Young SA Creatives Win Silver at Cannes Lions for Film

Two young creatives from TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg, Paula Andropoulos and Kgomotso Makoto, have earned international recognition by winning a Silver Lion in the Film category of the Young Lions Competition, held during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Representing South Africa, the duo competed against more than 35 teams from around the world with a powerful, emotionally charged concept created in just 48 hours for Ovarian Cancer Action, a UK-based ovarian cancer research charity. Their film was developed to raise awareness ahead of the next World Ovarian Cancer Day on May 8, 2026.

The brief challenged teams to create an uplifting yet impactful 60-second film highlighting the medical neglect and underfunding of ovarian cancer compared to other conditions. Their concept directly confronted the marginalisation of women’s health, contrasting the disparity between research funding for ovarian cancer and male-centric conditions like erectile dysfunction.

"We found the brief emotionally overwhelming at first," says Andropoulos, a Copywriter at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris. "The more we learned, the more frustrated we felt. Ovarian cancer has one of the poorest prognoses in gynaecological oncology, yet it's still wildly underfunded. Our idea was fueled by that anger."

"We decided not to make it pretty or overly polished," adds Makoto, an Art Director. "We leaned into simplicity and honesty — and made something that felt urgent and human."

The Young Lions Competitions are part of the annual Cannes Lions School and are sponsored by Adobe. They challenge rising creative talent to develop work in response to real-world briefs — using only Adobe tools, and without stock footage or AI support.

Both Makoto and Andropoulos, creative partners at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, are career switchers with backgrounds in design and editorial respectively. They described the 48-hour sprint as intense and exhilarating.

Makoto recalls, "Our brief was issued at 18:30 on the first night. We barely slept. There was no time for doubt."

"We weren't the most experienced filmmakers in the room," says Andropoulos. "But we had a strong idea, and we believed in it. We weren't trying to win, we just wanted to make something we could be proud of."

Their work was shortlisted alongside entries from countries like Australia, Canada, and the UK. Guatemala took Gold, while Portugal earned Bronze.

Back home, the win was celebrated not just as a personal victory but as a proud moment for South Africa's creative industry.

"We are enormously proud of Paula and Kgomotso," says Karabo Denalane, Chief Executive Officer at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris. "Their work is a reflection of the originality, edge and emotional intelligence that South African creatives bring to the world stage."

The team also credited the agency’s leadership and support system for their success.

"Our ECDs, our mentors, even the emotional support from colleagues in Cannes like Carl Willoughby [Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, who judged at this year's festival], it all mattered," says Makoto. "It reminded us that creativity doesn't happen in isolation. It's the product of care, trust and being surrounded by people who back you."

"This team has shown so much commitment through this process," says Willoughby. "They went through the whole emotional journey, anxiety, doubt then finally elation. Seeing their success means so much to us all at the agency. Everyone was rooting for them, and they did it. We could not be more proud of these two Young Lions."

For Andropoulos and Makoto, the Silver Lion is more than an award — it’s proof of the power of showing up and speaking boldly.

"As South Africans, we're scrappy, resourceful and emotionally in-tune," concludes Andropoulos. "We're proud to have represented our country — not just because we won, but because we showed up as ourselves."