USW graduate wins Cannes film award

A University of South Wales (USW) graduate has been honoured at the prestigious Cannes Film Awards 2023

Mahesh Madhu Naidu, who completed a Masters in Film Direction at USW in 2021, last weekend picked up the Special Jury Award for Best Student Film for his short film Lazy Bones.

A trained actor through Radaan Acting School in India, he performed in a number of projects before extending his skills into the film-making world, he wrote and directed his first professional short film, a drama called No Evom, which was made available on Amazon Prime in July 2019. 

To further his career, he decided to undertake the course at USW, which is where he met business partner Sam Griffiths, and set up Running Cliche Production House, which operates out of the Startup Stiwdio Sefydlu, a dedicated USW graduate business incubator. 

Mahesh explained how the project came to life.

“Through my first major project brief, I outlined the idea of Lazy Bones, and writer Dave Slocombe crystalised the idea into a screenplay,” he said.

“Lazy Bones was initially a 15-minute production, but once I completed my Masters in 2021 I felt that it needed more refinement and spent the next year focusing on recomposing the music and reshooting the ending and beginning scenes 

“Lazy Bones is a short film that follows the journey of Ted, a 25-year-old man-child, who lives under the roof of his girlfriend Sarah. He is a clever and knowledgeable accountant whose laziness makes it hard for him to find and keep any job. He wants to be able to provide more than emotional support to his girlfriend and sets on a journey to find himself a job. 

“Somehow, he stumbles upon a profession unlike any other, which perfectly matches his personality and lifestyle, helping him provide for his girlfriend.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard that the film had been shortlisted. I had to double-check the website to ensure this was correct, I then told my mum, dad, and brother.”

Mahesh added that the Cannes success has not been achieved without support from a number of different people, including his family.

“My father, mother, and brother believed in my vision and commissioned the production of Lazy Bones,” he said.

“Then, last year, when I became a Startup Stiwdio Sefydlu member, I found a more professional environment to work from. This also gave me the opportunity to get feedback on Lazy Bones from other Stiwdio members, which was invaluable.

“The Startup Stiwdio not only provided an incubator space for Lazy Bones, but it also continues to benefit the growth of Running Cliché, being an excellent space for networking, and a professional space to meet clients and other film industry professionals.”

Since February Lazy Bones has made quite an impression on film festivals, having been announced as  winner of the Best Student Alternative Film for the International Comedy Festival in the USA; and nominated for Best Comedy Shot at the Nomadic International Film Festival in Los Angeles; a finalist for as Best International Film Award at the Georgia Comedy Film Festival, in Atlanta, USA; and the award from Cannes.

Richie Turner, manager of the Startup Stiwdio graduate entrepreneurship programmes across USW, said: “I am so proud of what Mahesh has already achieved since joining us.

“Having great talent and excellent creative skills are unfortunately not a guarantee of success these days – we have been able to help Mahesh widen his professional networks across Wales and internationally and help the production company focus its business model.

“I can’t wait to see the latest working comedy pilot entitled ‘Odd Jobs’ in a few months’ time.”