From acclaimed cinematographers to film distributors behind some of cinema’s biggest hits, we’re thrilled to announce the esteemed panel of leading industry experts judging the 2024 entries.
Justin Chadwick, an award-winning British theatre, television and film director, is the Chair of the Jury for the second year running. He is best known for critically acclaimed films including the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) and the AFI and IFTA nominated The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). His award-winning short films include Boy (2011), Shakespeare Shorts (1996) and Family Style (1993). Look out for his upcoming projects: Disney+ series Shardlake (2024) and Amazon’s Fear, currently in production.
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.
Justin Chadwick, Chair of Jury
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, the Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of Sony Pictures Classics, are a power duo behind some of the biggest hits in the cinema. Barker and Bernard have released a jaw-dropping number of 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.
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 epic Civil War (2024). He won the BAFTA for cinematography for Boy and has been nominated for Emmy, BIFA, BSC, and Camerimage awards.
Unjoo Moon is a South-Korean born Australian director known for her feature film I Am Woman (2020), which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. She received a Best Director nomination at the Australian Directors Guild and nine Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards nominations, including Best Picture, and was awarded the inaugural Athena Breakthrough Award, sponsored by Netflix.
Robert Primes ASC, an acclaimed director and cinematographer, 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.
Kate Reid BSC is an award-winning cinematographer. Her 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). Other credits include HBO’s Game of Thrones (2019), Amazon Prime’s Hanna (2019).
Get to know the judging panel even better, delve into their full biographies here.
The shortlist announcement is just over a month away - stay tuned as we release the results on 23 April.
Now open for entries!
Submit your short film to the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2025
