Chosen from the 30 shortlisted filmmakers, we announce the six category winners for Filmmaker Fiction; Filmmaker Non-Fiction; Filmmaker Environment; Student Filmmaker Fiction; Student Filmmaker Non-Fiction; and Future Format. Alongside attending a three-day program and awards ceremony at the Sony Pictures Studio lot in Culver City, California, the six winners receive a range of cash prizes and Sony camera equipment. Discover the trailers below
As rising sea levels loom across the coast of Wales, a father and son clash over the future of their failing caravan park.
Progressive muscle relaxation, Lycra, spoken word. As Michael (Himesh Patel) seeks novel ways to halt his spiralling depression, a moment of hope arrives via an unexpected source. ENJOY is a touching, offbeat exploration of the ways in which depression manifests itself in men across different generations. The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and has gone on to screen at a host of Oscar and Bafta qualifying festivals around the world, winning Best UK Short Film award at Raindance Film Festival and British Short Film Awards. It is being distributed via Disney+ from September 2022.
Flowers is an afro-futuristic fairytale of love, following a ceremony of a mother giving away her son. Our protagonist is gifted with a heavy crown by his mother to the disappointment of his overlooked brothers. A crown of glory. A crown that comes with a mission and a price. This is a story about the deep, transformative power of love, a story about family, purpose and realising one’s destiny. Flowers reimagines what a black fairy-tale would look and feel like, adopting references to classic Disney stories from the 1930s-50s and modernising tropes for this whimsical coming of age tale.
Twenty-something Addy is out to get revenge against Tom, her ex-boyfriend and well-known TV host. But when she sneaks into Tom's apartment one night while he is asleep, things begin to spiral out of control, putting her new relationship, and much more, at stake.
In a staggered time and space, an unusual relationship unfolds between a pair of siblings, one an arsonist, the other a firefighter.
Luz is a survivor of the Pinochet regime. Forty years after she left Chile, Luz imagines telling her mother the things that she didn’t want to know.
A docu-drama that spotlights the strength of a community when faced with eviction. Set in Oulton, Leeds, an old coal-mining community of over 60 houses still stands. Originally built as temporary council housing, it has since been sold to private investors who are now threatening the demolition and displacement of a large number of residents, some of whom have lived there their whole lives. Featuring a combination of audio interviews and artistic visuals, we discover the stories of a close community of residents, their sentimental memories and the stress and uncertainty of an ongoing campaign to save their homes. Hanging On reminds us about the struggles of people who are slipping through the cracks of society and what it means to have a home.
Filmed over three days in Iceland, This is my reason tells the stories of three people who have found themselves at a crossroads in their lives and have used cycling as an escape route to overcome their losses and traumas. Through an emotional approach that shows the more human side of cycling, we watch these three cyclists as they look for inspiration and motivation, using sport to become better versions of themselves.
A group of four women travel to Mexico to accomplish one goal: to summit Las Agujas (The Spires) of El Potrero Chico. What begins as a trip to conquer a climb becomes something more meaningful. Along the way they make discoveries about themselves, their relationship to climbing, and the cultural barriers preventing them from self actualization. The grade, or difficulty of the climb, becomes irrelevant as they overcome personal battles on the ascent.
Firearms have become part of everyday life for 14-year-old Tavo and his friends. Any boundary between play and defense has been completely erased. In this indigenous town threatened by a criminal group that wants to take control of their lands, children watching over their community is an everyday reality.
In the estuary of Laguna, in the south of Brazil, there is a special group of Dolphins that are known to help the fishermen catch their favorite fish, mullet. The fishermen call them “The Good Dolphins” and they have been working together for the last 150 years. This long-standing relationship is now under threat as the dolphin population is getting smaller and dying out. What used to be a group of 50 dolphins, is now down to 25. Pollution, illegal fishing nets, and Jet skis are threatening this special relationship, and it is up to the fishermen to fight back and try to save their co-workers. Through the eyes of the fisherman, the viewer is immersed in their fight against extinction, and the unique friendship they share with the dolphins.
The Great Salt Lake is often overlooked and misunderstood. Through her passion for wildlife photography, Mary Anne Karren unexpectedly fell in love with the lake's unique landscape and the 10 million birds that rely on it. She now uses her photography to bring attention to the lake's dire situation in an attempt to save it.
The Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia is a naturally rich and diverse land, home to many indigenous People. Like other areas in the country rich in natural resources, the land and its people have been and continue to be threatened by government regulation, restriction, and resource extraction. This documentary explores the perspectives of Mike Willie and K̕odi Nelson, two Indigenous men looking to conserve their land, protect their culture and heritage, bring prosperity and respect to their people, and find harmony and reconciliation between Indigenous People and the Canadian government.
