Goway wraps inaugural Micro Film Festival in Toronto and Los Angeles

Goway Travel has concluded its first-ever Micro Film Festival, an initiative launched earlier this year as part of the company’s 55th anniversary celebrations.

The festival invited travellers, travel advisors and professional creators to produce 55-second films capturing their journeys. 

According to Goway, the event drew hundreds of submissions, with $55,000 in prizes awarded.

Entries were reviewed by a judging panel that included Annie Greenberg, executive creative director at Lonely Planet; Paul Telner, head of programming at Viral Nation; and Alisia Palczewski, producer at GoPro.

The festival featured two events: an Audience Choice screening held during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, and a Grand Finale in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, where winners across three categories were announced.

Winners included:

• Travel Advisor Category: “Fueled by Wonder: 55 Seconds Around the World” by Ceera Machotka.

• Everyday Globetrotter Category: “The Land of Endless Adventure,” filmed in New Zealand by Samantha Merson.

• Professional Creator Category: “Part of Me,” filmed in Japan by Isabelle Victoria of Los Angeles.

“As we wrap up this inaugural year, we’re thrilled by the creativity and passion that shone through each submission,” said Mitchell Alexander Fawcett, vice president of marketing at Goway. 

“From travel advisors and everyday travellers to professional creators, the films reflected the true wonder of travel and the power of storytelling in just 55 seconds.”

The Micro Film Festival is expected to return in 2026.

Sponsors for the event included Turkish Airlines (platinum); Tourism Authority of Thailand and Qantas (gold); Australia’s Northern Territory and South Australia (silver); and Destination New South Wales, Queensland Australia, Cook Islands and Tourism Ireland (bronze).

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