Sony Future Filmmaker Awards: Her er de første seks vindere

Creo og Sony har i dag annonceret vinderne i den første udgave af Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. Vinderne kommer fra hhv. Brasilien, Kina, Colombia, Italien, Korea og Storbritannien.

Creo har netop kåret vinderne af den første udgave af Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. Prisuddelingen fandt sted under et stort gallashow i Cary Grant Theatre i det historiske Sony Pictures-studie i Culver City i Californien.

Hele 30 filmproducenter var nomineret på tværs af de seks kategorier, hvor der blev fundet én vinder i hver kategori. Alle de nominerede blev inviteret til Los Angeles for at deltage i prisuddelingen, og de næste to dage vil både vinderne og de nominerede få mulighed for at deltage i et spændende program, der er anført af brancheførende eksperter fra Sony Pictures. Vinderne bliver belønnet med en pengepræmie og digitalt fotoudstyr fra Sony.

Læs den fulde engelske pressemeddelelse herunder.

This evening, Creo announced the winners for the first edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards during a black-tie awards ceremony at the Cary Grant Theatre on the historic Sony Pictures Studio lot in Culver City, California. Entertainment Tonight’s correspondent Denny Directo served as the evening’s host. Thirty filmmakers were shortlisted across six categories with six winners announced on the night. All filmmakers are awarded a trip to Los Angeles to take part in the in ceremony, followed by an exclusive two-day industry immersion experience led by Sony Pictures executives. Winners additionally receive a range of cash prizes and Sony Digital Imaging equipment.

FILMMAKER

The Filmmaker competition elevates original voices that bring a fresh perspective to storytelling. In addition to their trip to L.A. and attendance in the workshop program, the three category winners each receive an FX9 Cinema Line Camera (plus lens) and $5,000 (USD).

In the Fiction category, the winner was presented by Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures:

Dan Thorburn (UK), Salt Water Town – With the threat of closure looming over a failing caravan park, the owner and his son clash over their future, with tragic consequences.

In the Non-Fiction category, the winner was presented by Nekesa Moody, Editorial Director of The Hollywood Reporter:

Daniela Lucato (Italy), The Things You Don’t Know About Me, Mom – A survivor of the Pinochet regime in Chile imagines telling her mother all the things that she didn’t want to know.

The Environment category is run in association with Sony Pictures Television’s “Picture This” initiative, which champions creativity that communicates a positive future for the planet. The award was presented by Andi Gitow, Chief of Advocacy, Entertainment Industry and Civil Society Engagement at the United Nations (UN):

Pedro Furtado (Brazil), The Good Dolphins – Fishermen in Brazil fight to save a pod of dolphins who have helped them catch fish across generations.

STUDENT FILMMAKER

The Student Filmmaker competition recognizes talent who will soon shape the industry. In addition to their trip to L.A. and attendance in the workshop program, the two category winners each receive an FX6 Cinema Line Camera (plus lens).

In the Fiction category, the winner was presented by Cynthia Littleton, Co-Editor-in-Chief at Variety:

Mateo Salas (Colombia, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia), The Sun of the River – A family’s journey takes a troubling turn when they are stopped by a group of paramilitaries.

In the Non-Fiction category, the winner was presented by Yosuke Aoki, Head of Imaging Products & Solutions Marketing Div., Sony Corporation:

Seonghoon Eric Park (Republic of Korea, Boston University, USA), In Cod We Trust – A film probing the endangered fishing trade in the New England town of Gloucester, home to one of the oldest and largest fishing communities in the United States.

FUTURE FORMAT

The Future Format competition challenges filmmakers to respond to a new technical brief each year. This year, submissions were to be exclusively shot on a smartphone. In addition to their trip to L.A. and attendance in the workshop program, the category winner also receives a range of Sony’s Digital Imaging equipment and $2,500 (USD).

The winner was presented by Neal Manowitz, President and COO, Sony Electronics, Sony US:

Pan Tianhong (China Mainland), Homework for Winter Vacation – A child making sweet dumplings in preparation for the Chinese New Year completes his task in a very creative manner.

