A BUDDING director scooped a top award at a New York film festival.

Fran Apprich, 25, made a short film called James as an assignment for her MA in Video Production and Film Studies at Thames Valley University, in Ealing.

The documentary, which is about a young student who sleeps 22 hours per day and still has great expectations of himself received a finalist award at the New York Festivals Film and Video Awards held in January.

She said of her award: "My film was just a student film but it had imagination, which counts for more than knowledge and budget."

Fran was awarded with a walnut wall plaque and a certificate.

She passed her MA with a merit.