Shine a Light on
Stories Behind the Screens
20 October 2023
ABOUT
The potential of video games and esports to make a meaningful, positive difference to people’s lives is enormous. There are countless anecdotal examples of this, and not enough of these stories are told & shared more widely. Film is one medium to help change that.
Accordingly, we’re introducing the ESI Film Festival; the very first esports & gaming short film festival.
This exciting new addition to the ESI London agenda will shine a light on those behind the screens, with a focus on stories related to esports and video games. The festival’s themes this year are digital inequality, diversity, and mental health, reflecting the potential of video games and esports to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
ESI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2023
The event took place on the evening of 20th October 2023 at the prestigious BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.
Guests from esports, video games, film making industries and more joined Esports Insider to celebrate the positive impact esports and gaming has on people’s lives.
With over 30 entries in the first every ESI Film Festival, the judges had the difficult duty of selecting just 3 winners, each of which would share in a prize pool of £10,000, courtesy of the festival’s non-profit partner ESG Gaming.
In what was a very special evening event, filled with networking across industries, high-end F&B provided by the venue and positivity for the impact of esports and gaming, everyone took their seats to watch the 3 selected winners of the inaugural ESI London Film Festival and to watch as the winners were presented with their prizes live on stage.
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Christopher William Sellers
Chew Productions (UK)
Emily Crawford
In 2020, amidst wedding planning, Emma ‘Emzii’ Rose confronted the underlying weight of dysphoria and came to a life-changing realisation — she was transgender. Embracing her true identity, she faced challenges and setbacks, usually from people hiding behind screens.
Jacob ‘Pimp’ Winneche is a former pro gamer, now turned CS:GO host hailing from Aalborg, Denmark. This film explores his past struggles with his physical and mental health, which happened behind the scenes when his career was at an all-time high.
This documentary follows three people with mood and anxiety disorders who find that playing games can be a powerful tool for self-care. These vignettes of daily life are punctuated by insights from experts in the fields of game studies, game design and psychology.
You can find links to the full films of all the winners and shortlisted films for the ESI London Film Festival in this here.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Films will be judged on originality, creativity, plot, pacing, structure, characters, cinematography and entertainment value as well as on effectiveness of the message and the ability of the film maker to reach an audience.
ORIGINALITY
The uniqueness and originality of the premise or story.
CREATIVITY
The effective use of imagination as evidenced in the entry.
PLOT
The actions, events, conflicts, and turning points that propel the story forward.
PACING & STRUCTURE
The timing of the action, unfolding of plot elements and character development.
CHARACTERS
Personalities that are distinctive, compelling, multi-layered, and unpredictable.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The quality of cinematography or videography demonstrated in the work.
SOUND QUALITY
Is the dialogue clear and not hindered by any noise or music score?
MUSIC SCORE
Is the music score suited to the film and does it help tell the story as a character of its own?
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE
Does the story keep the viewer’s attention? Is it fun, engaging, or thought provoking?
MESSAGE EFFECTIVENESS
Does the film clearly depict the message of the charity or cause it represents.
ESI FILM FESTIVAL JUDGES AND ADVISORY BOARD
The ESI London Film Festival has a selection of some of the most highly regarded video game, esports and film industry professionals to help provide their wealth of knowledge, expertise and industry insight to select the very best films that are submitted to our film festival.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Non-Profit Partner
Media and Strategic Partners
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
If you’ve any questions about involving your brand in ESI London Film Festival, or any ideas or opportunities to discuss please reach out via sales@esportsinsider.com, or directly to any team members.
You can also see the sponsorship and partnership deck and options here.