Aran is well-known by his fellow students all across the BA (Hons) Film Production course, for his professionalism and desire to produce high quality work. He has become a valued peer by fostering connections across year groups, forming strong working relationships with alumni whilst also mentoring younger students who have assisted him on filmmaking projects.
Aran’s talents are not limited to his academic endeavours, as he consistently goes above and beyond to seek real-world based creative opportunities. In both 2020 and 2021, he volunteered as Marketing Co-Director for the University’s Festival of Short Film. He has also been Production Manager on ‘In Search of Rumi’ – a documentary project created by Manchester-based Alchemy Arts about the Persian Poet, Rumi. Most recently, he was appointed as Assistant Producer on the Red Bull documentary series ‘Origins’, where he completed work on two shorts, has another three in pre-production and is now contracted for another to shoot in Paris. Aran is an incredible role model to others and has consistently demonstrated excellence in all that he does.
Aran says “Being nominated for the Film and Media Award deeply validates my belief that anybody with dogged determination and a warm attitude can find success in film. It is an industry that rewards keen knowledge of craft, sharp intuition and the ability to form strong relationships with others. Starting the BA (Hons) Film Production course back in September 2018 was extremely daunting. Not only had most people on the course studied film or media for two years prior at college, but a lot of groups of friends had arrived at the same university. Having moved here from abroad after steering away from engineering, I lacked both the prior knowledge and an established network. I have spent the last three years accruing as much knowledge and wisdom as I could from both my mentors and my peers. I have also been working to establish and position myself within the university as someone principled, dedicated and ultimately a great asset on a crew. Being shortlisted for this award, for me, is being recognised as that which I strive be and means far more than I could ever hope to put into words.”