Young British-Nigerian Filmmaker Makes International Name for Himself

William Boyd, 23, has travelled a long way.

He was born in the UK and raised in Nigeria, returning when he was 16 years old to complete his education at Bede’s School in Sussex. After completing his A-levels, William went on to the MetFilm School at Ealing Studios to study filmmaking and directing.

At 23, he now has a Master’s degree under his belt, and two important film industry awards to boot.

William’s short film “The Trespasser” won critical acclaim, garnering Boyd awards at America’s National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and the Screentest Award at the UK’s National Student Film Festival.

Set in a British city, “The Trespasser” tells of a young man dealing with the passing of his grandmother, a story that is intertwined with an African folktale.

“I am a Catholic and my faith does play a large part in my film,” Boyd said.

“It’s one of the reasons I used the rosary as a symbol depicting the strong bond between a grandmother and her grandson. That kind of bond is a powerful thing, like my relationship with religion.”

At school, Boyd was all set to become an architect.  “Even though I’d planned my future, I was also investigating ways to do what I really love and make a living,” he said. “I really love film. And, after visiting MetFilm School for the first time, I understood that if you’re good enough, and have a little luck, you can thrive.”

Reflecting on his arrival back into the UK, Boyd said, “When I came back to London to stay, I experienced a massive culture shock, I have never considered myself a minority, and my upbringing prepared me to disregard the term, and helped me to overcome barriers. My family is very proud and confident which has taught me that I know who I am, where I come from and what I can do.”

On Friday evening “The Trespasser” was screened at the British Film Industry’s Soul Screen: Connect event and the film was entered in the 2019 London Short Film Festival.