16 Days 16 Films Announce Their 2024 Winners

16 DAYS 16 FILMS today announced the winners for this year’s short film festival.

The film festival raises awareness for ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’ and this year’s festival ran from 25th November to 10th December. This was  between International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and International Human Rights Day. It looks to platform female filmmakers and their films which explore, emote and educate on all forms of violence against women.

Each year, the festival takes in submissions from female identifying filmmakers from the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, USA and for the first time in the festival’s history, Argentina and Nigeria.

The winning film ‘We Did Not Consent’, directed by Dorothy Allen-Pickard (UK), with first runner up prize going to ‘Nine Days in August’ by Ella Knorz (Germany). The second runner up prize has been awarded to ‘Batsheba’, directed by Myah Asha Jeffers (UK) and the winner of the Audience Award, voted for by the public, goes to ‘Safe’, directed by Debbie Howard (UK).

Ginta Gelvan and Johanna von Fischer – Founding Directors 16 Days 16 Films commented, ‘We are proud to present this year’s winners chosen from an extraordinary and diverse list of finalists. Each of these films show a powerful story, told from a unique point of view, by an original voice. We hope our platform continues to widen the audience for these stories and the talent behind them; and we can’t wait to see what each of these filmmakers do next.’

This year’s Jury included actress/writer Zawe Ashton, Tabitha Morton (Executive Director at UN Women UK), EVP, Head of Creative at Maven Screen Med Jenny Halper, Juliet Kirby (Producer for Aluna Entertainment), actress/writer and activist Sarah Solemani, Liza Marshall (Producer for Hera Pictures), Yarit Dor (Intimacy Coordinator and Movement Coach), Director Soudade Kadaan, Koye Adeboye (UN Spotlight Initiative), and writer, broadcaster and host of Sex Talks, Emma-Louise Boynton.

On joining the 2024 jury, Zawe Ashton commented “Cinema has the unique ability to foster empathy, raise awareness, and catalyze important conversations. I’m honored to be a part of an event that aims to leverage this transformative medium to drive progress on critical issues facing women. By showcasing this powerful and impactful work, we can inspire change, challenge societal norms, and take meaningful steps towards ending the epidemic of violence against women.”

Tabitha Morton, Executive Director UN Women UK commented, “I am honoured to support 16 DAYS 16 FILMS, an initiative that aligns so profoundly with UN Women UK’s mission to end violence against women and girls in all its forms. The stories told through these films, whether they educate, provoke, or inspire, are vital in driving cultural and social change. We are championing the talent of women in film while also rallying global audiences to join the fight for equality and justice. The statistics alone should motivate us but we know storytelling has the power to move hearts and drive change, telling stories of women too often forgotten or dismissed. Together, we can create a future free from gendered violence”.

You can check out more info on 16 DAYS 16 FILMS at the festival website.