Having received entries from 33 countries around the world, we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our short film competition, as voted for by you and our esteemed panel of judges.

Ahead of World Water Day this Sunday, 22 March, we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our sH2Orts film competition with Worldview.

To enter, budding filmmakers had to submit a film, no more than one minute-long, showing what waters means to them. The entries we received came from more than 33 countries across the globe, from Nepal and Nigeria to Brazil and Bangladesh, on topics as diverse as Ebola and walking to the moon.

The winning films were selected by our esteemed panel of judges, comprised of Indian film director and actor Shekhar Kapur, Downton Abbey star and WaterAid ambassador Hugh Bonneville, British director and filmmaker Philip Bloom, British director Gurinder Chadha, Nigerian filmmaker Jeta Amata and Charlie Phillips, Head of Documentaries at the Guardian.

The winner

The judges picked Sven Harding’s Moonwalk as their overall winner, describing it as a “compelling juxtaposition of mankind’s success in space versus his failure on earth.”

“I’m fascinated by space travel, but it seems absurd that we can put people onto the moon and into orbit, but we still haven’t figured out how to supply water and sanitation for millions of people on earth.”
– Sven Harding, Winner of our sH20rts film competition

The runners-up

Recovery, a music video by Josta Hopps in Sierra Leone. “Many people in Sierra Leone do not have clean water to drink,” Josta says. “If this competition helps raise awareness of this, I am pleased to have taken part.”

Joe’s Morning by 11-year-old Indie Mark from the UK. “Most life forms require water, so basically to me it means life,” says Indie. “I like what WaterAid do in India and the rest of the world. I think it is awesome that my movie supported a great cause.”

Right to Water produced by Sohel Rana from Bangladesh. “My film represents a system of water scarcity that knocks me hard,” says Sohel. “I feel happy to become a part of raising awareness around World Water Day.”

After drumming up more than 27,100 views in just three weeks, Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka from Nepal won our People’s Choice Award for his entry PAANI (Water). “What inspired me to enter the competition, was my own dream,” he says. “The best way to put it down was to make a film about it.”

Watch all the winning entries and other shortlisted films on WaterAid’s global website >