The NFTS Graduate Showcase 2026, supported by BBC Studios, celebrates the culmination of over 500 students’ work towards over 80 inspiring and original short films, TV shows, commercials and games.

The showcase is an opportunity for members of the screen industries to see firsthand the work of NFTS’ graduating students and to meet the next generation of film, television and games makers that will be shaping the industry for years to come.

British Cinematographer takes you behind the scenes to explore the 10 films screened at the Fiction Graduate Showcase, including interviews with the cinematographers, stills and shots taken during filming for each incredible production.

Here, Hayley Grant explains how Rice explores themes of belonging, generational guilt, and inherited responsibility in a unique location.

Please can you share an overview of your film?

Rice follows Sukhi, a young Indian bride marrying into a wealthy “old-money” family. As wedding preparations begin, Sukhi starts to hear strange cries on the estate, uncovering echoes of the past which threaten to unravel the veneer of her new life. Rice is a story revolving around themes of belonging, generational guilt, and inherited responsibility.

What were your initial discussions about the visual approach for the film? What look and mood were you trying to achieve?

Initially, Ritoban Burman, the director, and I spoke exclusively about story, and within those discussions there was a heavy emphasis on the emotional content of each scene. Early on we watched the Georgian film Beginning (2020), and then later The Souvenir (2019). Both films became a source of visual inspiration in that they both felt observational and understated in the look, despite the high narrative drama.

We finally came to the idea that the guiding principle in our approach should be objectivity. We wanted to aim for a neutral look and a feeling of restraint in the lensing. The intention of this was to avoid artificially heightening moments and leading the audience emotionally – we hoped instead this would allow people to connect independently and more personally.

What were your creative references and inspirations? Which films, still photography or paintings were you influenced by?

One of the main creative inspirations for me was the Dutch painter Vermeer. I loved the observational sense of his work and the way I felt it involved me as a viewer. Vermeer’s style of composition presented me with a subtle feeling of tension, like I was in the scene and might interrupt the subject. We wanted to capture some of that subtle tension in Rice as well. We also looked at Spencer and Todd Haynes’ film Safe for lighting inspiration.

What filming locations were used? Were any sets constructed? Did any of the locations present any challenges?

Rice was filmed inside Brynkinalt Hall and outside on the grounds of the surrounding estate. Brynkinalt is a stately home in North Wales and was an exciting location to be able to shoot in, though daunting at first because of its size relative to the resources we had available to us. One of the challenges of filming at this type of location was navigating the scale of it – we had to find a balance in what equipment we’d need to light these large spaces, while also practically keeping the package concise enough to travel up the distance to North Wales in a Luton.

As is always the case with stately homes, we also had to work particularly carefully within it, ensuring the delicacy of the location and the items within were protected. There was a Rembrandt painting hung in the hall that we all steered very well clear of!

Can you explain your choice of camera and lenses and what made them suitable for this production and the look you were trying to achieve?

I shot on the Alexa 35 with K35 lenses and the 25-250mm Cooke Varotal zoom. One Stop kindly let me test a range of lenses, which after shooting I colour-coded and then blindly watched back projected in the cinema room at NFTS. This allowed me to objectively pick a set of lenses without any bias. I ended up liking the K35s most, finding they were flattering on skin and had just enough character while maintaining minimal distortion of straight lines. I knew that I intended to shoot most of the film at T4 or T5.6 where the K35s felt very neutral, but I liked that they also allowed me the option of shooting wide open and having some of that distinctive K35 swirly bokeh dreaminess. 

What role did camera movement, composition and framing, and colour play in the visual storytelling?

Camera movement was a tool we wanted to use in a restrained way – we chose to remain mainly locked off in our compositions. When we committed to moving the camera, it was because we wanted to evoke a ghostly or otherworldly feeling. To achieve this, we made a rule of no handheld movement; any camera movement would be either dolly and track or Steadicam.

Composition and framing were also a restrained component of our visual storytelling. Always wanting to lean into this idea of observation, we were often drawn to shooting through doorways and trying to find frames within frames. We were interested in the idea of what we’re not showing, of what is just off screen, and that’s something we wanted the audience to subconsciously consider as well.

In terms of colour play, the location already had so much colour in the carpets, furniture and curtains. The designer, Ana Smoleanu, Rito and I ended up looking mostly at taking away colours – we tried to reduce the number of different colours in each space to around three, feeling a rich but more limited palette better suited the world we were portraying.

What was your approach to lighting the film? Which was the most difficult scene to light?

Our approach with lighting the film was again wanting to keep it natural and neutral. I was interested in exploring making it feel “unlit” in some way – we never wanted the lighting to draw attention to itself. Max Lovell (who I’ve worked with since I was a lighting trainee in 2021) was my gaffer and he led a fantastic lighting team who made the challenge of shooting in such a large location feasible. Because we were shooting in so many different rooms in the house, we planned to always be pre-lighting the next space. Our best boy Marta Vitola would go ahead and pre-light while we shot. So that I could be more mobile and able to check ahead, I knew I wanted to work with a cam op – we were lucky to have Alex Kingston on board, a fantastic cam op and a long-time collaborator of mine, he cam opped for us and also did all the Steadicam work.

The most difficult scene to light was the final dining room scene as the shoot day was tight schedule-wise, and we had limited options for where lights could go without ending up in shot. Through pre-production planning in combination with staying open enough to react in the moment, we managed to find solutions. As the finale and emotional climax of the film, it ended up being such a rewarding day of shooting to complete.

What were you trying to achieve in the grade?

For the grade we wanted to keep in the same spirit we shot in – rather than overly manipulating contrast, saturation, etc to signal how a scene should be felt, we wanted to focus on keeping the look neutral enough that the audience could hopefully remain engrossed in the performances and story. We did add some 16mm grain overlay to help soften the overall image and bring in some additional texture.

Which elements of the film were most challenging to shoot and how did you overcome those obstacles? 

One of the most challenging aspects of the shoot was simply navigating the scale. Not only were we shooting in several areas of a huge location on an ambitious schedule, but it was also fairly large-scale in terms of number of cast and SAs. We shot several scenes with 30-40 SAs; this was challenging in the sense that we had to find a balance between blocking them with composition of the frame in mind, while also making sure they didn’t appear overly staged and unnatural. With the help of the AD team and Rito’s concise direction, we ended up finding a flow which worked for us and for the story.

What was your proudest moment throughout the production process or which scene/shot are you most proud of?

My proudest moment throughout the process of making this film are the collaborations I was able to be a part of. It was amazing seeing the whole crew come together and each shine in their respective roles. The feeling on set was one of openness and support, and I think it’s because of that positive demeanour that we were able to smoothly overcome all the obstacles that come with making this kind of film. It was a wholly rewarding experience, and I’m so proud of the dedication our team put into working together.

What lessons did you learn from this production that you will take with you onto future productions? 

I learned so much on this film! From shooting in a large location with relatively minimal equipment to working with a large cast and many SAs, there are so many aspects of filming which pushed us. It also cemented for me that it’s when you’re being pushed somewhere challenging that you get to wrap and feel the reward of having achieved something particularly meaningful. I’m excited to continue working on exciting projects like this one.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Pat and the team at Greenkit, Cirrolite, and of course Amelia and everyone else at One Stop for their generous support.