San Diego, CA—Creo announced the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. A new annual awards program for short films, it provides a “gateway for the development of creative excellence.” Moreover, sponsored by Sony and free to enter, the awards seek to elevate original voices with a fresh perspective on storytelling.
A jury panel will select 30 shortlisted filmmakers who will be flown to Los Angeles for the awards ceremony on February 22, 2023. It will take place in the Cary Grant Theatre at the historic Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City, California.
A panel chaired by award-winning theatre, television and film director Justin Chadwick will select the winners. Further, announced the night of the ceremony, the winners from six categories will garner cash prizes and Sony digital imaging equipment. 
Following the awards night, all 30 winners and those shortlisted will attend two days of workshops, screenings as well as panel discussions. Sony Pictures executives and top experts in their fields will lead them. What’s more, the program will cover a range of topics. They will span from pitching to legal and working with talent agencies to using technologies like animation and CGI.
“Sony’s purpose is to ‘fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.’ Working alongside our collaborators Creo to launch the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, we are truly excited about what this new initiative offers to filmmakers, as it furthers our commitment to content creators and the stories they tell,” commented Kenji Tanaka, senior vice president, Sony Corporation.
“From access to our world-class facilities and leading experts to the most advanced and innovative technology, we aim to break down all barriers to creativity and provide creators with the tools and the opportunities they need to propel them to the next level.”
Sony Future Filmmaker Awards
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards include the Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker as well as Future Format competitions. Following are the competitions’ categories.
Filmmaker Competition
This competition seeks to elevate original voices that bring a fresh perspective to storytelling. Its three categories are Fiction, Nonfiction and Environment.
Entrants may submit entries between 5 to 20 minutes in length that are shot on any device. The jury panel will select a shortlist of up to 15 filmmakers (maximum five per category). What’s more, the three category winners additionally will receive $5,000 and a Sony FX9 Cinema line camera (plus lens).
Student Filmmaker Competition
The Student Filmmaker competition rewards the talent soon set to shape the industry. It comprises two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. Entrants must be studying a film course at a registered institution at a diploma or degree level worldwide. In addition, they may submit entries between 5 to 20 minutes in length that were shot on any device.
The panel will select a shortlist of up to 10 (maximum five per category) to ensure representation for the different continents and a diverse range of global talent.
Winners and shortlist nominees will also receive a trip to Los Angeles to take part in the awards ceremony and the two-day workshop program. Moreover, the two category winners and their institutions will receive a range of Sony digital imaging equipment.
Future Format Competition
The third competition challenges filmmakers to respond to a new technical brief each year. For 2023, submissions need to be shot exclusively on a smartphone. Entries must be between 2 to 5 minutes in length and can be shot on any smartphone.
The winner and up to five shortlist nominees all receive a trip to Los Angeles to take part in the awards ceremony and workshop program. The category winner also receives $2,500 in cash and a range of Sony digital imaging equipment.
Finally, the deadline for all entries is December 13, 2022, at 7:00 a.m. (CT). The two-day workshop program will take place at the Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City, California, February 23–24, 2023. Creo and Sony will announce the jury panel for the inaugural edition in September 2022. 
“We are thrilled to launch the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, with the aim of elevating and championing filmmakers from across the globe. The prize presents a unique opportunity to filmmakers and an exceptional boost to their professional development,” said Scott Gray, founder and CEO of Creo.
“This new initiative further builds on Creo’s strong track record of setting up programs to support and advance the careers of creatives. We are grateful to Sony for their sponsorship and to Justin Chadwick for his expert guidance as jury chair.
“We are in a moment of great change in the film industry, where studios are looking for original new voices that can cut through the noise and find new ways of communicating with audiences,” added Justin Chadwick. “With the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, we are looking for the next generation of storytellers whose work can engage, inform, entertain as well as excite. If you have something to say and you want your voice to be heard, we want to hear it.”
