Launched by EVCOM and sponsored by The Edge, The Focus Award entries were judged this week and we were delighted to sit on the panel.
A range of short films were entered from filmmakers, aged 18-25 (who were not already working in the TV and film industry). The judges were incredibly impressed by the response, which ranged from music videos to documentaries to drama and showed a huge amount of ambition and creativity.
Drum roll please….
The shortlisted films are:
- 56 Black Men by Esther Rennae Walker
- Conscious by Loren Alleyne
- Happy Birthday by Jigyasa Anand
- Magpie by Hamza Pool
- Stranded in Nigeria – The Road to Enugu by Godgift Chidinma Emesi
The winner will be revealed at the EVCOM London Live and Film Awards on 19th November, where excerpts from all shortlisted films will be shown at the ceremony, as well as a longer excerpt from the winning film.
The winner receives 9 months of mentorship from, yours truly – The Edge, as well as Gorilla Gorilla! and Plastic Pictures. Through the programme the winner will have the opportunity to get regular feedback on their work, gain insight into the industry, build relationships and join their mentor on shoots and in the editing suite.
All shortlisted entrants who don’t win, will receive an afternoon of mentorship from a filmmaker, they can chat to their mentor about the industry, have their questions answered and get practical feedback on their submission.
Alongside EVCOM we’re committing to building an ongoing relationship with each of these filmmakers, and supporting them as they begin their career in the industry.
To find out more about the award visit: Focus Award