At the annual Royal Television Society Southern Awards on Friday 28 March, Jade Gisbourne, a 2024 graduate from Bournemouth University’s IMIS Accredited BA(Hons) Film Course won the best Factual (Long Form) Student Award for her documentary, Perspective: ADHD. The RTS judges praised Perspective: ADHD for its original style and personal approach to a complex theme.
Jade told IMIS, “Having my work acknowledged in this way feels great, because my intention with this film wasn’t a ”this is what ADHD is” type of thing, but was more experimental in nature, using myself and my own experiences, bringing it all together and forming a pilot episode of sorts to demonstrate the importance of the much larger concept I had in mind.
A substantial part of my inspiration stemmed from the clear need for more intimate and realistic portrayals of not just ADHD but all mental and physical illnesses/disabilities, showcasing how diverse these conditions manifest in everyone, so that there can be less assumption and stigma surrounding them.
Jade Gisbourne, Factual (Long Form) Student award winner
“A substantial part of my inspiration stemmed from the clear need for more intimate and realistic portrayals of not just ADHD but all mental and physical illnesses/disabilities, showcasing how diverse these conditions manifest in everyone, so that there can be less assumption and stigma surrounding them, allowing those who live with them to feel seen and understood… especially in today’s society where invisible disabilities in particular are still being heavily misrepresented and stereotyped.”
Dr. Catalin Brylla, Jade’s tutor said, “For me it has been a very inspirational and moving journey to supervise Jade and watch several draft iterations of her film. Jade really wanted to tell her personal story in order to encourage others with ADHD to accept their lived experiences and resist stigmatisation. At the same time, she wanted to represent ADHD in a very nuanced and non-stereotypical manner. The award is evidence that she achieved a great balance of both.”
2025 was an exceptional year for BU documentary students because this year they secured all three nominations in the category:
RTS Southern Awards 2025 Nominations Factual (Long Form)
More Than Medals – Bournemouth University
Perspective: ADHD – Bournemouth University
Urban Eats – Bournemouth University
Perspective: ADHD will now go into the pool of winners from the other regions for possible nomination for a RTS National Student Award. The RTS Student Television Awards ceremony, which highlights student talent across the UK, will take place on Friday, June 13, 2025, at the IET: Savoy Place in London.
