Victoria Mapplebeck has won a prestigious national film award for her short film ‘Missed Call’ – all about her young son’s journey to reconnect with his absent father. It is one of the first professional documentaries in the world to be filmed on the iPhone X.
Jim and Victoria at the awards ceremony at BAFTA
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research in Film Award (RIFA) are the only film awards dedicated to celebrating and recognising arts and humanities research through film. The ceremony was held on Thursday, 8 November at BAFTA in London.
Shot on an iPhone X, ‘Missed Call’ begins with the last message Victoria receives from her son Jim’s father, before her former partner moves abroad in 2006. The film ends with the first phone call to Jim 11 years later when the young boy reaches out via his mother.
Jim, who is now 14, last saw his father when he was aged two. He had reached the point where he needed to know more about where he came from and work out once and for all if he is to have any kind of relationship with his father.
Victoria Mapplebeck a Reader in the Media Arts Department at Royal Holloway, said: “I'm delighted to have won an AHRC Social Media Short Award. I'm really passionate about the impact and audience reach of social media platforms so it was great to be part of this new category. Jim and I are just over the moon with this award and the recognition it brings.
“It was a very personal journey for us and we have received so much positive feedback.
“’Missed Call’ is a real story with real lives. Squaring the circle of being both filmmaker and parent, made this one of the most challenging films I’ve ever made, but I’m very glad I made it.”
The film was shot on a mobile because its story derives from a text exchange on a phone – one that captures the whole of the relationship, from the first encounter to the parting message, which brought about Jim’s very existence.
‘Missed Call’ is also one of the first original productions from Real Stories and has the uplifting quality which is part of what characterises this fast-growing documentary channel. It was directed by Victoria Mapplebeck and produced by Amanda Murphy at Field Day Productions for Little Dot Studios.
You can also read all about the background of the film here.
