Promising South African filmmaker Raheem Razak was one of six winners of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, which was hosted in Los Angeles last week.
In a glittering event that celebrated some of the best and brightest talents from across the globe, Razak’s Anguish – a piece about a son taking care of his zombie mother during a zombie apocalypse – was chosen as one of the most outstanding submissions.
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‘I cannot begin to express how honoured I am to win this award. This film was a labour of love and it is truly special to be recognised by Sony and Creo for my work,’ says Razak, who is currently a film student at AFDA.
‘It feels amazing to represent my country South Africa and I hope my career will go from strength to strength from here.’
Established by Creo, an organisation that helps amplify the voices of young creatives worldwide, the award ceremony, provides a gateway for the development of exceptional cinematic talent and filmmakers with an original perspective on storytelling.
The 2024 edition winners were selected 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.
Chosen by a panel of expert judges led by chair Justin Chadwick, the full list of winners for the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2024 includes:
- Raheem Razak (South Africa, Student)
- Katie Blair (USA, Fiction)
- Olawunmi Hassan & Adaobi Samson (Nigeria, Non-Fiction)
- Solmund MacPherson (Canada, Environment)
- Kyle Novak (Czech Republic, Animation)
- Cristian Daniel (Uruguay, Future Format)
As part of their prize, this year’s winners and the wider shortlist took part in a week-long industry immersion programme, culminating in the glamour-filled awards ceremony.
This one-of-a-kind prize offers filmmakers an invaluable opportunity to connect with their peers and leaders in the field while gaining exclusive behind-the-scenes access.
The programme comprises workshops led by Sony Pictures executives, covering a range of topics including keynotes by major cinematographers, screenings and Q&A sessions, insights into working with talent agencies and using cutting-edge technologies, animation and film scoring and music rights.
In addition to this, the six winners each received a range of cash prizes as well as Sony camera equipment.
Submitted films were judged on creative excellence and original approaches to narrative. The winners were chosen by Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, co-founders and co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics; Rob Hardy ASC, BSC, BAFTA award-winning cinematographer and Kate Reid BSC, acclaimed British cinematographer.
The winners were drawn from 30 shortlisted filmmakers selected from a longlist by celebrated Australian filmmaker Unjoo Moon and Emmy-award-winning cinematographer Robert Primes ASC. Both stages of the judging process were chaired by award-winning director Justin Chadwick.
Commenting on this year’s winning and shortlisted filmmakers as a whole, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards jury said, ‘This year’s winners traverse borders and cultures, a global gathering of creative talent set to make their mark in our industry.’
‘The winners each approached their stories with originality; from a portent of an eroding society to a surreal take on family pressures to an animated love story suspended in time. We were struck by the ingenuity of these filmmakers and their fresh perspectives on the world.’
‘It is with great pleasure we celebrate the winners, as well as the wider cohort of 30 filmmakers who comprised this year’s shortlist, and we look forward to watching as they take their next steps in cinema.’
Following its successful second edition, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards will return for a third edition next year, with submissions opening later this year.
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