On Thursday 23rd June 2022, the YDA celebrated its 25th Birthday in Cannes!

We were joined by some of the best and brightest in a new generation of filmmakers at our Winners Screening at the Cinéma Olympia and Afterparty at the Radisson Blu.

See this year’s Making Of film, to (re)live the events in Cannes!

In the cinema, the YDA showed all of this year’s Gold Screen Award-winning films and announced all of the Silver Screen Winners, which can be viewed on the YDA website.

As the screening began, YDA President, François Chilot, took to the stage to introduce the YDA in its 25th year: “25 years, it sounds like a long time, but it doesn’t feel like a long time to me”.

We opened with a montage film of all the Gold Winners from 2021, made by Union Editorial.

Next up was the Born To Create Drama film, made for the YDA, directed by Frank Ychou and produced by Cédric Barus and Pierre Cazenave of Paris-based production company SOLDATS.

Co-editor of shots magazine and member of the YDA team, Danny Edwards, said of the film: “[it is a] brilliantly anarchic look at a film set on which there is a megalomaniacal, all-powerful director, some unusual cast members, a team overwhelmed by events and a version of ‘the greatest story ever told’.

2022 YDA Chair, Anna Hashmi, was next to the stage to introduce this year’s Jury Presentation Film, directed by Lea Thurner and produced by Bacon.

Hashmi headed up a jury of 44 industry professionals from 24 different countries, who took time to watch and evaluate the record number of submissions received by the YDA this year.

Of this year’s award, she said « The passion and hard work that goes into putting this show together to celebrate young talent, keeping it fresh and interesting and alive, is just amazing »

During the screening, we watched work from 15 young directors.

This year the YDA jury voted on two Special Jury Films:

BINGE LOVING directed by Thomas Deknop and produced by Bea Catteuw at DENZZO

Heiki On The Other Side directed by Kateriina Aule and produced by Andreas Kask at Nafta

At the end of the screening, everyone made their way to the terrace of the Radisson Blu hotel to collect trophies and celebrate the hard work of all the filmmakers as the Sun set over the sea.

For those who were there, bottles were popped and trophies were awarded by members of this year’s jury.

There was a real buzz on the terrace, as we celebrated being back in person, in Cannes, after a two year hiatus.

To view all of this year’s winning films, Gold, Silver and Special Jury Awards, click here.

CREDITS

“Can’t Keep Me From Winning” by Nevada Wild