Filmmaker Daniel Izu Wins Global 2024 SDGs Short Film Challenge

Filmmaker Daniel Izu Wins Global 2024 SDGs Short Film Challenge

Eze Izu Daniel, a talented Nigerian filmmaker, has clinched the top prize at the 2024 SDGs Short Film Challenge and Awards with his captivating entry, Wasted. The award ceremony took place Saturday night at the Silverbird Cinema in Abuja, celebrating global creativity and commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Daniel’s film triumphed over 2,249 entries from 119 countries, including submissions from Europe, America, and Asia. The short film, themed around SDG Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), explores the devastating effects of drug addiction on young people. It tells the story of a promising youth whose reliance on drugs to manage stage fright spirals into a life-altering addiction.

Reacting to his win, Daniel shared, “I feel like the hard work is paying off gradually.”

Other winners included Road Trip by Victor Eyike/Accelerate TV (1st runner-up) and Oke Okuta by Oke Tolulope.

In the international category, British Passport by Mahmood Pouyandah (Iran) won Best International Film, while Imperishable by Akansha Tiwari (India) secured Best Documentary. Carbon Traces by Stafie Gan (USA) earned Best Animation, and Alone by Stephen Shenboyejo claimed the Viewers’ Choice Award.

The packed audience and online viewers widely celebrated Wasted’s win, with Elsie Attafuah, UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator a.i, calling the event “a celebration of talents, innovation, and vision.”

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Dignitaries in attendance included Hon. Usman Bashir Zubairu, representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy; and representatives from the UN, NYSC, and the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board.

The event marked the culmination of a year-long initiative by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs), the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), and FreshNEWS Multimedia, aimed at empowering young creatives to champion SDG awareness through film.