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, Clint Frift explains how he made the most of Norway’s natural light to explore the breakdown of friendships.
Please can you share an overview of your film?
A group of friends head to a Norwegian cabin to celebrate Jonas’ 30th birthday. However, the main couple of the group, Martin and Heather, have broken up, yet no one knows. At lunch, tensions boil over and the secret comes out, ruining the trip. Eventually, the group gets together to throw a party for Jonas, hoping to make the trip worthwhile. At the party, tensions once again boil over, tearing the group apart. In the morning they leave, wondering if their friendship will ever be the same.
What were your initial discussions about the visual approach for the film? What look and mood were you trying to achieve?
We knew going into the project that we were going to have to rely on a great location and hope for good weather. Almost all of the film was shot outside on location, and we really wanted to sell the Scandinavian summer feeling; warm, neverending sunlight, lush green forests, calm blue seas and long blue-hour nights.
The director wanted to hit home on feelings of nostalgia, memories of a past summer and a ‘coming of age’ tone. With this, we looked a lot into how to get the most of magic hour, using dappled sunlight through forest trees and trying to back light our actors with sun wherever possible to create the feel we wanted.
What were your creative references and inspirations? Which films, still photography or paintings were you influenced by?
Froydis and I were never too hung up on references, really, our major inspirations were the landscape and location. As Froydis is from Norway, we had lengthy discussions on how she perceives the country and the summers there. And then, when we went on the recces, we really wanted to study how the light fell on different parts of the day, the interior and exterior colours of the cabin, and, of course, the natural surroundings. I would say most of the film’s look was found on the location recces, and not in looking at films, photographs or paintings.
What filming locations were used? Were any sets constructed? Did any of the locations present any challenges?
Our entire film was shot on location in Kråkerøy, a small island an hour south of Oslo. The cabin we used was around a 15-minute walk through the forest from the carpark. We knew that this was going to present challenges as we needed to get kit there. I decided to go with a very minimal camera and lighting package to make it easier for ourselves; it also allowed us to move quickly when shooting. The location itself was incredibly beautiful – pretty much everywhere you looked had a very Scandinavian feel. This was perfect for our film, so we just had to take our time and find the best areas to shoot in.
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?
For our project we went with the ARRI Alexa Mini, Carl Zeiss Super Speeds Mkiii and the Angénieux Optimo 24-290. For me, the film was all about the characters and the landscape – I didn’t want to choose any lenses that would take away from these two things. I had never shot with the Super Speeds before but I found them beautiful and reliable. They had a great contrast, perfect colour rendering and very little distortion – this really worked for the shots of our actors. We then used the zoom two ways, to add some tension and an impending feel to the film, slowly zooming in and out to raise the tension and also elevate some shots. And then it was also incredibly handy for grabbing tight and wide shots of the landscape, nature and surroundings.
What role did camera movement, composition and framing, and colour play in the visual storytelling?
The film was shot in a pretty conventional way. We wanted the script and characters to really shine through so we didn’t use any obscure compositions or wild movement. We also had a very minimal equipment list – a tripod, 4ft slider and handheld. This made our decisions of what movement we should use very easy. I implemented slow pans and slow zooms to a lot of the shots to raise some tension, add some interest and also connect the characters. For the final argument scene, we went handheld to add some energy, but it also allowed me to move more freely around the actors and to move quickly as we were battling the natural light.
What was your approach to lighting the film? Which was the most difficult scene to light?
As I mentioned, our entire film was shot on location. We really wanted to use natural light for the majority of the film. I think I only lit about three interior scenes and one or two exterior pickup shots. The rest was all scheduling and hope, making sure the light was in the right place at the right time and then augmenting it where I saw fit. We ended up being incredibly lucky with the weather, only one day of the shoot was affected by rain. However, we still managed to get what we needed for the edit.
The most challenging scene to light was the third to last scene, the big argument. This was a nine-and-a-half page scene all set in sunset. Luckily, the sun came out at exactly the right time and for two consecutive days. The plan I made was to shoot the meat of the scene on the first day, one side back-lit and the reverse side-lit, shooting the wides in the middle and then trying to match it all in the grade. The backdrop was beautiful, the sun set perfectly in the back of the wide shot, which made for a beautiful summer image and great warm back-lighting of the characters. We then went back the next day to do the pickups and smaller segments of the scene. In the end, we got very lucky and it worked out quite well.
What were you trying to achieve in the grade?
In the grade we were trying to keep true to the footage we shot; we graded in a subtle contrast and film look. We warmed up the film a fair bit and also added some magenta to add a nostalgic, filmic tone. We wanted to contrast the warm summer days with the blue of the night. The penultimate scene is very blue/magenta – in this scene, Martin and Heather talk to each other about how messed up the trip got and how this might be their last time together. The blue dusk images contrast very heavily with the warm tones of the rest of the film, adding some extra emphasis to the narrative.
Which elements of the film were most challenging to shoot and how did you overcome those obstacles?
Overall, I think working with natural light was the best but also the most challenging aspect of the shoot. In Norway, the weather can change very quickly. You really are at the whim of mother nature and have no control of what the day might bring. So I was always trying to think on my feet when it came to shots and lighting, and was open to new ideas and changes of schedule to keep the film moving. It was incredibly challenging yet very rewarding.
What was your proudest moment throughout the production process or which scene/shot are you most proud of?
I think for me the proudest moment was just getting out to Norway and to start shooting. We faced many obstacles in pre-production, so being there in an incredible location and with a brilliant crew was an amazing feeling. And then to put what I had learnt over the last year and half into practice felt great. I love being on set working with the director and actors, turning plans into reality or just adapting with the flow of the day, that’s a proud moment.
What lessons did you learn from this production that you will take with you onto future productions?
I learnt an awful lot throughout this production. I learnt the importance of pre-production and planning, but also learnt a lot about being open to the day and adapting to what happens in front of you. I also learnt a lot of technical aspects, like working with natural light and operating the camera, which I will definitely take with me on future productions.
