Animation students named finalists in global Rookies awards
23 September 2025
Two student films from Falmouth’s Animation BA(Hons) have made a splash at The Rookies, an international competition that spotlights the best new talent in games, animation, visual effects and design.
Graduates Faith Evans and Taiah Hay, along with second-year students Lily Burgess and Lilian Han Morze, were recognised as finalists for their short films Night of the Living Fish and Space Sweepers. Their success places them on an international stage, alongside emerging artists and developers from around the world. Three Games Academy students were also recognised in the competition, as mentioned in this news article.
We caught up with the students to hear more about their creative process, the stories behind their films, and what the recognition means to them.
Faith Evans & Taiah Hay – Night of the Living Fish
Responses from Taiah
How did it feel to have your work recognised in The Rookies Draft?
It was kind of surreal. I thought we’d get lost in the sea of student films that apply to The Rookies and I was overall just proud that we had finished the film, so to have it recognised was a really nice reward for all the hard work. It can feel nebulous when you put your work out there, and you don’t always see returns or acknowledgements. What I’ve learned is to remember the achievement of actually completing the thing. Recognition is great, but finishing months or years of hard work is an achievement in itself.
Night of the Living Fish has such a distinctive title and concept. Can you tell us how the idea first came about?
A lot of my ideas come from doodles or conversations with friends, and this one came from a chat I was having with Cerys, my assistant director, about where the best place to die would be so that your ghost was entertained. I said I’d want to be at an aquarium. From there we got chatting about ghost fish and thought it would be fun to make a film about them. The title is a not-so-smart play on Night of the Living Dead – it just got the point across quickly.
The story explores themes of loss, friendship, and a touch of the occult. Why did you want to tell this story in particular?
We thought those emotions were universal. Most people remember the death of their first pet or loved one. It’s a reality check when you’re young, and the strong emotions that come with it felt worth exploring in animation, but in a light-hearted way. For me, the main theme is struggling to let go. I was making this film in the last year of my degree and wasn’t ready to give it all up, so making it was a way of putting that anxiety to rest.
You worked with a team of around 20 students. What was it like to collaborate on such a big project?
I was honoured that so many people wanted to work with me. It was scary knowing people were relying on me, but my team was supportive and made learning how to be in a leadership role easier. The lecturers were encouraging, gave us regular feedback, and helped keep our momentum going. They really pushed us to make the best film we could.
Links
Lilian Han Morze & Lily Burgess - Space Sweepers
Responses from Lilian
Can you tell us how the idea first came about?
The project started as a concept I wanted to pitch that would be both fun to watch and enjoyable to make. I was keen to create something that offered a positive working environment for the whole team. Before the story was set in space, it drew on my love of the ocean and sea creatures, which inspired many of the design elements for the cast. Whilst sketching the first slimy protagonist, Hagson, I thought it would be amusing if he had to clean up after himself as a cleaner. From that spark, the story grew into what it is today.
The film combines 2D and 3D elements on a student budget. What were the biggest challenges in pulling that off?
As someone mainly used to 2D workflows, introducing 3D was daunting. If I had been tackling it alone, I would have been unsure how to approach that side of the work. Thankfully, my brilliant 3D specialists made programmes like Maya and Blender feel much more accessible, and they created models and textures with just the right mix of grit and wonkiness. With the characters animated in Harmony, everything was then pulled together seamlessly by our fantastic compositor.
You describe the film as “wacky and weird.” How did you strike the right balance between humour and chaos?
The quirky tone comes from how absurd the premise already is. A slimy alien working as a cleaner for his terrifying boss on a vast spaceship sets the stage for chaos. Much of the comedy comes from the escalating situations the characters land themselves in. Whether smashing marble busts of the boss or pressing comically oversized self-destruct buttons, the humour arises naturally from these over-the-top scenarios.
How did it feel to reach finalist status at The Rookies?
I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the news. It felt surreal to see a film I had directed in my second year recognised by such an established awards programme. It was incredibly rewarding to spot our work on the finalists page, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team and what we achieved together.
Links
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