Juice visual effects’ Michał Dwojak-Hara opens up on his jury experiences at AdFest 2025
Michał Dwojak-Hara, MD at Juice visual effects studio joined the jury at the recent AdFest 2025 awards. Campaign Brief Asia caught up with him to find out more about his experience in the judging room being part of the Film Craft Lotus and New Director Lotus decision making.
1) How would you describe your experience judging at AdFest? What did you like most about being at AdFest and being on the jury?
Man, AdFest is a blast. Getting to sit in a room with creatives from all over the region, each with their own cultural background and perspective, was an experience in itself. Watching the films together and hearing different takes on them made me see things I might’ve missed on my own. That’s the cool part, sometimes, you don’t fully get the context until someone else points it out, and suddenly, boom, it clicks.
Lucky for me, the jury team was solid, and the discussions were mostly smooth sailing. Of course, there were a few debates where things got a little heated, but hey, that’s part of the fun. At the end of the day, it was all about pushing for the best work.
One of the biggest highlights? Fabulous Five. We got 25 short film scripts earlier in the year, narrowed them down to five, and then got to see those scripts turn into actual films at the festival. No big budgets, no fancy effects, just pure creativity. And honestly? The level of execution blew me away. One film, in particular, was just visually stunning. Even with a low budget, it felt polished, intentional, and just straight-up beautiful.
2) What were the 4 campaigns/films that stood out for you the most?
One that really hit was the Republic of Singapore Navy – “Is it crazy…?” spot. Having a motion design background, I probably geeked out over it more than most, but man, it was slick! Killer editing, music that just works, it had that perfect mix of energy and style. What I loved most was how human it felt. In a time when AI-generated content is everywhere, this was refreshingly handcrafted. You could tell that every frame was animated with intent, and it made a huge difference.
Then, of course, Apple. They always bring their A-game, but this year, their two spots were next-level when it came to audio. The music, the sound design, everything was dialed in perfectly. No surprise they got into the finalists spot in that categories.
And the fourth? A campaign that came out of nowhere and smacked me in the face with how bold and raw it was, you have to check for yourself.
3) What were the discussion points over the Best of Category winner?
So, this was interesting. The big question wasn’t which film should win the Grand Prix, but should we even give one? We went back and forth on this for a while, but in the end, we all agreed–there just wasn’t that one piece that completely dominated. It’s not that the work wasn’t great, far from it.
But when you give out a Grand Prix, you want something that knocks everything else out of the park. And this year, while we had some strong contenders, there wasn’t that one film that felt like it changed the game. So instead, we made sure the strongest work got the gold it deserved. No forced winners, just straight-up honesty.
4) Were there any new trends this year that came through from the judging?
Honestly? Not really. You’d think AI would be everywhere by now, but it hasn’t fully hit festivals just yet. Maybe next year. Instead, what stood out was craft. Great storytelling, beautiful cinematography, and the kind of attention to detail that AI can’t fake (yet). It’s a reminder that, at the end of the day, good old-fashioned creative skill still leads the way.