The Business Laboratory at the University of Roehampton’s Faculty of Business and Law has partnered with Academy and BAFTA award-winning production company Goldfinch to co-develop the inaugural Goldfinch Academy Bursary.
This pioneering bursary provides financial support, tailored mentorship, and access to global creative industry networks including BBC, ITV, Sky, ScreenSkills, and the British Council.
Students from the University of Roehampton were the first recipients of the inaugural Goldfinch Academy CIFF Award. Third-year BA Film undergraduate Joshua Cleary and postgraduate alumna, Meera Mistry FRSA. Joshua and Meera were formally awarded the bursary at the CIFF Gala Dinner on 10 May 2025.
As part of the bursary, Joshua and Meera will also receive personalised career progression support, guidance in developing their own original content projects, paid work placements and access to further skills training and real-world opportunities.
Meera said: "Never in a million years would I expect to be awarded a bursary which is supported by my university. It was an honour to receive it with Joshua, and I feel super lucky to have access to mentoring from such an inspirational, talented team at Goldfinch Academy. It is not just about the money awarded and the physical award but how I can progress myself and able to continue to create more important films - especially about LGBT+ themes, South Asian communities and being neurodiverse in this day and age.”
Joshua said: "Words cannot express how honoured I feel to have won this award. Not only to have the opportunity through the University of Roehampton to apply, but to become a winner. I feel so lucky to have been awarded the Goldfinch Academy Award, not only for the bursary funding, for mentorship and future chances with the Goldfinch Academy team, for this is priceless. It was a privilege to meet and win by Meera's side, I am so happy for us both. This opportunity has allowed me to start my career in an amazing direction, I couldn't feel luckier. This will not only aid my career but motivate my passion for filmmaking and strive my creativity."
Their achievements have been celebrated in Variety, CIFF Announcement and the London Standard.
Dr Gauti Sigthorsson, Deputy Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Roehampton, said: “We are thrilled to see our students selected for this honour. The Goldfinch Bursary is an encouraging step toward building a more accessible and inclusive film industry and we at Roehampton are proud to play a role in shaping that future.”
Bari Malik, Founder and Lead of the Business Laboratory at Roehampton says “Our sincere thanks to the brilliant team at Goldfinch for their partnership and shared commitment to the nurturing talent, I’d like to particularly thank Kirsty Bell, Julian Oliver FRSA and Sarah Poole. Together, we’re building new bridges between academia and industry — enabling students to thrive at the intersection of creativity, enterprise, and opportunity.”
Find out more about our BA Film Production and our MA Filmmaking.
Photos: Meera and Josh with their awards and with Paul 'Cookie" Cook, drummer of the Sex Pistols who was given a Lifetime Achievement Award.