I'd like to take this opportunity to thank.....

You may have noticed my profile box on the left hand side, the one with the really good-looking photo in it and you may also have noticed the line "award-winning film maker".


The film in question happens to be one I made back in 2005 as part of an AVCE Media Studies module which required students to produce a short film or video production.

Now before the Daily Mail reading contingent points it out, I know already. Media is one of those 'doss' subjects that is devaluing A-Levels and instead of messing around with a television camera, I should have been doing more worthwhile subjects like physics, maths and Latin or something like that but that's not the point.

Said film was a spoof-documentary about a group of young filmmakers, like us and how, long story short, it all goes belly up. If you've got the time, you can even watch it on the BBC website although be warned, the producer sent the wrong copy to the Beeb - one without a section of voice over - idiot.

Anyway, the right copy was thankfully sent to the a panel of judges First Light National Film Awards which included Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen who were that impressed that they decided to award it the Best Comedy Award for 2005. Impressive eh? The only downside is that I couldn't make it down to the fancy London shin-dig.

So anyway, that led onto my Journalism course (yes I know...doss subject....dumbing down education...blah blah blah) at University (well, actually, Leeds Trinity & All Saints College but it does say University of Leeds on my degree) which, aside from actual journalism, involved a considerable amount of media and film work.

And so again, we went film-making, I got my degree and left it at that.

Six months after leaving and six months into job that has nothing to do with films, I stumble in to what is inevitably a pile of bills on the doormat as well as various Christmas gifts (yes I know, shame on me).

To my surprise, one wasn't a bill at all. In fact, it was a letter from the college informing me that one of my films has won the "Michael McNally Prize".

Now I have no idea who Michael McNally is or what his prize is, but I will happily accept his £100 cheque and the chance to call myself a two-time award winning filmmaker!