GLOBAL POLICY OUTREACH AND SYNTHESIS CENTER PROJECTS
ImagiNATION Short Film Competition
About the Competition
The Wyss Academy is thrilled to announce the ImagiNATION short film competition, a unique storytelling initiative that brings together young filmmakers and changemakers from Kenya, Peru, and Switzerland. In collaboration with the Wyss Academy for Nature's Changemakers Program, EthnoKino Doc Impact Lab, and 2291.ch, this competition aims to translate the ambitions of young visionaries and social entrepreneurs into creative audiovisual productions.
We are all the more thrilled to announce the winning film of this year’s competition: An Amazon Night’s Dream, by Diego Sarmiento and Milenka Rojas Ramírez!
The film tells of the past, present and possible future of the Amazon, of its beauty, its endangerment and its boundless potential - reflected by a young Indigenous girl in a dialog with her grandmother. It was selected as the best film of the year alongside "The Guardian of Gaia" by Lady Vinces Cruz and Rosakebia Liliana Estela Mendoza, and "Melich Builds a House" by Lydia Matata and Melich Gichia. According to filmmaker Diego Sarmiento:
“With this short film, we thought to provide a hopeful message, which nature (represented by the grandmother) transmits to the girl. Future solutions will be found in our children. They are both fragile and strong, like nature itself.”
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Ten submissions—which highlight issues of climate change, conservation, and land restoration—were evaluated by a four-member jury of experts, among them Alice Apley, Executive Director of Documentary Educational Resources (DER); Gabriel Lama Oliart, Head of Solutions Mapping at the UNDP Accelerator Labs and Cultural and Social Innovation Designer; and Urs Bühler, Journalist and Editor of the magazine "NZZ am Sonntag". The top three short films received an Award of Recognition and were screened at the Teatro Paravento in Locarno, Switzerland, on August 11, 2024.
Tatjana von Steiger, Head of Global Policy Outreach at the Wyss Academy and initiator of the ImagiNATION Short Film Competition, remarked how valuable it is for young changemakers to see their ideas showcased at such a major event.
“These films are testimonies of our Changemakers' dreams and ideas for crafting a better tomorrow within their communities. Told through the eyes of young filmmakers, they beautifully spread messages of hope and truthfulness."
This sentiment was echoed by Natalia Peralta, Multimedia Designer & Communications Expert at the Wyss Academy, who added that the synergy between different disciplines can create impactful, transformative narratives.
"At the Wyss Academy, we firmly believe in collaborative projects that integrate diverse types of knowledge and skills. In this case, when entrepreneurship merges with art, it unleashes great potential to amplify voices that can bring true change.", she remarked.
During their time at the EthnoKino Doc Impact Lab, the filmmakers received mentorship from award-winning documentary filmmaker, Dr. Eda Elif Tibet, who is also a postdoctoral researcher at the Wyss Academy. Among elements to consider while producing the films, the evaluation criteria of the final product was most important.
“For selection of the best films, the jury were looking for emancipatory qualities in authentic storytelling, as well as meaning and depth. Award-winning films always have a long-lasting impact on the viewer.", shared Dr. Tibet.
The Changemakers Program was created to empower youth with essential skills to drive positive community change through innovative initiatives. The first edition of the program—launched in 2023—engaged participants in a six-month collaborative learning journey that culminated in a summit held in January, 2024, in Isiolo, Kenya.
Get to know all Changemakers, their Filmmakers... and their films.
In collaboration with:
Event on August 11th at Teatro Paravento in Locarno
