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Singapore has landed a win at the 2026 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, as Christine Seow, a Singaporean filmmaker based in London, takes home the Non-Fiction prize for her film ‘Two Travelling Aunties’. Now in its fourth edition, the 2026 awards received more than 8,400 submissions from 162 countries and territories, with only 30 films making the final shortlist.
‘Two Travelling Aunties’ (2025) is Christine's most recent and most widely recognised film to date. It follows two Singaporean women in their fifties who step away from conventional expectations to choose life on the road instead. The film tracks their shift into a more self-directed way of living, focusing on the freedom, uncertainty, and humour that come with leaving routine behind and embracing life on their own terms.
The Singaporean filmmaker is based in London and a graduate of the National Film and Television School (NFTS). She makes mainly short-form documentary and narrative films that focus on intimate, socially grounded stories – often about marginalised or underrepresented lives.
Her work includes ‘While You Sleep’ (a documentary series that won Best Documentary at the Asia Web Awards 2018), ‘Rojak Romance’ (2019), and ‘Beyond These Walls’ (2024), which was nominated for the Grierson Awards and explores the lives of girls in a Singapore children’s home.
Established by Creo and sponsored by Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards is an annual global short film programme that supports independent filmmakers through industry access, exposure, and production resources.
This year’s winners were announced at a gala at the Sony Pictures Studios Scenic Arts Building in Culver City, hosted by Emmy winner Denny Directo. The jury included Will Gluck (‘Easy A’), Rachel O’Connor (‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’), Adam Rosette (‘The Wild Robot’), and Justin Chadwick (‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’).
The films were evaluated based on creative excellence and innovation in storytelling, and the winning films were described by the jury as works that “captivate, challenge, and resonate long after viewing,”. They also mentioned that the stories span borders and cultures, reinforcing cinema as a universal language.
Across categories, the 2026 winners are:
- Fiction: Jack Hughes (UK), 'Deadheading'
- Non-Fiction: Christine Seow (Singapore), 'Two Travelling Aunties'
- Animation: Michelle Brøndum & Ida Melum (Denmark/Norway), 'Ovary-Acting'
- Student: Ana A. Alpizar (Cuba), 'Norheimsund'
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards will return for a fifth edition in spring 2027, with submissions opening in July 2026. To learn more about the winning and shortlisted filmmakers, visit their webpage here.
Find out more about Christine Seow here.
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