BEST SHORT

WHO CORRUPTS THEREIN

Director: Mostafa Younis

Country: Egypt

In order to appreciate the significance of rebuilding, one must first confront the pervasive nature of corruption. After a young woman finds herself in a parallel dimension, she encounters a mysterious spirit who seeks to offer a sacrifice to the earth. This act of atonement aims to cleanse humanity from the damage inflicted by those who perpetuate corruption and destruction.

2nd PLACE

& Best Female Filmmaker

HELLO, MUSCLES

Director: Marnie Baxter

Country: United Kingdom

A young girl develops muscles but finds a different kind of strength.

3rd PLACE

FREE TOWN

Director: Pietro Malegori

Country: Italy

Hya, an undocumented immigrant in Italy, finds herself confined to a safe house operated by a ruthless network of human smugglers. Her only chance of escape is to repay the debt incurred for her passage. Amid the safe-houses sparse surroundings and monotonous routines, Hya unexpectedly uncovers a sense of security. Exhausted by her precarious situation and her husband Bikila’s repeated violence, Hya bonds with one of the smugglers assigned to watch over them. Soon, this volatile triangle erupts into a desperate struggle for freedom, where each individual’s ultimate goal is to break free from their oppressive circumstances.

Best Screenplay

THE BANISHMENT

Director: Yilmaz Özdil

Country: Turkey

Ziko, a sleepwalker, is exiled from his village for committing a ‘serious sin’ while asleep. The neighboring villages are notified of this decision, ensuring that no one offers Ziko shelter or food. Facing a cold winter day, half-naked and starving, Ziko embarks on a journey through multiple villages to reach the city, unaware of what lies ahead. Simultaneously, a deaf and mute hunter, oblivious to Ziko’s predicament, must traverse the same villages, setting the stage for an unexpected encounter and a gripping tale of fate and resilience.

Young Filmmaker

PUR SANG

Director: Hugo Poisson

Country: France

In the near future, society is managed by strict sanitary rules. Compulsory vaccination allows the control of an increasingly submissive population. Clara, 26, a former resistance figure and notorious criminal, is actively sought and hunted by the police. When she decides to break into the home of Amir, 55, a security guard at a state laboratory, it is to save Lea, her daughter of a few months.

Audience Favorite

7 MINUTES AND 31 SECONDS

Director: Solmaz Gholami

Country: Iran

This film tells the harrowing story of an 18-year-old girl who is sentenced to death in the Islamic Republic of Iran after being raped. Under the country’s criminal law, she faces this dire punishment because she is unable to prove that she fought back during the assault. The film delves into her struggle for justice and the fight against an unforgiving system that threatens her very existence.