ESI Film Festival 2024 winners announced

ESI Events, the events division of Esports Insider, has announced the winners of the ESI Film Festival 2024, held as part of ESI Lisbon at the MEO Arena.

Now in its second edition, the ESI Film Festival showcases excellent stories and films from and about the gaming and esports industry.

This year’s competition featured incredible talent in two categories: Best Film and Best Student Film, with a total prize pool of €6,000 (~£4,998), courtesy of ESI Events’ non-profit partner ESG gaming. Each nominee brought forward exceptional stories, further bridging the gap between gaming, esports and the broader entertainment space of film and television. The full shortlist for the 2024 edition can be viewed here.

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The competition aims to advance its overarching mission; to better strengthen ties, connections and collaborations between the film, games and esports sectors. Furthermore, the ESI Film Festival shows how gaming can and will make a meaningful, positive difference in people’s lives.

The winners of the ESI Film Festival 2024:

Best movie

1st Place: Chuck & Fern – Directed by Henry Alexander Kelly

In a fantasy video game, a heroic swordsman and a D-list villain face an existential crisis, but must move past it when a greater purpose presents itself.

View Trailer

2nd place: Live legendary: money laundering – Directed by Chew Productions

This documentary chronicles the journey of Counter-Strike caster Launders. Launders grew up in Toronto and is the son of a determined mother of Indian descent, who immigrated to Canada in search of a better life. He spent his early years with his mother in a women’s shelter, where he learned the resilience and strength that would shape his future. In his youth, Launders struggled to find his way, working blue-collar jobs and occasionally getting into trouble. His life took a pivotal turn when he took part in a ‘Big Brother’ program and was matched with a mentor who saw his potential and encouraged him to achieve it. This is a story about a mother and son, about friendship and the power of finding your true passion.

View here

Best student film

1st place: C++ – Directed by Bashar Taha Abduljabbar

The story follows Yassin, an experienced programmer who tragically loses his wife Suzanne due to medical malpractice. Driven by anger and a thirst for justice, Yassin kidnaps the negligent doctor Khalid, who is responsible for Susan’s death. In a virtual reality video game of his own making, Yassin manipulates Khalid’s perception and confronts him with the truth behind Susan’s death. As the game progresses, Khalid discovers shocking revelations and is confronted with his fate, leading to a climax between Yassin and Khalid. ‘C++’ explores themes of justice, loss and the consequences of blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion.

View here

2nd Place: Zara – My Game – Directed by Jack Carmell

This documentary follows Zara Horton, a former professional windsurfer for Team GB, as she takes a leap of faith by studying esports rather than following a traditional route. We follow her journey through college esports and how she used her competitive nature to her advantage.

View here

Insights from the jury panel

The winners were chosen by a panel of industry experts including Hélène Juguet (Managing Director, Ubisoft Film & TV Paris), Lee Willows (Founder and Executive Chairman, ESG Gaming), Stuart Burnside (Video Games Certification Manager, British Film Institute), Karina Ziminaite (CEO, Z1MT Creative), Alex Weber (Award-winning filmmaker) and Rui Pedro da Tendinha (Film critic and presenter).

Their expertise ensured that each nominee was carefully assessed on originality, storytelling and other criteria described here.

Building on the success of its debut edition, the ESI Film Festival has become a cornerstone of ESI Lisbon, giving filmmakers a unique opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience. This year’s entries highlighted the emotional, cultural and social impact of gaming and esports. The festival reflects ESI’s commitment to promoting collaboration between film and gaming.

Lee Willows, Founder and Executive Chairman of ESG Gaming, said: “Congratulations to the winners of the ESI Film Festival! It’s great to see so much talent and creativity on display, and we’re really proud to support a platform that highlights the intersection of gaming and storytelling, and give back to the great gaming and esports communities .”

Highlights of ESI Lisbon

The ESI Film Festival was just part of a full programme ESI Lisbon 2024that brought together leaders from across the esports and gaming ecosystems. With keynote lectures, panels and networking opportunities, the event has cemented itself as a global hub for esports professionals, creators and enthusiasts.

For more information about the ESI Film Festival, including how to get involved with the 2025 edition, please visit here. For the broader event you can go here.