CVP and Canon UK & Ireland announce the winning projects from the third annual Stories in Motion Young Filmmakers Awards, which took place on the evening of Thursday 24 April. Now a key fixture in the industry calendar, the awards were established to encourage and celebrate the creative talent of emerging filmmakers aged from 18 to 25 years old – to recognise the best short films created by the most promising new young creative talents and filmmakers who have a passion for telling stories and cinematography.
Each year, the competition receives an exceptional number of entries from across the UK and Ireland, and this year was no exception. The panel of esteemed judges included Elisa Iannacone, Canon Ambassador, Cinematographer and Photographer, Tania Freimuth, Canon Ambassador, Cinematographer and Filmmaker, Ollie Kenchington, award-winning Filmmaker, Editor and Colourist, and Jake Ratcliffe, CVP’s Technical Marketing Manager.
One of the judges, Ollie Kenchington, commented, “This year we have seen a marked improvement in the standard of submissions, and all of us were especially pleased to see some incredible submissions to the new commercial category. Three years in, we continue to be blown away by the quality of the films being made by emerging filmmakers across the UK and Ireland. We can’t wait to see the winner’s work shown on the big screen and see them reap the rewards for all their hard work.”
The Awards evening celebrated winners across the following categories: Fictional Short, Documentary, Music Video, Overall Winner, and new for 2025, Commercial, as listed below:
Fictional Short: George Cook – From The Sun, You Fell
Documentary: Olz McCoy: Uhuru
Music Video: Kai Masamitsu Kirkpatrick – Freudian by TDARQ
Commercial: Ike Laseinde – The Art of Expression
Overall Winner: Kai Masamitsu Kirkpatrick – Freudian by TDARQ
The achievements of the winners and nominees were honoured at the special ceremony hosted once again by esteemed television presenter, Alex Zane at the Everyman Theatre Broadgate.
The Grand Prize went to Kai Masamitsu Kirkpatrick for his stunning music video, ‘Freudian’. Kai was awarded a Canon EOS C80 and RF 24-70mm F2.8L Lens; Tilta Pro Filmmaker Kit; and a one-day onset experience with a judge of choice, in addition to £700 worth of CVP vouchers which all category winners also received.
An exciting new Audience Choice Award was also introduced for the first time this year, which saw Julia Mervis, creator of the hilarious documentary ‘The Golden Postbox’ receive a £500 CVP voucher and Tilta Khronos Pro and Promax case.
In addition to these phenomenal prizes, CVP and Canon invited all shortlisted entrants to Shortlisters Day, a special celebration event held on the day of the awards ceremony. Hosted at CVP’s state-of-the-art Fitzrovia Showroom, the day offered the shortlisters an opportunity to network with Stories in Motion alumni, fellow short listers, judges, and CVP experts. It also gave them the chance to get hands-on with cutting-edge kit and hear inspiring talks from members of the judging panel.
Dawn Bochenski, Marketing Director at CVP said: “Following the outstanding success of the Awards over the past two years, we are proud to be collaborating with Canon for a third consecutive year to deliver Stories in Motion, an initiative that celebrates talented individuals and their achievements. These awards play a pivotal role in CVP’s ongoing commitment to inspire, support and nurture the of next generation of content creators, cinematographers and filmmakers.”
Bochenski added: “This year’s competition once again showcased the remarkable quality, calibre, talent and passion of the emerging young filmmakers. Stories in Motion provides a valuable platform for aspiring storytellers to showcase their creative visions and gain the recognition they deserve.”
Neale Conroy, Marketing Director at Canon UK & Ireland, enthused: “Stories in Motion continues to be an exceptional platform for celebrating the innovative spirit of young creatives. This year, we saw a surge in immersive storytelling and cutting-edge visual techniques, aligning perfectly with Canon’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of imaging technology. This competition not only provides emerging talents with invaluable exposure to industry professionals but also showcases their remarkable ability to blend creativity with technology. The quality of work presented by this year’s participants has truly surpassed our expectations, highlighting the future of cinematic excellence.”
