NEWS

YDA CHATS Episode 3: Salomon Ligthelm

This week Karim Bartoletti, YDA Jury Chairman for 2020, chats to Salomon Ligthelm, multiple YDA award-winner and renowned director at Stink.

Salomon is a self-taught filmmaker whose international background–––a childhood spent in Johannesburg, Dubai, and Sydney–––figures strongly in his distinctive, visual style. His textural and experimental work finds new ways of exploring visual storytelling, always with a human story at its core. His work has garnered recognition across the world, with inclusion in both the Saatchi & Saatchi and 1.4 New Directors Showcases, two Golds and three Silvers at the YDAs, shortlist for online commercial of the year over 2 minutes for Audi at Shots, shortlists for Music Video of the Year at Shots, Best Alternative Video and Best New Director at the UKMVA’s, and a music video shortlist at Ciclope. These honors are all the more extraordinary for a young director, who is just three years into his commercial film career. His body of work includes short films like “Rocket Wars,” which documents the stunning aerial fireworks battle of a Greek village, as well as commercials for Audi, S7, and Valvoline, and music videos for artists like Daughter and Young Fathers. Salomon lives in New York City with his young family.

Music by Charlie Pearch
Graphics by Sincromie

Other News

Earlybird deadline coming up

The first deadline for 2026 is around the corner. At midnight March 1, submission prices for this  More…

The Producer’s Responsibility when the machine knocks on the door

For many young directors today, it has become possible to create images, worlds and moods  More…

YDA2026 Open for Entries

This year’s Young Director Award has opened its doors for the next wave of directorial talent.  More…

YDA Announces 2026 Jury Chair

Mal Ward, Partner in and Managing Director of Arts & Sciences, will be 2026 Jury  More…

Getting to grips with Turkish oil wrestling​

Directors Jan Hellwich and Samet Yalcin won a Gold this year for their passion project Turkish  More…

How Alexander Kuehn made a girl fly

With three Gold awards under his belt for his epic short If I Could Fly, Alexander  More…