Academy Award-winning film producer Lord Puttnam has opened a new building at Bath Spa University.
The acclaimed producer, whose work includes The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Bugsy Malone and Memphis Belle, was at the Newton Park campus to officially open the site's latest academic building, called Commons.
Lord Puttnam praised the facilities at Bath Spa, saying the new Commons would be the "envy" of universities across the world.
He said: "Having walked around Commons, the facilities are absolutely stunning. All of a sudden and for the first time in long time, I wanted to be 18 years old again and going to university, it is quite remarkable.
"I left the movie industry when it was still analogue and where you could look through the film, but this is a wonderful digital facility which is going to produce a lot of talented people.
"This is the sort of facility that any university anywhere in the world would envy."
During his visit Lord Puttnam was entertained by performances from Shakespeare's The Tempest, given a taste of a liquid nitrogen ice-cream project, treated to a creative "tea-party" which included poetry performed by students and met Olympic swimmer and Bath Spa student Lizzie Simmonds.
The president of the Film Distributors' Association, whose films have won a combined ten Oscars, 25 Baftas and the Palme D'Or at Cannes, also showed for the first time a brand new seven-minute film made in collaboration with Duncan Kenworthy, entitled 100 Years of British Cinema.
Bath Spa vice-chancellor Professor Christina Slade said it had been an opportunity to showcase the very best talent at the university.
She said: "I was delighted to see so many staff, students and distinguished guests attend the opening of our exciting new academic building Commons.
"The student experience is at the heart of Bath Spa University and we have been through a significant period of investment and development over the last few years to ensure our students benefit from outstanding facilities as well as academic expertise.
"I am extremely grateful to Lord Puttnam for officially opening the building and I know students and staff alike enjoyed meeting him and showing him around our fantastic teaching facility.
"We look forward to welcoming Lord Puttnam back in the future and demonstrating the quality of work that our students produce."
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