Hey, film buffs and creators of tomorrow,
Get ready to dive into some juicy news from the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2024. Creo is delighted to reveal the panel of judges for the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2024, who’s gonna be deciding the fate of this year’s entrants, and let me tell you. The lineup is nothing short of stellar.
The second act of this global short film shindig saw submissions go through the roof, doubling from last year. We’re talking over 8,400 films from more than 5,000 storytellers spanning 148 countries. Talk about a crowded field! This free-for-all has quickly become the go-to spot for filmmakers looking to bust into the scene with fresh, original tales that might just redefine the art of storytelling.
Leading the charge for the second time is Justin Chadwick, a maestro in both the theatre and film worlds. He’s teamed up with some of the sharpest minds in the biz, including the dynamic duo behind Sony Pictures Classics, Michael Barker and Tom Bernard; cinematography wizards Rob Hardy ASC, BSC, and Kate Reid BSC; Emmy-winner Robert Primes ASC; and the brilliant Aussie director Unjoo Moon.
“…the go-to spot for filmmakers looking to bust into the scene with fresh, original tales that might just redefine the art of storytelling.”
Justin Chadwick, award-winning theatre, television, and film director and Chair of the Jury, said: “It is such a pleasure to return as Chair of this new prestigious panel of decorated creatives. Last year, we brought to the forefront 30 exceptionally talented filmmakers from across the world, each of whom had the unique chance to access the inner workings of the industry in Los Angeles, opening doors to career-launching opportunities. From my own experience, the art of the short film is by no means one to be underestimated, and I look forward to discovering more brilliant, talented individuals through this upcoming selection.”
The judging juggernaut kicks off with Robert Primes ASC and Unjoo Moon sifting through the submissions to pick the top 30. Then, Barker, Bernard, Hardy, and Reid will take the reins to spotlight this year’s cream of the crop, all under Chadwick’s watchful eye. Mark your calendars for April 23, when the shortlist drops.
But there’s more. The chosen 30 will jet off to LA for an action-packed workshop and the awards night at the Cary Grant Theater on May 30. Winners get to pocket cash and some slick Sony gear.
2024’s twist? Six new categories, including one for animations and another for smartphone-shot films, make this competition more inclusive than ever. Winners and shortlisted also get an all-access pass to a four-day workshop in LA, diving deep into the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Plus, cash prizes and Sony swag are up for grabs.
For the full scoop and to get involved in next year’s frenzy, hit up www.sonyfuturefilmmakerawards.com. Here’s to the underdogs, the dreamers, and the rebels shaking up the film world from their backyards. Keep pushing those boundaries!
2024 JUDGES
Justin Chadwick is an award-winning British theatre, television, and film director. He is best known for critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), the AFI and IFTA nominated Tecialized distribution company, United Artists (1980-1983), before co-founding Orion Classics (1983-1991) and Sony Pictures Classics. Over the span of his career, Barker has released prestigious films that have received 41 Academy Awards from 187 nominations, including Best Picture nominations for The Father, Call Me By Your Name, Whiplash, Amour, Midnight in Paris, An Education, Capote, Howards End, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Bernard and Barker have received numerous recognitions for their work, including being honored by the Directors Guild of America for their significant contributions in support of the industry, receiving the French Legion of Honor in acknowledgment of their continued contributions to French culture, the Spirit of Independence Award from Film Independent at the Los Angeles Film Feshe Other Boleyn Girl (2008); Tulip Fever (2017) and The First Grader (2010). His films have won numerous awards, including the Audience Award at the Durban International Film Festival, the Audience Prize for Best Film at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, both Best Director’s Choice and Audience Choice Awards at the Sedona Film Festival, and Best Feature Film at the Palm Beach Film Festival 2010. His award-winning short films include Boy (2011), Shakespeare Shorts (1996), and Family Style (1993). His recent credits include the upcoming Disney+ series Shardlake (2024) and Amazon’s Fear, currently in production. Michael Barker is Co-President and Co-Founder of Sony Pictures Classics. Together with Tom Bernard, he has distributed some of the finest independent movies. Previously, he was an executive at the first modern-day sptival and The Women in Film Beacon Award from Women in Film Los Angeles, in recognition of their unmatched support of female filmmakers throughout their careers. Barker currently serves as Co-Chairman on the Museum of the Moving Image Board of Directors, on the Entertainment Media and Technology Dean’s Advisory Board at the NYU Stern School of Business, and has in the past taught at the Columbia University School of the Arts and the University of Chicago. He was also inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.
