UNDP and Hyundai for Tomorrow initiative honored with Media category at 24th SXSW Innovation Awards

UNDP, powered by its Accelerator Labs, and Hyundai Motor Company partnered to launch for Tomorrow in 2020.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Hyundai Motor Company's for Tomorrow initiative was honored with the Media category award at the 24th annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Awards ceremony yesterday. This award recognizes outstanding projects, products, and creative endeavors that advance innovation and improve communication.

UNDP, powered by its Accelerator Labs, and Hyundai Motor Company partnered to launch for Tomorrow in 2020. The initiative celebrates the transformative power of bottom-up innovation which culminated with the release of a global documentary on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last year.

for Tomorrow makes the argument that local innovators hold the knowledge to address some of the world’s toughest development challenges. It advocates for policy makers to learn from innovators of all backgrounds in order to make progress on the promises made through the Sustainable Development Goals.  Since its launch, the for Tomorrow documentary and its promotional videos have received millions of views on YouTube.

“What for Tomorrow celebrates is grassroots innovation, innovation that goes beyond Silicon Valley. We are learning to build on knowledge of the women and men who are facing the effects of climate change, who are living in poverty and who have a lot to contribute to putting the planet on a more sustainable path. We're working with like-minded partners to shift the paradigm of what traditional expertise is and we hope more will join us on this journey,” says Gina Lucarelli, UNDP Accelerator Labs Team Leader. 

The for Tomorrow documentary was produced by the global creative agency Sid Lee, director An Tran and award-winning documentarian Elliot V. Kotek. It won a total of seven awards last year at the Cannes World Film Festival, the New York International Film Awards, and the Montreal Independent Film Festival. It also won 13 awards across five countries, including the Gold Anthem Award, which is hosted by the Webby Awards, and the Jury’s Award at the Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival in Mexico last month. It was also selected for nine international film festivals, including the Swiss International Film Festival, the Bridge of Peace International Film Festival in France, and the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival.