Out Of Africa: Sony Future Filmmaker Awards Announces 2026 Shortlist With African Titles In Contention
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards have revealed the shortlist for its 2026 edition, with African titles competing across multiple categories. Established by Creo in partnership with Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards provide career-defining opportunities for emerging talent, immersing them in the realities of professional filmmaking at the highest level, and equipping them with the […]
Black News 
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards have revealed the shortlist for its 2026 edition, with African titles competing across multiple categories.
Established by Creo in partnership with Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards provide career-defining opportunities for emerging talent, immersing them in the realities of professional filmmaking at the highest level, and equipping them with the tools to advance their work. The fourth edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards received submissions from more than 8,400 filmmakers representing 162 countries and territories around the world.
The shortlisted filmmakers now proceed to the next stage of judging, from which the category winners will be selected by the 2026 jury: Golden Globe-nominated director and producer Will Gluck (Anyone But You, Peter Rabbit, Easy A); acclaimed producer and President of Film and Television at Pascal Pictures Rachel O’Connor (Challengers, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Little Women); Sony Pictures Animation co-director Adam Rosette (GOAT, The Wild Robot, Orion and the Dark); and award-winning director Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Other Boleyn Girl, upcoming Sierra Madre), who returns as jury chair for the fourth consecutive year.
Justin Chadwick, Chair of the Jury, said: “This shortlist is a testament to the vitality of emerging filmmaking right now. From intimate character studies to urgent documentaries, from experimental animation to fearless student work, these are films that command attention, bold in their vision, accomplished in their execution, and vital in what they have to say. This programme exists to give filmmakers of this calibre something beyond accolades: direct, unprecedented access to the inner workings of the industry. The jury faces the enviable but difficult task of choosing winners from work this strong; these filmmakers have set the bar high.”
The films with African-centred narratives which have been shortlisted for this year’s awards include:
Farming: Kemi’s Story by Abdoul Razak Ceesay (UK) – Between the 1950s and 1990s, thousands of West African children were privately fostered by white British families. Kemi is one of them, and this is her story.
Ongeluk (Accident) by Talita Brits (South Africa) – An ordinary afternoon unfolds in real time, until a sudden accident shifts everything, and the weight of consequence becomes unavoidable.
Creating Without Permission by Innocent Yama Lamido (Nigeria) – A meditation on creation and on ‘the spaces between moments.’
Lamido wins this year’s Future Format competition, which challenges filmmakers to respond to a technical brief that explores the creative possibilities of bold and innovative storytelling. As part of his prize, he receives Sony Digital Imaging equipment and is invited to join the programme at Sony Pictures Studios in June.
The shortlisted filmmakers will be flown to Los Angeles for an immersive four-day programme at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, where they will participate in interactive sessions and masterclasses led by Sony Pictures executives that cover everything from production and talent deals to animation techniques, soundtracking, cutting-edge technology demonstrations, and more.
The category winners will be announced on 11th June 2026.
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