Animation students recognised at The Rookies 2026
09 September 2026
Three entries from Falmouth's School of Film & Television have been recognised at the Rookie Awards 2026, an international platform that celebrates emerging talent in games, animation, visual effects and design. Among them is The Best Part, a Rookie of the Year finalist that also picked up a Draft Selection award, alongside two further Draft Selection entries: Shift, a short film from a team of second-year Animation students and a showreel from 2026 graduate Charlie Barker.
Lily Burgess, Lilian Han Morze and team – BA(Hons) Animation
The Best Part
The Best Part is a hand-drawn animated short directed by 2026 graduate Lilian Han Morze and produced by fellow graduate Lily Burgess, following a young woman named Mei who rediscovers an old cooking pot after the loss of her mother. Drawing on food in Asian cultures as a vessel for love, the film explores grief and nostalgia through the small, unspoken gestures shared between a mother and daughter.
The story was drawn directly from the pair's own lives. "The Best Part was directly inspired by my own upbringing around Chinese food as well as my relationship with my mum," said Lilian. "From the food being prepared to the dialogue shared between Mei and her mother, all of these moments are drawn from my own life and personal experiences."
For Lily, the project was also a chance to bring underrepresented voices to the fore. "Bringing Asian cultures to the forefront of the conversation, especially in Western media, is something I feel incredibly privileged to be part of," she said. "The time I've spent working on The Best Part has given me space to reflect on my own relationship with my parents and the unspoken ways their love bleeds into the mundane."
The wider team included Connor Wilkinson as lipsync lead, Phoenix Bilkhu as technical director, William Traube as FX supervisor and Alastair Booker as animation supervisor.
The Best Part earned Rookie of the Year finalist and Draft Selection places in the 2D Animation category. You can view the full entry on The Rookies.
Kayleigh Grice, Rosa Carol and team – BA(Hons) Animation
Shift
Shift is a 2D animated short following Mel, a young hospitality worker, through a chaotic shift and the fiery consequences of dealing with the public. Directed by second-year student Kayleigh Grice and produced by fellow second-year Rosa Carol, the film grew out of the team's own experiences in customer-facing jobs.
"We, as a team, wished to make light-hearted fun out of the customers we often find at our hospitality jobs across the globe," the team said. "This film was not only made to highlight the stereotypical rude members of the general public we encounter as we clock in, but also to bring customer service workers together to share stories and to realise we are not alone."
Shift was made by a wider team of second-year Animation students, including Sienna Adams, Yan Wang, Francesca Spadaro, Luiza Sant'Anna, Liam Smith-Valle, Neve Farthing-Kelly and Genexa Maturan, with 3D backgrounds led by Malak Taiek.
Shift earned a Draft Selection award in the 2D Animation category. You can view the full entry on The Rookies.
Charlie Barker – BA(Hons) Animation
2D Animation Showreel
Graduate Charlie Barker submitted a showreel spanning two years of 2D animation work, including a third-year short film and freelance projects.
"My university experience has been invaluable in expanding my skillset and improving my existing skills," said Charlie. "Alongside producing a third-year short film and freelancing on multiple others, I've focused on practising dynamic character animation and learnt how to composite in both After Effects and Toon Boom in order to give my personal animations a boost."
Charlie's showreel earned a Draft Selection award in the 2D Animation category. You can view the full entry on The Rookies.
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