Six years ago, Melbourne filmmaker Kristina Kraskov read about an international Microsoft Excel competition and had two reactions. First: “What? That can’t be real.” Second: “There should be a movie about this—I’d love to watch it.”
When she realized no documentary existed about competitive spreadsheet use, Kraskov decided to make one herself. The topic fit her style—her previous work, like the short film Party in the Back about a mullet festival, explores quirky subcultures.
Her new documentary, Spreadsheet Champions, follows six young competitors from around the world as they prepare for the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Florida. While it might sound funny, Excel is a surprisingly complex program—most people only use 10-15% of its features, but competitors need to master about 70%.
The competition, run by Certiport and endorsed by Microsoft, has two parts. The first tests speed and accuracy in solving complex problems using formulas and functions. The second is more creative, requiring contestants to interpret data meaningfully—what Kraskov calls “understanding the story behind the numbers.”
Since 2002, the championship has been open to students aged 13 to 22, with each participant qualifying as the best in their country. The stakes are oddly high for such a niche event—competitors only get one shot in their lifetime.
“There’s no returning champions or rivalries,” Kraskov explains. “Once they compete, they can never come back.”
The film features six contestants: Alkimini (20, Greece), Braydon (16, Australia), Carmina (16, Guatemala), De La Paix (19, Cameroon, who studied at school because he lacked a laptop or Wi-Fi), Mason (15, US), and Nam (21, Vietnam). Their personalities range from shy and nerdy to outgoing and energetic.
“We wanted to celebrate the competition, not mock anyone,” Kraskov says.
She and producer Anna Charalambous spent a week with each contestant in their home country, observing their daily lives and talking to their families.
“Teenagers don’t always articulate who they are—they just live,” Kraskov notes. “Their parents gave us great insight into how they might handle success or struggle.”“Who they really were.”
Many details about the competition are kept secret, which made filming a challenge. The contest is overseen by a man named—fittingly—Bing.
“It’s extremely high-security,” Kraskov explains. “Eventually, Bing trusted us enough to share retired questions. At the end of the day, his job is to create an incredibly difficult, expert-level exam for the next year. Our goal was to showcase just how complex the competition is and what these participants achieve.”
Competing in the MOS Championship can shape these kids’ futures. Carmina, the Guatemalan contestant, is now 18 and studying mechatronics engineering. In the film, she’s portrayed as a bright, energetic teenager who loves One Direction (still does) and excels at—fittingly—Excel.
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Watching the documentary brought Carmina back to the competition and her younger self—helping her realize what she gained from the experience. “I already knew the results, but watching it again, I still felt suspense,” she says. “I used to doubt myself, but competing taught me to just dive in and try things. It helped me a lot.”
Spreadsheet Champions premiered at SXSW in Texas earlier this year, and five of the six students will attend the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). Kraskov is proud to highlight these everyday people doing something extraordinary.
“Celebrities, musicians, and models get all the attention,” she says. “But people who dedicate themselves to things most don’t care about—I find that far more fascinating.”
Spreadsheet Champions screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival from 10–24 August. For dates and locations, visit the festival’s website.
