Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2024 announces shortlist of 30 filmmakers

The second edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards received 8,400 films by more than 5,000 filmmakers across 148 countries and territories, a clear sign of the importance of the program.

Established by Creo and sponsored by Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards the program for short films provides a gateway for the development of exceptional cinematic talent and sets out to elevate voices with an original perspective on storytelling. The shortlist of 30 filmmakers across six categories are awarded the unique experience of attending a week of special events at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles, including a workshop program providing unparalleled access behind-the-scenes of the industry and culminating in the Awards ceremony on May 30, 2024 where the six category winners, chosen by a selection of expert judges, are announced.

This year’s shortlist was chosen from over 8,400 films by more than 5,000 filmmakers across 148 countries and territories submitted across six categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Environment, Animation, Student, and Future Format.

The shortlisted stories range from a poignant documentary about two Holocaust survivors miraculously reunited after 80 years, a filmmaker’s search for the last remaining gibbon in Kuala Lumpur, a homeless ballet dancer undertaking a life-changing audition, a spontaneous romance between two strangers thrown together by grounded flights, and much more. Representing a truly global perspective on filmmaking, the shortlist includes films from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States.

Working from a longlist of commended submissions, the 30 shortlisted filmmakers were chosen by Emmy-award winning cinematographer Robert Primes ASC and celebrated Australian filmmaker Unjoo Moon. At the second stage of the judging process, judges Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of Sony Pictures Classics (Call Me By Your Name, The Father, Whiplash); Rob Hardy ASC, BSC, BAFTA award-winning cinematographer (Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Ex-Machina, Civil War) ; Kate Reid BSC, acclaimed British cinematographer (Game of Thrones, Great Expectations, Silo) will choose this year’s category winners, awarding creative excellence and original approaches to narrative. Both stages of the judging process are chaired by award-winning director Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Other Boleyn Girl, Tulip Fever).

The 30 shortlisted filmmakers will be flown to Los Angeles to attend a comprehensive four-day workshop program at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City from May 28 – 31, 2024, culminating in a black-tie Awards ceremony on May 30, 2024. Held at the Cary Grant Theater and hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Denny Directo, during the ceremony the six category winners will be announced, receiving a range of cash prizes and equipment. This immersive experience provides filmmakers with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect with fellow filmmakers and leaders in the field of cinema, and to gain exclusive access behind-the-scenes of the industry, with workshops led by Sony Pictures executives, and covering a range of topics from keynotes by major cinematographers, screenings and Q&A sessions, to insights into working with talent agencies and using cutting-edge technologies, to film scoring and music rights.

Justin Chadwick, award-winning theater, television and film director and Chair of the Jury, says: “The level of submission and the international scope of new voices shortlisted for the Awards is thrilling. Across the 30 chosen filmmakers the perspectives told are manifold and captivating, charged with a passion and authenticity. I am delighted to once again lead this selection of filmmaking; a vision of storytelling and cinematic ingenuity and an aperture into the filmmakers who shall make up the future of our industry.”

Scott Gray, Founder and CEO, Creo, says: “With a staggering 8,400 films submitted this year, the caliber of entries received for this second edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards and the shortlist of filmmakers selected express the exceptional, global stories set to be showcased at this year’s event. We are grateful to Sony for providing this incredible opportunity for emerging filmmakers, and we extend our gratitude to our esteemed panel of judges for their invaluable expertise and insight in selecting the shortlist to join us in Los Angeles this May.”

Follow the link to learn more about the 30 shortlisted filmmakers.