The 30 shortlisted filmmakers and winners were chosen by a panel of leading industry experts chaired by award-winning British theater, television and film director Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Other Boleyn Girl, Tulip Fever). In addition, this inaugural jury comprised leading and celebrated figures from the film industry including Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures (The Woman King, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical); Jeremy Barber, Partner, Motion Picture Literary and Talent, United Talent Agency; and Sir Roger A. Deakins, Academy Award-winning cinematographer (Blade Runner 2049, Skyfall, 1917).

Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures, championed: “I was so impressed by the breadth and diversity of the submissions from such an incredibly talented generation of new filmmakers. The amount of passion and creativity was astounding and made the task of narrowing it down no small feat! I’m looking forward to seeing where all their careers take them as they all have so much potential to go the distance in their careers.”

Sir Roger A. Deakins, Academy Award-winning cinematographer, lauded: It was a pleasure to be on the jury of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards this year. My collaborator and wife, James, and I always enjoy seeing the work of new filmmakers. We spend a lot of time supporting upcoming talent through our website, podcast and YouTube channel (Team Deakins). We were pleased to be a part of this programme that hopefully will translate into new opportunities for emerging filmmakers. We loved that the scope of the entries was so wide, including submissions from the UK, Italy, Korea, Colombia and Brazil. We firmly believe that there is a lot of promising talent out there and enjoyed being a part of recognizing this through these awards.

Jeremy Barber, Partner, Motion Picture Literary and Talent, United Talent Agency, offered: “I was happy to participate in the first jury for the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, and to get to see the films from up-and-coming filmmakers from such diverse backgrounds. Hopefully, this year’s winners will inspire next year’s winners and beyond.”

Following the ceremony, the attending shortlisted filmmakers and winners will participate in a two-day industry immersion program of workshops and panels led by Sony Pictures executives, which include Producing, Editing & VFX, Business Affairs, Theatrical Marketing, Acquisitions and more. Winners additionally receive exclusive access to Sony’s state-of-the-art Digital Media Production Center (DMPC).

Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Global Partnerships & Brand Management, Head of Location Based Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said of the workshop program, “With the goal to inspire and encourage these future filmmakers, we are excited for Sony Pictures to lead participants in a series of workshops that will focus on making and releasing feature films from the development process through marketing and distribution.”

Established by Creo and sponsored by Sony as a major new annual awards program for short films, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards set out to elevate original voices from around the globe with a fresh perspective on storytelling. The inaugural competition ran from July 26 through December 13, 2022, drawing a huge response: over 4,000 films by more than 3,000 filmmakers in 140 countries. Thirty films were shortlisted in six categories: Filmmaker Fiction; Filmmaker Non-Fiction; Filmmaker Environment; Student Filmmaker Fiction; Student Filmmaker Non-Fiction; and Future Format.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS AND THE SHORTLISTED FILMMAKERS, PLEASE VISIT SONYFUTUREFILMMAKERAWARDS.COM

NOTES TO EDITORS

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards

Established by Creo and sponsored by Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards is a major new annual awards program for short films devoted to supporting and elevating independent filmmakers and creators from across the globe. Set apart by its exceptional prize, the Awards provide successful filmmakers with invaluable opportunities in the form of a trip to Los Angeles and to the historic Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California, where they gain exclusive access to experts and unparalleled insight into the inner workings of the industry. Winners additionally receive cash prizes and a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment. Free to enter, the Awards comprise three competitions: Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker and Future Format, and are judged by a panel of leading figures. By supporting talents in film, video and storytelling, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards provides a gateway for the development of creative excellence. www.sonyfuturefilmakerawards.com

Creo initiates and organizes events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, Photo London and the forthcoming PHOTOFAIRS New York (Sep 2023). Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, Creo helps deliver the group’s ventures, comprising some of the world’s leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for ‘I create’, it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. www.creoarts.com

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For more information, visit www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.