Discover the awards winner of the 16th edition
GRAND PRIX
MY FATHER’S SHADOW by Akinola Davies
“One film resonated deeply with the jury for its profound humanity and the sensitivity with which it portrays its characters. It navigates a delicate and compelling balance between the personal and the political, allowing this intimate story to unfold within a broader social landscape. We were also struck by the poetic aesthetics of its images and a camera that invites us to experience the world through the characters’ own impressions of life. Although the film centres on a father and his sons, its gaze moves beyond the familiar clichés of patriarchy and instead reveals something deeply human, making space for vulnerability, tenderness, and quiet understanding. For these reasons, it is our great pleasure to award the Grand Prize to “My Father’s Shadow” by Akinola Davies Jr.”
Last screening of the Grand Prix, sunday march 15, 8:30 pm at Cinémathèque @Théâtre des Capucins
PRIX DU DOCUMENTAIRE – BY BGL BNP PARIBAS
MEMORY de Vladlena Sandu
The Jury thanks the Festival for « an excellent and diverse selection of ambitious films that explored the potent way with which documentary filmmaking can give a voice to the most vulnerable elements of society, when political, economic and legal systems everywhere are failing them ». Among those films, the jury wants to award the film Memory and stated that « One of these deeply empathetic filmmakers, dived into the question of generational trauma caused by war and its impact on children in particular. There is courage in the filmmaker’s travel back through memory and there is great intelligence in the way she translates the chaos of this fractured past from her own experience of Russia’s invasion of Chechnya. She builds a powerfully universal manifesto against seemingly unstoppable cycles of violence. Cinema can resonate loudly and it can perhaps also help heal. This work of art profoundly touched us. We are delighted to present the Documentary Award by BGL BNP Paribas to the film Memory by Vladlena Sandu ».
Last screening of the Documentary Awards, sunday march 15, 6:15 pm at Cinémathèque @Théâtre des Capucins
PRIX INTERNATIONAL DE LA CRITIQUE (FIPRESCI)
BLUE HERON de Sophy Romvari
“We, the FIPRESCI jury, award the FIPRESCI prize to Blue Heron by Sophy Romvari, a film that deals with mental health issues through an astonishing cinematography that deconstructs chronology in a very subtle, painful, and emotional way. We particularly liked the way it shows how an undiagnosed teenage pathology affects a family as a whole – and how cinema allows to handle grief.”
PRIX 2030 AWARD BY LUXEMBOURG AID & DEVELOPMENT
AMILCAR de Miguel Eek
The Jury stated: “The film we chose took us on a journey through time while remaining entirely relevant today: the quest for integrity and the thirst for freedom. We discovered a figure who deserves to be known for the righteousness of his struggle and the endurance with which he carried it out. Our mission was to select the film that best highlights the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and more specifically the fight against poverty, access to drinking water, the elimination of hunger, gender equality, as well as access to health and education. This film showcases a person who sacrificed his life to achieve these goals, and the resilience of an entire people in the face of oppression. Last but not least, this film succeeds in bringing beauty to images of cruelty. For all these reasons, this year’s winner of the Award 2030 is AMILCAR by Miguel Eek, in tribute to the hero of the independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, Amílcar Cabral.”
PRIX DU PUBLIC – BY RTL
TUNER de Daniel Roher
PRIX DU JURY JEUNE – BY KINEPOLIS
FEELS LIKE HOME de Gábor Holtai
The seven students of the 3e A Media class from Lycée Robert-Schuman have awarded the YOUTH JURY AWARD – BY KINEPOLIS to Feels Like Home by Gábor Holtai. They declared : “We had the chance to watch seven amazing movies, each treating and teaching us on various topics. Therefore the choice having been really hard to make. Before announcing our winner, we would like to congratulate Blue Heron by Sophy Romvari, a very personal story about family matters and processing childhood trauma, which fought alongside for first place. The movie that stood out most to all of us, with its shocking plot, violence and psychological manipulation, left us speechless. Topics such as money, power and corruption made us reflect on the current state of the world. Our winning movie therefore is Feels Like Home. Congratulations Gábor Holtai and his production team for winning the Youth Jury Award 2026.”
PRIX DU JURY SCOLAIRE
TETES BRULEES de Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama
The 7th G5 class from Lycée Fieldgen has awarded the SCHOOL JURY AWARD to Têtes Brûlées by Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama. “We decided to award the School Jury Prize to the film Têtes brûlées by the young director Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama. We loved the film’s universal appeal and its exploration of the theme of grief. Although grief is experienced differently by individuals, communities and cultures, it is something we all share at one time or another, and it is fundamentally similar. The film beautifully captures this theme and is full of hope, which we found very touching. We also felt that the music played a significant role in helping us to understand the story and the characters’ emotions.”
PRIX DU JURY ENFANTS
OLIVIA de Irene Iborra Rizo
The class of 8 to 12-year-old children from cycle 4.1 of the Kirchberg Primary School awarded the KIDS JURY AWARD to Olivia by Irene Iborra Rizo and stated:
“We chose a film that showed us that life isn’t always easy, but when you are surrounded by loved ones, these moments are made lighter and more pleasant. We are very happy to award the prize to the film OLIVIA by Irene Iborra Rizo. The fluid stop-motion technique brought beautiful characters to life, playing on our empathy and allowing us to immerse ourselves in the story. The way Olivia’s anxiety was visually expressed allowed us to better understand her feelings about the situation. The film presents a beautiful balance between touches of humor and sadness, as much through the moments of mutual support from brave young people towards their mother as through the story invented by Olivia to protect her little brother. The happy ending with the youths rapping made us want to join in the scene and gives the film a joyful and memorable final note.”
IMMERSIVE PAVILION – PRIX DE LA MEILLEURE EXPERIENCE IMMERSIVE
THE CLOUDS ARE TWO THOUSAND METERS UP de Singing Chen
The Jury declared: « All the works were incredible. We were so excited to see them all. And we want to really commend everyone who is part of this competition. It was not an easy decision, but we did come to one. And this director really uses technology and storytelling in a way that is moving the genre forward. Their use of how to tell a story is incredibly compelling and moved us both emotionally, and physically through their space. The artist has been able to make us not just participants, but actually actors in the experience and has a very strong use of poetry. We are very excited and congratulate this artist».