Tom Bernard is Co-President and Co-Founder of Sony Pictures Classics. Together with Michael Barker, he has distributed some of the finest independent movies. Previously, he was the director of the first modern-day specialized distribution company, United Artists (1980-1983), before co-founding Orion Classics (1983-1991) and Sony Pictures Classics. Over the span of his career, Bernard has released prestigious films that have received 41 Academy Awards from 187 nominations, including Best Picture nominations for The Father, Call Me By Your Name, Whiplash, Amour, Midnight in Paris, An Education, Capote, Howards End, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Bernard and Barker have received numerous recognitions for their work, including being honored by the Directors Guild of America for their significant contributions in support of the industry, receiving the French Legion of Honor in acknowledgment of their continued contributions to French culture, the Spirit of Independence Award from Film Independent at the Los Angeles Film Festival and The Women in Film Beacon Award from Women in Film Los Angeles, in recognition of their unmatched support of female filmmakers throughout their careers. Bernard, a two-time Monmouth Arts honoree for his dedication to the arts, is the New Jersey State Film Commissioner, Co-Chair for the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Count Basie Theatre Foundation Board of Directors, the Atlantic Highland Arts Council Advisory Board, and the Monmouth County Arts Council.
Rob Hardy ASC, BSC is a British cinematographer who has received acclaim for his groundbreaking work on Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and his ongoing collaboration with Alex Garland on Ex-Machina (2014), Annihilation (2018), Devs (2020), Men (2022) and the upcoming visceral epic Civil War (2024). He also won the BAFTA for cinematography on the powerful drama Boy A (2007), which was swiftly followed by the influential Red Riding 1974 (2009). Other credits include James Marsh’s atmospheric Shadow-Dancer (2012) and the period piece Invisible Woman (2013) for Ralph Fiennes.
Unjoo Moon is a South Korean-born Australian director. She is known for her feature film I Am Woman (2020), which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and for which she received a Best Director nomination at the Australian Directors Guild and 9 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards nominations, including Best Picture, and was awarded the inaugural Athena Breakthrough Award, sponsored by Netflix. After working as an on-air reporter for ABC TV, her passion for storytelling led her to the Australian Film Television & Radio School, where she met her creative partner, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe. Together, they founded the production company Deep Blue Pacific and moved to Los Angeles, where Moon attended the American Film Institute, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts and the Franklin J Schaffner Directing Award. She has directed and produced many award-winning short films, music videos, commercials, and documentaries, including The Zen of Bennett (2012). She is currently working on an adaptation of David Yoon’s New York Times-bestselling debut novel Frankly in Love. She currently sits on the American Film Institute’s Alumni Council and is the chair of the inaugural Australian Film Television & Radio School Alumni Advisory Group.
Robert Primes ASC began as a documentary filmmaker and then became a commercial director/cinematographer. He became a TV and feature director of photography, shooting the first
season of Thirtysomething (1989). He has received two Emmys for his work on My Antonia (1995) and the series Felicity (1998), as well as the American Society of Cinematographers award for MDs (2002), the first digitally shot show to win a major cinematography award. Primes has lobbied Congress for artist’s rights and for a higher TV image quality standard and also represented cinematographers on the National Film Preservation Board. He taught cinematography at the American Film Institute for eight years and has served on the boards of the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Cinematographers’ Guild.
Kate Reid BSC is an award-winning cinematographer. After working as a camera assistant, she studied cinematography at the prestigious National Film and Television School, where she was the recipient of the Freddie Francis Scholarship. Kate’s recent credits include the upcoming second season of Apple TV+’s Silo, Steven Knight’s adaptation of Great Expectations (2023), HBO’s The Baby (2022), and The Nevers (2021), for which she received an American Society of Cinematographers nomination for Best Cinematography on a non-commercial Television series. Other credits include HBO’s Game of Thrones (2019), Amazon Prime’s Hanna (2019), BBC One’s Press (2018), Netflix’s Marcella (2016), The Closer We Get (2015), the Emmy Award-winning series Years of Living Dangerously (2014), and Ava DuVernay’s Venus Vs. (2013). Kate’s films have screened in competition at international festivals, including Sundance, Berlin, and SXSW. She has won numerous Best Cinematography Awards for her short films, including the Underwire Award for Nazi Boots (2015). Kate was listed in Screen Daily & The British Film Commission’s Next Generation of UK Film Award Contenders 2020 and was named as one of 10 Directors of Photography in Definition Magazine’s 2018 list of Ascending Stars of Cinematography. She was invited to become a member of the British Society of Cinematographers the same year.