Humanity is losing touch with nature. The less they listen, the more gloomy the future will become. This short sheds light on the world we dwell in and our deep connection to it; it observes a world that is becoming increasingly difficult to live in. The wind is talking to us; does anyone listen?
For more than 10 years, Gaston has dedicated his time to protecting and preserving the environment. This documentary seeks to raise awareness about the impact of human beings on the planet and to emphasize that change depends on us.
A farmer travels with his children to visit their mother. The bus is stopped mid-journey at a paramilitary checkpoint, where they choose three boys to stay behind, including the farmer’s son. The bus must continue on its journey, meanwhile the man doesn't know if he will ever see his son again.
A biologist opposes her daughter's attempt to cure her disease through spiritual healing.
Bala asks his father Danjuma, who is preparing for a war upon which his son's future depends, if he can come with him. Bala wants to be a warrior like his father and wants to own a machete too and go to war, instead of going to school.
Two first-generation Australians compete against each other at the annual badminton competition; one fights for recognition, and the other for the prize money.
Nineteen-year-old Carlo lives a happy life in Trieste, on the Italian coast, with his grandmother Sandra and best friend Federico. Federico has an outlandish plan to open a restaurant with Carlo in Trieste, while the latter is worrying about Sandra growing older. However, a job awaits Carlo on the island of Tuvalu and he will soon have to make a decision. With Tuvalu set to disappear in the future due to rising water levels and Federico using Trieste as an emotional anchor, will Carlo be able to leave his home and his only world behind him to travel thousands of miles to a sinking island?
Gloucester is home to one of the oldest and largest fishing communities in the United States. Generations of Sicilian immigrants have worked on the rough waters of New England since the late 1600s, but recent changes in government regulations and ocean temperatures have endangered their sacred practice. Young aspiring fishermen are now scarce, and the history of this once bustling community is endangered. Those who have fished for cod and its relative species look to stay alive despite a gloomy future.
Stories of a Dancing Mind is an experimental documentary about Maria José, an ‘art explorer’ with a dancing, creative mind who through written logbooks reveals her thoughts, experiences and deepest reflections. This project seeks to strengthen the relationship between the body, dance and the 'ordered chaos' - or entropy - that is present in each of us as living, breathing, moving beings.
This film is dedicated to the filmmaker’s grandmother’s house, Chang Chun. Similar to the fate of several old buildings in Taipei, Chang Chun was due to be demolished by the end of this year. Through interviews, buried memories float up, stories are formed, and realities are blended. Chang Chun is brought back to life in its earliest days; perhaps inaccurately, but it is the subjective reality that has stayed with the people, making it their living truth. Through collaborative family efforts, they explore the discrepancy between each other's memories, the challenges surrounding urban renewal, the concept of ephemerality, and most importantly
deeply engraved family experiences and emotions in the house. At the end, the family gives the house their most sincere thanks for providing them a home for over 30 years. If this house was a person, this film would be its farewell ceremony, preserving its last visage in this chapter of its life.
Hellen Baleke, a Ugandan female boxer, rises in the ghetto after she has been sexually assaulted and amidst challenges.
Nestled in the Celtic Sea, the pristine island of Skokholm is witness to one of the greatest wildlife gatherings in Britain every spring and summer. Home to one of the largest breeding colonies of Atlantic Puffins in southern Britain, the island takes center stage as the comic and tragic lives of these enthralling creatures unfold over time.
The film follows Pangpang, a child who is tasked with making sweet dumplings in preparation for the Chinese New Year over the winter holiday. The process, which sometimes leads Pangpang to frustration, allows him to make interesting new discoveries, and he eventually completes the assignment in a very creative way.
Shot on a phone to take advantage of the unique viewing experience that the vertical screens provide, My India takes us on a bike ride to see the border of the country. The footage is juxtaposed with a phone conversation about identity and nationalism between two friends, revealing the contrasting relationship that both of them have with their country.
During a map-work activity in a classroom, a naughty child accidentally draws on his map with a pen. Knowing that the strict teacher will scold him for his mistake, he opens up his new eraser and tries his luck. Soon, the eraser ends up erasing not just the line he made by mistake, but all the lines that divide the country of India.
Filters tells the story of Zanti the Zombie, a 10-year-old boy who, after a laboratory experiment, is trapped in the body of a giant zombie species that prevents him from communicating and leading a life like other children. His physical appearance only allows him to work as a zombie in commercial horror movies, and for this reason he is a frequent target of attacks in Galactic City. Zanti dreams of being human and of seeing himself as such. Using digital filters, he changes his appearance on social media to get closer to his goal and to go on a date, without knowing that this will change his motivation and the direction of his life.
A portrait of Bob Morse, an American artist living in a disused winery in Davejean in the South of France, where his creativity can express itself freely in many different forms. He questions our relationship to art and the freedom of our minds and our dreams.