The inaugural competition Financial Times - Oppenheimer Funds Emerging Voices Awards aims to recognise extraordinary artistic talent in three categories – fiction literature, film-making and art across more than 100 emerging market nations.

There is a remarkable structural shift in the world, propelled by economic progress in the developing markets and the advanced reach of the Internet. More connectivity and greater variety of voices in the business, science and arts communities are leading to a new renaissance. This Award wants to provide a platform to recognise the people contributing to these markets.

The Emerging Voices Award will be open to passport holders of emerging nations in three categories:

• 1. Africa and the Middle East: Works of fiction published in English.


• 2. Asia-Pacific: Films in any language with English subtitles.


• 3. Latin America and the Caribbean: including, but not limited to, paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, photographs, prints and mixed media.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the award for the best short film will be presented to the director of a film completed or released in one of the eligible countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The film must be directed by a national or passport holder of one of the eligible countries (‘Entrant’) and must have been completed or made available for distribution for the first time between 1 January, 2014 and 31 March, 2015. The film can be in any language, but if it is not in English, it must have English subtitles. The film must be up to 40 minutes long, including opening and closing credits. Submissions from nominators on an Entrant’s behalf are welcome.

The winning director will receive an award of $40,000 (the “Prize”). A longlist will be announced on 5 June, 2015. This will be followed by the announcement of three finalists on 7 August, who will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in New York on 5 October, 2015 at which the winner will be announced (the “Awards Ceremony”).

Deadline for submissions is 30 April 2015.

THE FILM AWARD: Asia-Pacific: Films in any language with English subtitles.

Passport holders* from the following countries are eligible to enter the art award. American Samoa, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Korea DPR, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga,Turkey, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam. This list of emerging-market countries was defined by the World Bank Atlas Method (i.e. those with a GNI per capita of less than $12,746)   * Applicants will be required to provide proof of nationality or a copy of their passport.

For more details including the eligibility criteria of the Award visit:

www.ft-live.com/emerging-voices/