• The jury of “The Dream Makers” initiative, including Wayne Griffiths,
  J.A. Bayona, Daniel Brühl, Aintza Serra, and Ángel Sala, unveiled the 6 finalists of the Short Film Contest during an event at CASA SEAT
• The Short Film Contest received 241 submissions from 15 different countries
• The final winner, who will see their short film produced by CUPRA, will be announced during the 2024 Sitges Film Festival
• The event also served to announce the details of the Film Studies Contest, which offers filmmakers aged between 17 and 21 the opportunity to win a 4-year scholarship at ESCAC

The Dream Makers, an initiative launched by CUPRA in collaboration with J.A. Bayona and ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya) in search of the next generation of great storytellers, enters a new phase with the announcement of the finalists of the Short Film Contest. The top six projects from the contest were unveiled at CASA SEAT by the initiative’s jury during an event where they also revealed the details of the second competition: the Film Studies contest.

The distinguished jury, made up of the CEO of CUPRA Wayne Griffiths; Oscar-nominated film director J.A. Bayona; Oscar-nominated and renowned Hollywood actor, Daniel Brühl; ESCAC Development Director, Aintza Serra; and Sitges Film Festival Director, Ángel Sala, shortlisted six projects based on their boldness, vision and original approach.

“The Dream Makers is an initiative that emerges from CUPRA’s mission to impulse the next generation of creative talent, while inspiring the world from Barcelona. Just like our brand, cinema is meant to create strong emotions and challenge the status quo,” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA. “The purpose of this challenge is to ignite the creative spark of young filmmakers, the artists of the future whose stories are waiting to come to life. We are committed to making their dreams a reality,” he added.

Young talented filmmakers from all over the world have taken part in The Dream Makers: Short Film Contest. In total, there were 241 submissions by 20–31-year-old participants from 15 different countries, including Spain, the UK, Italy, France, Mexico, Argentina, USA, Canada, Chile and Peru, among others. The Top 6 finalists, who impressed the jury with their creativity and innovative approach to storytelling, were the following: 

• 400 Gramos by John Esteban Araque (30) from Colombia/España
  Marco, a 16-year-old boy, confronts a daunting challenge in the national Taekwondo championship. He exceeds the weight limit for his category by 400 grams, and despite extreme measures like days without eating and significant weight reduction, success seems nearly impossible. This story sheds light on the struggles athletes encounters in their daily lives and the adaptations they make to compete in official tournaments.
• El Ritual by Manuel Antonio Escalante (29) from Mexico
  The struggle to cope with the death of a loved one is the main topic of this story that combines tension and drama to show how grief can lead people to take unexpected decisions: to perform a mysterious ritual that promises to facilitate communication with the dead through a door. However, there’s a crucial rule: she must never open that door, or terrible consequences could unfold.
• Homing by Hansel Rodrigues (25) and Lizzie Atherton (27), from the UK
  On the south coast of England, a family’s morning is interrupted by a stranger. A man is in the garden. His jeans are wet, and he looks lost. Is he in need of help, or is he a threat? More importantly, what do they do now? This story asks us how we would act when faced with the drama of immigration.
  Confronting one's own principles is a struggle when moral challenges present themselves on one's doorstep. A story that asks us how we would act when faced with the drama of immigration.
• Señuelo by Martha García (24) from Spain
  Family traditions should not always be followed, as shown in this proposal that combines drama and tension where during a day of hunting to initiate him to manhood, Martín must face the wrath of his father and the threat of a strange presence.
• Solon 2079 by Alejandro Moreno (24) from Spain
  What is the limit of Artificial Intelligence? This proposal shows us a possible future scenario in which innovation may have gone too far: an honest detective must question his morals to fight for an increasingly ambiguous truth.
• Volver y empezar by Daniel Omaña (24) from Spain
  In a challenging narrative, the protagonist must deal with solving a mystery navigating two distinct realities: the dream world and real life. Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of what happened. His family tells him that he suffered a fall climbing, but through his dreams, he experiences visions that do not match the official version. Among them, a woman who cannot reveal her identity.

“It is remarkable to see the raw talent and the new perspectives of the next generation with these stories. Going through the scripts to choose the finalists was a thrilling experience. We chose the most disruptive stories, the ones that reminds us that a film has the power to change the world,” explained J.A. Bayona. “The world of cinema is in constant need of new voices that dare to tell extraordinary stories, and with CUPRA we are bringing those voices to the spotlight,” he added.

Before announcing the winner of the Short Film Contest, J.A. Bayona and the ESCAC will conduct mentoring sessions with the finalists. These sessions will serve as the basis for their final decision, and they will deliberate together over the next few months to select the winner. The announcement of the winner will take place during the 2024 Sitges Film Festival, scheduled to be held in Sitges from October 3^rd to 13^th. The winning filmmaker will see his short film produced and have the opportunity to make a mark in the film industry.

The event also served to announce the details of the second competition of The Dream Makers: The Film Studies Contest. Filmmakers aged between 17 and 21 are invited to present a short film based on specific themes.

The jury -the same as for the Short Film Contest- will shortlist 5 projects and subsequently select the winner, which will be announced by ESCAC in December 2024. The winner of the Film Studies Contest will receive a full 4-year scholarship to develop their cinematographic talent at the ESCAC, along with a monthly grant covering basic living expenses throughout the duration of the studies.

“We encourage young people to follow their passion for cinema and to unleash their creativity. We are committed to providing all the tools future filmmakers need to take their exceptional ideas to the big screen and thrive in the exciting world of cinema,” said Aintza Serra, ESCAC Development Director at ESCAC.

Participants will be able to submit their projects through the ESCAC website between October and November 2024. To enter, filmmakers must create a short film based on three words selected by CUPRA, J.A. Bayona, and ESCAC. These keywords will be revealed during the Sitges Film Festival, which runs from October 3^rd to 13^th. CUPRA, J.A. Bayona and ESCAC are providing this narrow window to encourage participants to tap into their creativity and produce innovative work within a limited timeframe.

Submission requirements include a short film (maximum 8 minutes), the candidate’s CV, a 600-word statement, a presentation of 5 photographic images, and a video pitch (maximum 3 minutes). All the information about the contest will be available in early October 2024 on the ESCAC website: https://escac.com/the-dream-makers-contest/.

The world of cinema is constantly in need of new voices that dare to tell new stories. Through these competitions and its continuing sponsorship of the Sitges Film Festival, -the world’s most important cinematic showcase dedicated to fantasy and horror cinema- CUPRA continues to underline its commitment to cinema and creativity to keep inspiring the world from Barcelona.