A GRADUATE of Newport’s university has bagged two prestigious Bafta awards for his documentary about a legendary Formula One driver.

Asif Kapadia’s film Senna won best documentary and best editing at the 2012 ceremony – adding to the two he won in 2003.

The highly-praised documentary tells the story of Ayrton Senna’s career, from his beginnings as a go-kart driver to his fatal crash in 1994, using entirely archive footage.

Senna was also nominated in the Outstanding British Film category, but lost out to Gary Oldman spy-thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Mr Kapadia had already won two Baftas, including Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film in 2003 for The Warrior.

Born in Hackney in 1972, Mr Kapadia studied film production at the University of Wales, Newport, in the early 1990s.

Professor Barry Atkins, head of the university’s school of film, photography and digital media, said Mr Kapadia was back in Newport last week speaking at the Ffresh Student Film Festival where he showed his first film, a portrait of a takeaway pizza place in Pill.

Prof Atkins added: “Newport’s Film School continues to create very strong graduates who go on to play leading roles in the British film industry and beyond.”