Judge’s feedback on the Ajāmila movie
Today, I received the judge’s feedback for my very first film, Ajāmila - A Tale of Fall and Redemption. Reading it genuinely made my day:
"This was an informative and engaging retelling of Ajāmila’s story, and you did a great job making it accessible even for people who might not know the background. The audio was really well chosen — it added atmosphere and helped carry the emotion of the story. I also appreciated how you balanced different elements to create a cohesive film that felt complete and thoughtful. If I had one suggestion, it would be to pick up the pacing in a few spots, just to keep the energy flowing across the full ten minutes. That said, the overall storytelling was strong, and the way you captured Ajāmila’s journey from downfall to redemption was very effective. A really well-put-together piece — congratulations."
- The AI Video Academy Awards, Australia 2025
To add to the above, Jamie van Leeuwen, the founder of the award and owner of the leading AI creative agency Absolutely AI, shared the following in his email to me:
"Keep creating, you have wonderful talent."
I’m genuinely thrilled by these encouraging words - especially since this was my very first attempt at AI filmmaking. The comment about pacing is absolutely fair. I think the judges were referring to the middle section of the movie, where the dialogues get deeper into spiritual philosophy. That portion does slow down a little, but it’s also where the essence of Ajāmila’s transformation lies.
When it comes to dialogue, I’ve been approaching it in two ways:
(1) Keeping translations as they are - using direct verses or scriptural language where possible.
(2) Condensing where necessary — when a passage runs into large paragraphs, I rewrite it into a shorter, more accessible version, while carefully retaining the mood, essence, and principles of the original.
It’s always a delicate balance between honouring the source and making it flow for a modern audience.
Another highlight for me was the judge’s note on the soundtrack. Believe it or not, selecting background music is one of my favourite parts of the creative process. The right music can suddenly bring a scene to life—elevating the mood, carrying emotion, and weaving everything together into a complete experience. For me, it’s where the project truly transforms from moving images into a story that speaks to the heart.
One line from the feedback stood out to me above all:
“You did a great job making it accessible even for people who might not know the background.”
That’s success for me! That’s exactly why I started creating these movies. I want people who have never read or heard of these incredible stories - preserved for millennia in the ancient yoga & vedic texts - to experience them in a way that feels engaging, relatable, and awe-inspiring. We’re talking about narratives that span universes, galaxies, and cosmic time cycles - events that took place millions of years ago, carried forward through an unbroken chain of oral and written tradition. To share even a glimpse of that heritage with a fresh audience is deeply rewarding.
To the judges at The AI Video Academy Awards: Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. Your encouragement has energised me, and your suggestion gives me a clear direction for improvement in future projects. Most of all, thank you for seeing the heart behind this film.
You truly made my day. 🙏