BFX Festival 2023 Programme
BFX has been designed to celebrate and promote the visual effects, computer games and animation industry, inspire the next wave of talent and share the latest practices and knowledge found in today’s Digital Economy. BFX will have a fantastic line-up of speakers, screenings, workshops, masterclasses and family activities, with content from across the globe. View the full schedule.
Freshwater - Sam Fowler
Sam is part of the Freshwater team, where he applies his creativity to help the company achieve its goals. His passion for generating new ideas and innovative solutions is a valuable asset in the company’s efforts to stay ahead of the competition. As a creative, Sam is responsible for conceptualizing and executing visually appealing content that resonates with the target audience. He brings a unique perspective and a fresh outlook to the company’s branding strategies, ensuring that their messages are relevant, engaging, and memorable. Overall, Sam’s contribution to Freshwater is instrumental in driving their growth and success.
Freshwater
Freshwater Creative is a full-service design agency based in the UK, with years of experience in the industry. They specialize in branding, web design, digital marketing, and print services. The agency is passionate about delivering unique and creative solutions tailored to their clients’ needs, delivering innovative ideas across a range of sectors, including healthcare, education, and technology. The team comprises experienced designers and marketers who are committed to delivering excellent service and are dedicated to achieving their clients’ objectives. Freshwater Creative takes a hands-on approach to every project, ensuring their clients receive the best results possible.
Fiveways - Sam Watts

Sam is the creative director at Fireways. He oversees the direction of the company’s creative projects, working closely with clients to ensure that their needs are met through innovative and impactful design. With years of experience in the industry, Sam is an expert at developing brand identity, creating marketing materials, and developing web-based solutions. He is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest design trends and technologies, and he works closely with Fireways’ team of designers and developers to create customized solutions that exceed client expectations. Sam’s passion for design and his commitment to excellence make him an invaluable asset to Fireways.
The BFX Easter Jam returned for its second year and once again partnered with the BU Animation Society.
Oleg Fryazinov, Principal Academic in Computer Animation and BFX organiser, said: “Game jams are common for gaming courses in universities, but animation jams and other short competitions are quite rare. The students not only gain valuable feedback from industry mentors developing their professional portfolio and showreel, but also create memories within their community.”
BU students had three weeks to create an artefact within the theme and benefit from two, two-hour Zoom sessions with industry mentors. Support this year came from Saga Alayyoubi of EPIC Games, Kate Gabriel of The Mill, Boyan Georgiev from DNEG, and Sian Warren of MPC Film. Kate and Boyan also represent Siggraph London, a non-profit, volunteer organisation for animators.
Here are the winning works, and runners-up across the three categories, the overarching theme was Life on Land with various subcategories.
Section 1
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Curabitur vehicula lorem diam, nec vehicula nisi placerat eu. Aenean cursus in nulla a gravida. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Nam eu turpis elementum elit porta dapibus. Cras nisl felis, tincidunt eu orci vel, pharetra consectetur ligula. Fusce nulla neque, venenatis nec pellentesque et, pretium ultricies libero.
Aenean quis leo dapibus quam ullamcorper cursus quis vitae nunc. Nullam nec diam sed est pretium auctor. Nam a ligula sed mauris egestas varius. Quisque rutrum ipsum commodo, tristique mauris eu, porttitor neque. Cras et tellus pretium, ultrices felis sed, consectetur eros. Suspendisse accumsan vel lorem cursus aliquam.
Section 2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus vel rutrum dolor, dignissim sagittis lacus. Integer ac libero tincidunt, placerat dui sed, eleifend massa. Donec sagittis, ipsum eu rutrum rhoncus, lectus nisl vulputate ipsum, ac facilisis justo arcu sit amet sapien. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Curabitur vehicula lorem diam, nec vehicula nisi placerat eu. Aenean cursus in nulla a gravida. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Nam eu turpis elementum elit porta dapibus. Cras nisl felis, tincidunt eu orci vel, pharetra consectetur ligula. Fusce nulla neque, venenatis nec pellentesque et, pretium ultricies libero.
Aenean quis leo dapibus quam ullamcorper cursus quis vitae nunc. Nullam nec diam sed est pretium auctor. Nam a ligula sed mauris egestas varius. Quisque rutrum ipsum commodo, tristique mauris eu, porttitor neque. Cras et tellus pretium, ultrices felis sed, consectetur eros. Suspendisse accumsan vel lorem cursus aliquam.
Section 3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus vel rutrum dolor, dignissim sagittis lacus. Integer ac libero tincidunt, placerat dui sed, eleifend massa. Donec sagittis, ipsum eu rutrum rhoncus, lectus nisl vulputate ipsum, ac facilisis justo arcu sit amet sapien. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Curabitur vehicula lorem diam, nec vehicula nisi placerat eu. Aenean cursus in nulla a gravida. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Nam eu turpis elementum elit porta dapibus. Cras nisl felis, tincidunt eu orci vel, pharetra consectetur ligula. Fusce nulla neque, venenatis nec pellentesque et, pretium ultricies libero.
Aenean quis leo dapibus quam ullamcorper cursus quis vitae nunc. Nullam nec diam sed est pretium auctor. Nam a ligula sed mauris egestas varius. Quisque rutrum ipsum commodo, tristique mauris eu, porttitor neque. Cras et tellus pretium, ultrices felis sed, consectetur eros. Suspendisse accumsan vel lorem cursus aliquam.
Section 4
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus vel rutrum dolor, dignissim sagittis lacus. Integer ac libero tincidunt, placerat dui sed, eleifend massa. Donec sagittis, ipsum eu rutrum rhoncus, lectus nisl vulputate ipsum, ac facilisis justo arcu sit amet sapien. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Curabitur vehicula lorem diam, nec vehicula nisi placerat eu. Aenean cursus in nulla a gravida. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Nam eu turpis elementum elit porta dapibus. Cras nisl felis, tincidunt eu orci vel, pharetra consectetur ligula. Fusce nulla neque, venenatis nec pellentesque et, pretium ultricies libero.
Aenean quis leo dapibus quam ullamcorper cursus quis vitae nunc. Nullam nec diam sed est pretium auctor. Nam a ligula sed mauris egestas varius. Quisque rutrum ipsum commodo, tristique mauris eu, porttitor neque. Cras et tellus pretium, ultrices felis sed, consectetur eros. Suspendisse accumsan vel lorem cursus aliquam.