Can you shape the future by imagining and shaping it in to a story? It seems like a far fetched idea on the face of it but when you stop and think for a moment, how many things did Gene Rodenberry dream up for Star Trek that are reality now? Our communications technology has caught up in the years since, smart phones are not all that far off from being a tricorder, and what is 3D printing if not a preliminary version of the replicator? Star Trek dreamt a version of the future, they made it entertaining, and the generation that dreamed along with the Star Trek storytellers then went out and made it happen. And that's exactly what the forces behind Red Bull Future/io are hoping to accomplish.

Red Bull has announced the finalists of Red Bull Futur/io, a competition inviting creative minds and storytellers from around the globe to imagine and shape desirable futures. Of the 955 entries, 21 winners were selected to attend the Red Bull Futur/io Academy, this March in Lisbon, Portugal.

Click here to view videos from all finalists. 

Much of the technology that runs the world we live in today began as remarkable, disruptive, and often far-fetched ideas from long ago—in the literary works of Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov, and sci-fi classics ranging from Minority Report to The Jetsons. The future visited in Back to the Future is now four years old, and this year, 2019, marks the setting of the 1982 classic, Blade Runner. Sci-fi envisioned technologies like smart watches, hoverboards, and video conferencing have already been realized today, while others, like time traveling cyborg assassins thankfully have not. But what will our real future look like? Will it be as dystopian as those envisioned in the Terminator and Matrix movies, or something brighter and more hopeful? That’s what Red Bull Futur/io set to find out.

Students, scholars, dreamers, and visionaries from around the world were invited to share their visions of the future, submitted in the form of 60 second videos, to be judged in the categories of Desireable Future, Creative Storytelling, and Insipiring Visions. The winning 20 entries were chosen by a panel of judges, all esteemed authorities within their areas of expertise including futurism, filmmaking, storytelling, and design. Nick Sun from Ukraine’s video ‘We Create Future’ was also selected as the ‘People’s Choice Wildcard’ chosen via a public vote on the Red Bull Futur/io website.

Successful submissions depict everything from a world where space travel is a reality, shared transportation is the norm, lifelong education replaces our current educational systems and of a life without borders or states; where everyone is a citizen on humanity.

Jarod Neece, Senior Film Programmer SXSW, and a member of the Red Bull Futur/io jury, commented on the submissions received.   

“It was really fun to see everyone’s take on the future and see what modern day problems they are interested in fixing and where they see us in a decade.  I loved the mix of live action and all the different styles of animation from experienced filmmakers, students and storytellers.“

Winners will unite at Red Bull Futur/io Academy, a 3-day summit of academics, futurists and disruptive minds in Lisbon, Portugal (March 21-24, 2019). The event will include workshops and discussions on future scenarios, storytelling, and exponential technologies. Participants will have the chance to develop and fine-tune their concepts with key thought leaders within this community and attend workshops on topics like the perfect pitch, technology in films, and idea visualization.

On the final day of the academy participants will have the opportunity to pitch their final concepts to the jury for a chance to turn their vision into a professional Red Bull Media House production.

For more information please visit Red Bull Futur/io.

For the full list of jury members, click here.

Full list of Red Bull Futur/io finalists:

Check out all the finalist pitches for a taste of the future!