Short of the Week
With the Golden Globes behind us and the BAFTAs freshly wrapped, we’re now facing an award-sized gap until the Oscars on Sunday, March 3rd. Looking to fill that hole, is our very own Short Awards – where we look to reward the most innovative and exciting short films released online in the past year.
After months of planning, the jury has finally made their selections, the Audience Choice votes are in, and the S/W team has chosen the one standout short from our 2024 coverage to receive the Trailblazer prize. That means it’s officially awards time!
A huge thank you to our four jurors – Shams Mohajerani, Jean Anne Lauer, Elizabeth Lo & Carlos De Carvalho – for carefully selecting a diverse and exciting group of winners, and to all of you for casting your votes for the Audience Choice award.
These picks always spark discussion, so if you have personal favorites from the films we featured in 2024, drop them in the comments or share your picks on social media.
Congratulations to all our winners!
Jury Award for Best Short
Bogotá Story by Esteban Pedraza
Jury Statement: A sweeping narrative intertwining the personal and political with great care and tenderness, Bogotá Story intimately captures the deeply conflicted feelings of a young mother toward her family and her homeland as her dreams hang in the balance. Coupled by a superb score, raw performances, and lush cinematography, Bogotá Story announces Esteban Pedraza as an exciting new voice in international cinema.
A high-quality production offering a perspective rarely explored in film, it’s no surprise that our jurors selected Esteban Pedraza’s imposing Bogotá Story as the winner of our Jury Award for Best Short. Complex and layered, this film is rich with discussion points, making it not only a standout piece of storytelling but also a striking introduction to a filmmaking talent we expect great things from in the future.
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Animation Short of the Year
A Crab in the Pool by Alexandra Myotte and Jean-Sébastien Hamel
One of our favorites in this year’s Best Animated Short Film Oscar race, Myotte and Hamel’s short may not have made it to the nomination stage at the Academy Awards, but we’re thrilled to see it recognized by the jury with this award. Brimming with emotion, style, and humor, A Crab in the Pool blends whimsical fantasy with a deeply grounded coming-of-age story about grief, making it a truly standout film.
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Documentary Short of the Year
Instruments of a Beating Heart by Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Although Instruments of a Beating Heart didn’t arrive on the S/W pages until late 2024, it quickly made a lasting impact, emerging as the highest-ranked documentary in our voting process. With its gripping narrative arc and an endearing, deeply sympathetic subject, Yamazaki’s film is one you immediately want to share – a quality that has already earned it awards and captured countless hearts.
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Drama Short of the Year
Precious Hair and Beauty by John Ogunmuyiwa
Simple in premise – an ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street, seen through the window of a West African hair salon – yet bold in ambition, Ogunmuyiwa’s short immediately caught our attention on the festival circuit. Inventive and full of surprises, this 11-minute portrait of an eclectic community is exactly the kind of filmmaking that cements Ogunmuyiwa as one of the UK’s most promising talents.
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Genre Short of the Year
End Zone by Guy Kozak
While many films on this list arrived with festival buzz and established reputations, Guy Kozak’s End Zone was a complete surprise – emerging from our submissions with no prior recognition from our team. Yet, from the moment we saw it, its distinct vision made an instant impact. A fever dream of a film, it has lingered in our minds since we featured it in June, earning our praise as one of the most inventive shorts we’ve showcased in some time.
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The Trailblazer Award
Yeah the Boys by Stefan Hunt
The first music video to grace Short of the Week in two years, Stefan Hunt’s Yeah the Boys became an unexpected hit with our team in 2024. A dance film exploring masculinity and Australia’s drinking culture – set to the sounds of The Avalanches – it pulled us deep into its backyard binge and left us mesmerized by its raw energy and beauty. A film that demands multiple viewings, we’re proud to name it this year’s Trailblazer Award winner and can’t wait to see what Hunt does next.
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The Audience Choice Awards
Relationship to Patient by Caroline Creaghead
Caroline Creaghead’s Relationship to Patient clearly struck a chord – not just with us, but with all of you – earning a decisive win in our Audience Choice Award. Loosely based on the director’s own experience, this story of a woman trying to stay by the hospital bedside of her “boyfriend” resonated deeply, with our YouTube audience calling it “awkwardly hilarious” and “sweet and touching” – a testament to its universal appeal.