
By unanimous decision, the jury surrendered to a world so fully described by the director and a protagonist's dilemma in a community seldom represented in America. Through her heroine, the director paints an original portrait of a matriarchy who, by turns, warns, punishes, and ultimately offers an unlikely deliverance. The story and performances worked together to realize an uncompromised vision.

She contains multitudes. Hardened by an independence gained much too soon in life, this actress skillfully explores the unyielding territory patrolled by modern drugs, rudimentary survival, and an ironclad matriarchy. She is, by turns, both subtle and ferocious – and this actress made the powerful choice of always being guided by a wounded and overwhelming love.

He convinced us that his dilemma was real. Forcing us to sympathize with his desperate actions. His performance left us breathless.

In his depiction of a Vietnamese family, before and after a death, this director captures abundant glimpses of people who are revealed through behavior rather than conventional plot. His eye is uncanny in his acute observations of how people are, resulting in one shimmering moment after another. The life of the child captured on film is nothing short of enchanting. As he unfolds his story of people struggling to escape from their loneliness, he allows us to be his intimate witness.

For knife-like precision, innovation and the highest level of craftsmanship.

For poetic and dignified simplicity and subtle technical perfection.

With great innovation and skill the score elevates the story to becoming a unique, entertaining and magical film.

The jury would like to present a special mention to a director whose sure hand with his ensemble cast and total commitment to his young protagonists showed such skill that we were fully transported to an unstable time – the teenage years – peopled with rich and real characters.

The prize for Best Short Film goes to a sensitive, delicate film that pushes boundaries. It succeeds in bringing you close to the characters without a stroke of sentimentality.

With a perfect balance of genuine characters, rough music and a detailed aesthetics, the film captures the youthful feeling in style.

In a unanimous decision, the Jury has decided to award a personal narrative which adds necessary freshness to its genre; a story in which everything, from aesthetics, scenography and characters, radiates an honest love to the film medium.

The originality of the script, the delicacy of the directing, the accuracy of the dialogue, the pure beauty of the natural setting… The rough edges of family life, the frailty of the human condition in harsh Ozark country… We have been seduced by everything.

For reaching character depth and emotional engagement in a skillfully drawn and believable fantasy world. For having proved, with naturalness and visual elegance, to be able to create and sustain a unique and multi layered story.

For an impressive display of cinematical strength, where emotions whirl and the most beautiful of frames move the story forward.

For being able, at a remarkably young age, to capture the realism, strength and the many confusions of lost youth.

