A former Barnsley College pupil has secured a place on a filmmakers’ course with the National Film and Television School.

Benjamin Squires, 19, of Rose Hill Drive, Dodworth, won a place on a residential programme for the nation’s most promising young directors between the ages of 16 and 19. He will be tutored by filmmaker Lee Thomas throughout the course.

He has already made his first trip to Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, where the NFTS is based, and returns on Tuesday until April 12.

On the final day, there will be a screening of the films the young filmmakers have been working on for friends, family and visitors from the film industry at the British Film Institute’s South Bank cinema in London.

The NFTS will keep in touch with him after the course has finished and offer advice.

Ben said: “It was an amazing experience to meet so many other people as passionate and dedicated to film making as I am.”

Simon Casken, who was Benjamin’s tutor at Barnsley College and advised him to apply to the course, said: “Ben has always been a polite, modest and friendly student who was a pleasure to teach.

“It is extremely prestigious to be given a place on the residential programme and I cannot think of a more deserving student.”

Benjamin attended Kingstone School before starting at Barnsley College. At the college, he studied A-Levels in music technology, English and media and also did a year-long course in computer game design.

He is currently working in a restaurant but is he is writing music for a friend’s computer game and hoping to get a job in film or music.