Joseph Barnett’s 2005 LAFVA-funded Guilty by Nature has been awarded the second Carolina Herrera Award for Innovation in film. The winner was announced at a recent gala awards ceremony and screening in London attended by the five short listed finalists.

Set on a militant horticultural nursery and shot with extreme close-ups, varied frame rates and an exaggerated soundscape, Guilty by Nature follows the life cycle of a wild and vigorous shrub to explore themes of individuality and persecution.

This latest accolade rounds off a successful year for the film. In January it picked up The LUX Award for Best Experimental Film at this year’s Halloween Short Film Festival in London and was subsequently well received at film festivals around the world, winning Best Experimental Film at the Concorto Festival in Milan.

The Carolina Herrera award, which is designed to give recognition to innovative short film-making, aims to reward new talent with opportunities to further their career and develop their film-making practice. Thre award includes career advice and a short course at the National Film and Television School as well as being given the opportunity to shadow a major film director on their latest project.

For more information on the award visit the Carolina Herrera website.

Read an interview with Joseph Barnett.