Michael Lynch, Adrian Mujkanovic and Adeola Yemitan have been named as the winners of the competition, which aimed to shine a spotlight on arts students and creators.
Normal People star Paul Mescal launched the competition with his ‘Lockdown’ contemporary dance video.
The winners have had their entries shot in 8k video and now star in new digital adverts from Samsung. They will also receive a £5,000 cash prize, a Samsung device, a QLED 8K TV and a virtual meet-and-greet with Paul Mescal.
Michael Lynch, 25, Southend-on-Sea: ‘Mime’
Lynch is a performer, theatre maker and independent filmmaker who graduated from East 15 Acting School in 2019. He is now the artistic director of his own theatre company, Project Lockout.
Of his entry, he said: ‘When I heard the word mime in the initial call-out, I knew I wanted to create within that art form. I spent two days in my room writing, making noises into a microphone and dancing in the mirror. It was very therapeutic and became a means to combat the self-doubt.’
‘I constructed the piece around anything that gave me joy - from seagulls and hammy radio voices to imaginary dogs, I wanted to generate a sense of levity - to create something daft and choreograph it with care.’
Watch 'Mime' here.
Adrian Mujkanovic, 23, Dublin: ‘Restricted’
Mujkanovic, originally from Zagreb in Croatia, is a First Year student at The Lir Academy in Dublin.
He said: ‘I came from Croatia to Dublin with a desire to study and explore but with the restrictions in place now, I feel as though I have been put in the exact opposite situation. As a result, I needed to get out and explore with my entry.
‘Life doesn’t always happen in front of a computer screen; it happens beyond the walls of our rooms and this initiative reminded me of that.’
Watch 'Restricted' here.
Adeola Yemitan, London: ‘Mystery’
Yemitan is currently training at the National Youth Theatre in London. Having previously trained in fine art and architecture, she found her way into acting through her faith and an aspiration explore the truth
She said: ‘I had been thinking a lot about the beauty in the things that we perceive to be mundane, and how, when everything was open, we didn’t feel the need to stop and take notice as we could rely on everything bright and busy to keep us entertained.’
‘But the state of the world as it is requires us to slow down and be present, to discover new joy in what we once thought to be inconsequential, if we hope to not just survive this pandemic, but in our own unique ways, thrive.’
Watch 'Mystery' here.
All three films were shot with Samsung Galaxy S20, in ultra-high 8K definition, to create striking online adverts which will be shared across the nation, widely showcasing the incredible talent of the creators.
Tom Morey, director of corporate marketing at Samsung UK said: ‘We’re delighted with our three winners who presented a fantastic variety of skills and talent across mime, dance and spoken word.
‘Following the events of 2020 and impact on the arts industry, Samsung wanted to provide a platform for emerging performers across the UK and Ireland and are pleased that the initiative inspired so many artists to showcase their amazing talents.’
Find out more about the winners here.