Unchosen Modern Slavery Short Film Competition Winners Announced

In March the winners of the biannual Unchosen Modern Slavery Short Film Competition were announced:

• Best International Film on Modern Slavery: ‘Ivan’ directed by Jan Husar
• Best Film on Modern Slavery in the UK: ‘They Call Us Maids’ directed by Leeds Animation Workshop

Both of the winning films authentically portrayed real survivors’ stories, something that is still rarely seen in films about modern slavery but which Unchosen believes is essential in expressing what it truly means to be exploited, as it gives a voice to previously silenced victims.

Unchosen are heartened to share that both of the winnings films were created in collaboration with hard working and effective anti-slavery organisations. Jan Husar worked with Caritas Slovakia to create his compelling short film ‘Ivan’, in which Ivan himself - a survivor of brutal modern slavery - tells his moving story to the audience.

You can watch ‘Ivan’ here and learn more about Cartias Slovakia’s brilliant work here. 

The Leeds Animation Workshop collaborated with The Voice of Domestic Workers - previously known as Justice For Domestic Workers - to create the simple but extremely powerful animation ‘They Call Us Maids’. The animation tells the coinciding stories of domestic workers around the world and finishes with celebrating the wonderful work that The Voice of Domestic Workers does here in the UK.

You can watch the trailer for ‘They Call Us Maids’ here and learn more about The Voice Of Domestic Workers here.

Unchosen would also like to say a huge congratulations to all of the runners up. All of the films entered were truly inspiring and will go on to help the entire anti-slavery sector show people what modern slavery looks like and motivate the public to take action against slavery and trafficking in the UK and beyond. You can watch all of the shortlisted films on the Unchosen Film Gallery here.

Sadly, as many of you may already know, Unchosen have announced that they will be closing later this year. This was a very difficult decision for the team as they have delivered some extremely successful and innovative anti-slavery projects over the last 10 years. However, their closing marks a new beginning for their brilliant films. Unchosen will be handing over their resources to the Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol, who will host the films on their website and continue to run the prestigious Unchosen Modern Slavery Short Film Competition. Unchosen would like to thank everyone who has supported their fight against slavery over the years, and hope that the films will be used across the sector and beyond to continue the collaborative mission to end modern slavery. You can learn more about Unchosen’s new future here.

by Kerensa Keevill, Marketing Coordinator at Unchosen