Two films by African directors, Angel in the Stone from Nigeria and Before 16 from Burundi, have been shortlisted for the 2025 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards.
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
Two films by African directors, Angel in the Stone from Nigeria and Before 16 from Burundi, have been shortlisted for the 2025 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. These two films are among the 30 films shortlisted out of more than 11,750 films submitted by more than 7,500 filmmakers across 158 countries and territories.
Shortlisted in the Student category, Angel in the Stone is a short fiction film directed by Doyinsola Ajayi and produced by Faith Olaewe, Nigerian filmmakers who made the film as their project as students of the EbonyLife Creative Academy in 2023.
The film follows a reclusive autistic teenager who finds comfort in building and repairing objects using metal scraps. When a severe fish shortage in the village river threatens her mother’s livelihood and pushes her family into debt, she steps up to help her family with her skills.
Burundian filmmakers, Loïc Niyonkuru and Floraine Kaneza, made the shortlist with Before 16, a documentary short about Elizabeth, a sexual violence survivor who became a mother at 16 years old. Shortlisted in the non-fiction category, Before 16 is directed by Niyonkuru and produced by Kaneza.
Also shortlisted is Justice Brothers, a non-fiction short with an African subject although not made by African filmmakers. The documentary, about the life of a Ghanaian surf entrepreneur who started a surf school in Ghana, is directed by New Zealand born director, Kieran Hodges, with water cinematography by Brazilian filmmaker, Eduardo Vento.
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards is an annual awards event by Creo in collaboration with Sony, aimed at providing opportunities for exceptional creators and filmmakers from around the world across Fiction, Non-Fiction, Animation, and Student categories. The creators of the shortlisted films will participate in an extensive program that includes workshops, screenings and events in Los Angeles, California.
Speaking on the 2025 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards’ shortlist, Justin Chadwick, Chair of the Jury, said: “From tales of defiance in the face of adversity, to stories of hope for our planet, the films that make up this year’s shortlist have the power to transport their audiences. Chairing this jury for the third year, I am once again deeply impressed and encouraged as we look to the future of filmmaking through the eyes of these brilliant talents.”
The winners of the four categories, including the Student and Non-Fiction categories, will be announced on 5th June, 2025.