The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, which aims to highlight outstanding creative talent and support their careers in film, has announced the 2026 winners of its fourth annual edition.
Jack Hughes won in the fiction category for his film “Deadheading,” while Christine Soh and “Two Traveling Aunts” won in the nonfiction category. Additionally, Michel Blondam and Ida Melm won the Animation Award for “Ovary-Acting” and Anna A. Alpizar won the Student Award for “Norheimsund.” The winners were announced at a gala ceremony, while Innocent Yama Lamido’s “Creating Without Permission” was named the winner of the Future Format Competition. The competition asks filmmakers to respond to a technical brief that explores creative possibilities.
The winners were selected from a global shortlist of 30 films representing more than 20 countries, independently selected from more than 8,400 filmmakers across 162 countries and territories. The jury consisted of Golden Globe-nominated director and producer Will Gluck (“Anyone But You,” “Easy A”); Rachel O’Connor (“Challengers,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home”), producer and president of film and television, Pascal Pictures; Animation co-director Adam Rosette (“GOAT,” “Wild Robot”). Jury president and director Justine Chadwick (“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “The Other Boleyn Girl”).
Founded by Cleo and sponsored by Sony, the awards aim to highlight outstanding original talent and send it straight to the heart of the film industry. Winners and shortlisted filmmakers participated in an intensive four-day program at Sony Pictures Studios, where they participated in a carefully selected program of workshops, masterclasses and screenings led by Sony Pictures executives, and also received behind-the-scenes access.
The program explored topics such as cinematography, animation, screenplay writing, documentary filmmaking, global acquisition marketing, technology demonstrations, and story soundtrack techniques. In addition, four winners will receive cash prizes and Sony digital imaging equipment.
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards jury released a statement about this year’s winners, saying, “The winning films captivate, challenge, and resonate long after viewing. They command their craft with confidence, execute their vision without compromise, and express themselves with clarity and empathy. What distinguishes the winners from the wider shortlist is the extent to which their stories reach across borders, across cultures, and into the full spectrum of human experience. Cinema remains a universal language, and these filmmakers are proof of that.” The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards were created to discover and champion filmmakers of this caliber. ”
Below is the complete list of winners.
fiction
Jack Hughes (UK); “Dead End”
“When her husband is told he has only months to live, a determined wife sets out to jump the waiting list for her dream community garden by any means necessary.”
nonfiction
Christine Seo (Singapore); “Two Traveling Aunts”
“Two Singaporean women in their 50s are leaving behind their traditional lives for a broader path, embracing newfound freedom and the joy of living life on their own terms.”
animation
Michel Brondam & Ida Meram (Denmark/Norway). “Ovarian action”
“A woman in her 30s, stuck at her sister’s baby shower, is forced to consider whether she wants to have a child or not after an unexpected genital birth.”
student
Ana A. Alpizar (Cuba), New York University, USA. “Norheimsund”
“A long-distance relationship with an older Norwegian man promises to lift a Cuban girl and her mother out of poverty, but the illusion begins to crumble.”
future format
Innocent Yama Lamido (Nigeria). “Creating without permission”
“A meditation on the space between creation and the moment.”
