Judges recognised the outstanding camerawork and lighting in Elian's film Strangers.

Leeds Trinity alumnus Joshua Hall, currently working as a digital sports reporter for the The Sun in London, also received a nomination at the RTS Yorkshire Student Awards in the Journalism category for his video about women’s golf.

The pair stood out among hundreds of students from universities across North, East, South and West Yorkshire to gain the praise of expert judges from the television industry, who gathered for the ceremony at York St John University.

Elian, from Grimsby, said: “I came to Leeds Trinity University with no college qualifications, not knowing what I wanted to do with myself. All I knew was that I was interested in film. Leeds Trinity took me in, gave me a Foundation Year to prove myself, and all the resources and opportunities since then to make a film I am proud of.

“To win an award such as this was a real surprise and I feel honoured that it was recognised for the cinematography, which the film relied heavily upon.”

Describing their film, Elian added: “The film Strangers is a short and emotionally driven piece about two lovers who cannot imagine life apart. The film depicts the process of imagining the reality of separation and how their closeness is quite disturbing and, in some respects, forced. The story is told with a beautiful score by my fellow Film student, Sam Wood.

“It’s the first film I’ve made properly on my own using the brilliant technical support from the Media Services team at the University, in particular Dr Tom Pollard.

“Each member of the School of Digital and Screen Media, whether it be Robbie McAllister or Ricardo Barker, be they theory-based or practical-based, has given me so much support. As someone who definitely didn’t see themselves within higher education, I’m so happy to say I’ve made something that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all the staff at Leeds Trinity.”

Robbie McAllister, Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Film, said: “Throughout the entirety of their degree, Elian has proved they possesses all the passion for filmmaking that we hope to see in a student of our Film programme here at Leeds Trinity.

“Working with staff, they have produced a number of shorts that have developed their skills and it’s a delight to be seeing them recognised within the sector.

“We couldn't be more thrilled to encourage their love of cinema and see that commitment being reflected in the quality of work they produce.”

The RTS Student Television Awards recognise the best audiovisual work created by students at undergraduate and postgraduate level across the UK.

To find out more about studying BA (Hons) Film at Leeds Trinity University, visit the website.