Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2023: winners of the first edition announced

In the middle of last year, a new competition was announced. Unlike the Sony World Photography Awards, the Japanese brand wanted to focus on video this time “intercept” the ever-growing interest in this creative form linked both to social but also to the diffusion of mirrorless cameras which have functions dedicated to increasingly developed movies (but also to new generation video cameras). This is why the first edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards.

In early 2023, the shortlist with the most promising names for the final victory of the competition and finally in these days the announcement of the winners in the various categories has arrived. To win an award and recognition on a technical-creative level are artists who come from Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Korea and the United Kingdom. These are the main information.

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards: the winners of the first edition

As written above in the past few days have been announced category winners. The award ceremony took place in an iconic place like the Cary Grant Theater of the Sony Pictures Studio in California. During the awards ceremony, hosted by Denny Directothe names of the six finalists who emerged after a long selection of the thirty artists who have reached the final stages of the competition have been announced.

In the section Filmmaker of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards the aim was to bring out the most original artists in their production by showing new perspectives. In the category fiction he stood out Dan Thorburn (from UK) with Salt Water Town. This video tells the difficult story of a rest area for campers in difficulty where a father (owner) and his son collide to try to have a future.

In the category Non-fiction instead we find the Italian Daniela Lucato with video The Things You Don’t Know About Me, Mom. In this case the story of a survivor of the regime of the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is told. The protagonist imagines telling her mother things that she the latter she would not have wanted to know.

In the category environmentdeveloped with the program “Picture This” (Sony Pictures Television), instead we try to give a positive look at the future of our Planet (increasingly in environmental crisis). The Brazilian won Pedro Furtado with The Good Dolphins. The story tells of a group of Brazilian fishermen who want to help dolphins that have become theirs “partner” during fishing trips. Filmmaker winners were able to travel to Los Angeles, attend exclusive workshops, and received an FX9 camera (with lens) and $5,000 each.

In the section Student Filmmaker instead those who were defined participated “young talents” able to mark future productions visually and of storytelling. To emerge in the category of the category fiction was Mateo Salas (from Colombia) with The Sun of the River. The story follows a family’s journey that goes less than anticipated when the bus they’re traveling on is stopped by paramilitaries.

In the category Non-fiction managed to win the prize Eric Park (South Korea, United States) with video In Code We Trust. The story takes place in Gloucester (New England) where the life of the historic US fishing community is narrated which, however, has been experiencing a particularly difficult moment in recent years. The winners in the Student Filmmaker section were awarded an FX6 camera (with lens) as well as a trip to Los Angeles and participation in dedicated workshops.

For the section Future Format instead it was necessary to create a video with an impact also from a technical point of view, however being able to use only a smartphone and not professional equipment. He was the winner Pan Tianhong (from China) with video Homework for Winter Vacation. The story tells of a child who, just before the Chinese New Year, tries his hand at making sweet dumplings, also focusing on creativity. The winner received Sony equipment, $2,500 and the opportunity to participate in dedicated workshops as well as a trip to Los Angeles.