Festival internazionale Segni della Notte / Urbino-Italy

STUDENT JURY

MAIN AWARD

The Canon

El canon

Martín Seeger

Chile / 2024 / 0:19:00

Jean, a Haitian migrant in Chile, is admired everywhere he goes. His body represents all the classical values of the academy. However, in the anonymity of his existence, he is also a canon of marginality.

ITLIAN PREMIERE

JURY DECLARATION

For its themes and the way it carries the narrative forward. Simple yet powerful. It explores a variety of important topics while using minimal dialogue. Technically accomplished, with a strong command of visual storytelling and thematic layering.

SPECIAL MENTION

The Boy with White Skin

L'enfant à la peau blanche

Simon Panay

France, Senegal / 2024 0:15:00

Entrusted by his father to a group of gold-miners, an albino child embodies all of their hopes.

JURY DECLARATION

For the relevant and thought-provoking themes and the compelling setting of the story. Notable for its ability to engage audiences unfamiliar with the cultural context and shed light on marginalized perspectives.

SPECIAL MENTION

Nightfaces

Nachtgesichter

Martin Winter, Stefan Langthaler

Austria / 2024 / 23:00

Mahan is a taxi driver in Vienna, but his job frustrates him. He longs for his family and a normal life. One rainy night, a homeless woman gets into his taxi. She urgently wants to see her son, whose birthday it is. Mahan tries to get rid of her and accidentally breaks her present. To make up for the damage, he takes the strange woman on one last trip through the dark city. NIGHTFACES takes place at night, when people open the door to themselves and let us look into the depths of the soul that remain hidden during the day. In rainy Vienna, the city of Sigmund Freud, a psychological drama unfolds that in all its heaviness is intended to give a spark of hope.

JURY DECLARATION

For the directness and simplicity with which it addresses complex topics. It presents a wide range of emotions with a well-balanced tone, allowing for a powerful emotional connection.

SIGNS AWARD

The Signs Award honours films, which treat an important subject in an original and convincing way

In Memoriam / Islanders

Muistokirjoitus/ Saarelaiset

Matleena Jänis

Australia, Nepal / 2024 / 017:23

The film tells the story of the grief surrounding a mother’s death, memories of loss, and the joy of summer cabin life in the Finnish lake landscape, drawn from 8 mm movies filmed by three generations.A Sudden Appearance (Vieras) / Arman Zafari / Finland / 2025 / 0:22:00 Short on money, Maija turns up at her son Mikko's party uninvited. Not having seen his mother for years, Mikko is forced to welcome the new guest.

JURY DECLARATION

An original portrayal of multiple generations through a unique visual language. Emotionally engaging thanks to its technical mastery in sound and visuals, which together build a strong, immersive atmosphere.

NIGHT AWARD

The Night Award honours films, which are able to balance ambiguity and complexity characterized by enigmatic mysteriousness
and subtleness, which keeps mind and consideration moving

Angel’s Funeral

Weikai Liao

China / 2024 /:0 15:00

While preparing for her film school portfolio, Tong accidentally witnesses a secret deal about funeral affairs. Meanwhile, she finds the inseparable connections between a missing social deviant and a suicide at her school. These coincidences let Tong make a horrible guess. Destined to grow up, she bids farewell to her childhood and steps into adulthood.

ITALIAN PREMIERE

JURY DECLARATION

For its ability to create an ambiguous and intricate atmosphere. It bravely touches on sensitive topics, delivering a narrative that is both emotionally resonant and deserving of this recognition.

DIRECTOR STATEMENTS

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