NEWS

Meet The Winners: Jeremy Merrifield

In the first of our series of winners’ interviews for YDA 2020, join shots Co-Editor Danny Edwards as he talks to Jeremy Merrifield about his film BALLOON, one of the two winners of our Special Jury Prize in 2020.

Tune in to hear Jeremy chat to Danny about how acting birthed his passion for directing, his inspiration for a superhero film exploring masculinity and growing up, and the power of leaving things open to interpretation. Find out about the challenges of creating an award-winning film on a shoestring budget, the exciting future of the project, and what winning a YDA Special Jury Prize has meant.

View Jeremy’s winning film Balloon

Other News

Stink Returns as YDA 2026 Prime Sponsor

As YDA moves toward the culmination of its brand-new 2026 edition this June, it is  More…

Jury Spotlight – Focus Africa

This year’s YDA brings together five African industry leaders across film, music, advertising and creative  More…

Jury Spotlight – Part 2

We are excited to unveil another slice of our 2026 jury – an exceptional lineup  More…

YDA 2026 Turns Its Focus to Africa 

Africa is the birthplace of storytelling. As the art form has evolved from cave paintings  More…

Late Deadline – 8 May

The LATE deadline for this year is on 8 May (midnight), and there wont be  More…

2026 Jury Spotlight – Part 1

The Young Director Award (YDA) is proud to shine a spotlight on some of the  More…