates for the Best Student Documentary Award since the category started in 2011.
The Waiter, The Scientist and Jenny
The Waiter, The Scientist and Jenny follows the life of Marc Esposito, once an exceptionally promising scientist, who now works as a waiter in Hastings, where he attempts to live an unusually free and unencumbered life, whilst simultaneously battling a severe mental health condition.
- Winning NFTS Crew
Director/Producer/Camera | Joe Snelling
Production Manager | Carl Mason
Sound Recordist | George Philip Blake
Editor | Ben Sales
Sound Designer/Dubbing Mixer | Omar Gabriel Delnevo
Composer | Nir Perlman
Colourist/Online Editor | Karolina Metela
The Grierson Judges said of The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny: “The winning film of this award was beautifully crafted. It showed real confidence on the part of the filmmaker, and it takes you on a revealing journey that is deftly handled with a gentle touch, and it demonstrates a genuine trust between the filmmaker and their subject.”
NFTS graduates brushed shoulders with a star-studded selection of nominees and winners, from comedian Joe Tracini for his introspective piece Me and the Voice in My Head, and the incredible crew of the impactful 20 Days In Mariupol. Also in attendance was Stacey Dooley, the recipient of this year's Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The NFTS would like to congratulate the winning crew, and all our amazing graduates for their hard work and well deserved recognition.
If you are interested in creating award-winning documentaries, find out more about how to apply for the 2026 intake NFTS Directing Documentary MA: nfts.co.uk/directing-documentary.
Photo credit: Mike Massaro, Hello Content and Garry Jones, Hello Content