A BUDDING Monmouth filmmaker has won big in a competition after discovering hedgehogs in his garden during lockdown.

13-year-old Dylan Allman won a top prize in the University of South Wales’ Film and Tv School Wales Schools and Colleges Awards – the winner of the Best Documentary Film (11-15).

He filmed, edited, and produced a fascinating 10-minute documentary called The Wonderful World of Hedgehogs and his video has been viewed more than 900 times in YouTube.

The teenager is now hoping to start a campaign to warn people to be more hedgehog aware when they carry out routine maintenance in their own gardens.

“In May I discovered I had hedgehogs in my garden,” he said.

“I set up two-night vision cameras and spent quite a while working on the film – recording, editing, and putting it all together.

“I discovered lots of interesting things about hedgehogs and I went online and got involved in a number of organisations too and interviewed some lovely people for my film.

“I am very proud to have won my category.

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“I enjoyed making the film and I wondered if there were any competitions I could enter in to.

“After looking online, I found the Film & Tv School Wales Schools and Colleges Awards and was delighted to have been recognised this week”.

Tom Ware, director of Film and TV School Wales, said: "Our Judge, Zoë Rushton from the BBC, felt that The Wonderful World of Hedgehogs really stood out in the Best Documentary Film (11-15) category.

"She thought it was a lovely film, crafted like a professional TV mini-documentary, or a segment within a longer show”.

Acting Headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, Mr Simon Dorman, said: "It's wonderful news that Dylan has won the competition for his hedgehogs’ video.

"It is richly deserved, and I hope that we will be seeing it on BBC's Countryfile programme before too long.

"Dylan can be very proud of his achievements during lockdown; he also filmed some wonderful cookery demonstrations for our schools' online enrichment programme which gave us all a lot of joy. We are very proud of him”.

To watch Dylan's award-winning documentary on hedgehogs, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH2d43kOwYY