A qualifying event for the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards, the Leeds Short Film Awards celebrates the short film form in all its glory, with discoveries from around the world, across the UK and here in Yorkshire. We are thrilled to announce the winners in each short film award category. All the winners can be watched together in one programme on the Leeds Film Player until 30 November. You can also see video messages from some of the winning filmmakers as bonus content. We want to say a huge thank you to our short film jurors, find out more about them here.
British Short Film Competition
Jury: SJ Bradley, Dave Garratt, Mosa Mpetha
Winner: Our Sister by Rosie Westhoff
Special Mention: Good Thanks You? by Molly Manning Walker and Little Dog, Big Dog by Andrew Gillman and Natalie Ibu
Jury Statement on Winner: 'This wonderful film from Rosie Westhoff tells a complex story of the love and support formed between siblings in a powerful and affecting way. With subtle visual clues throughout and fantastic performances this drama is an astounding piece of filmmaking.'
Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition
Jury: Ben G. Brown, Wendy Cook, Caroline Hollick
Winner: White Eye by Tomer Shushan (Israel)
Special Mention: Benjamin, Benny, Ben by Paul Shkordoff (Canada) and Good Night by Anthony Nti (Ghana)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'White Eye stood out for us for a number of reasons. As a starting point the formal filmmaking was stunning, constructed of one steady tracking shot which leads us so gracefully around the scene. It would have been easy for that choice to be a gimmick which dominates the whole film but instead it is an elegant tool which binds us to the protagonist. Once there with him we’re able to witness, and consider for ourselves, the complex moral journey he undergoes over the course of the film beginning in a position of absolute right before descending through grey areas and uncertainty into absolute wrong.'
Leeds Music Video Competition
Jury: Angharad Cooper, Jimmy Martin, Ed V3ctor
Winner: Dansingas by Titas Sūdžius (Lithuania)
Special Mention: Colors by Kristian Mercado (United States) and Hand Solo by Sam Bailey (United Kingdom)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'With exceptional production and close attention to detail, Titas Sūdžius's video for Solo Ansamblis's Dansingas is totally captivating and defies easy categorisation. A clash of high fashion and traditional music video, it’s stylish with a visceral intensity, evoking both the photographs of Helmut Newton and cinema of Alejandro Jodorowsky. The unsettling images didn’t just look impressive, they had a real physical force to them. Flamboyant and precise.'
Leeds Queer Short Film Competition
Jury: Toni Lee, Oskar Marchock, Addie Orfila
Winner: Bonde by Asaph Luccas (Brazil)
Special Mention: Sylvie by Clem Hue (France) and We Are Not Who They Say We Are by Manu Valcarce (UK)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'We felt that one submission did stand out due to its uniqueness and queerness. That submission was Bonde. We felt that Bonde offered a quintessentially queer view on a number of different levels. It offered vibrant and strong characters who were not afraid to be political and were generous and warm with making space for each other difference. They talked openly about their challenges, shared generously of their knowledge and left us with the message that we are stronger together. Visually we also felt that the film offered a uniqueness and vibrance that elevated it to another level.'
Leeds Screendance Competition
Jury: Cara Hagan, Loránd János, Mary Wycherley
Winner: Zombies by Baloji (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Special Mention: Forest Floor by Robbie Synge (UK)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'Zombies is a journey through an evocative gamut of imagery that pries at the heart of what disconnects us in human society. A hybrid piece which stitches together screendance, music video, fashion film, and performance art, this film echoes the frenetic energy of the digital age and the ways we lose ourselves therein.'
World Animation Competition
Jury: Sharon Hooper, Vincent James, Kathryn Penny
Winner: Something to Remember by Niki Lindroth von Bahr (Sweden)
Special Mentions: Cosmonaut by Kaspar Jancis (Estonia) Empty Places by Geoffroy de Crécy (France)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'The panel were impressed by the quality of the animation and set design including incredible attention to detail. They enjoyed the moments of humour and lightness amidst the mundane scenes and how the disparate vignettes were drawn together through the haunting song, filled with universal human themes. A pleasure to watch. Funny and bleak. The clean lines and colours were a visual treat. The perpetual motion and succession of reveals drew you in and hinted at an intriguing post-apocalyptic story. ’
Yorkshire Short Film Competition
Jury: SJ Bradley, Dave Garratt, Mosa Mpetha
Winner: City Of Children by Arantxa Hernández Barthe
Special Mention: Songs From Next Door by Phil Moody, Carolyn Edwards and Human Cockleshells by Tony O'Keeffe
Jury Statement on Winner: 'This unforgettable film shows the lives, lifestyles and uncrushable spirit of a community living in poverty in a forgotten corner of West Yorkshire. Non-intrusive and unexpectedly joyful, this film shows the creative will of occupants who live in a place they call 'boring' and 'crap', yet who dance, rap, sing, and play.'
