FEATURE
BEST FEATURE FICTION
Orpheus Award Winner: ANIMAL
by Sofia Exarchou
This powerful and immersive exploration of yearning is told with a visceral immediacy that leaves the viewer reeling. It is a story of characters desperate to escape the darkness, desperate to live a life that is as mentioned in the film itself, “beautiful, beautiful!” even as the odds are brutally stacked against them.
BEST FEATURE FICTION
Audience Award: JAUNT
by Alexi Papalexopoulos
BEST DIRECTOR
Orpheus Award Winner: Adonis Florides
for Africa Star
This is a beautifully crafted and powerful tale of intergenerational trauma, where the aftershocks of war keep ripping the ground out from under its protagonist’s feet. Exquisitely shot, with beautifully framed chiaroscuro images, this film is a self-assured example of directorial ambition and excellence.
BEST DIRECTOR
Special Jury Award: Eva Nathena
for Fonissa
This devastating film shines an important light on the women and girls who suffer in a patriarchal society. It tells a historically relevant story that also feels unfortunately timeless with strong, believable performances and a naturalistic visual style.
BEST PERFORMANCE
Orpheus Award Winner: Dimitra Vlagopoulou
for her role in Animal
In this stunning portrayal of a woman desperate to escape the clutch of existential emptiness, we find a character who refuses to let the summer nights end, releasing herself again and again to the ecstatic moment of song, dance, booze, and fleeting intimacies. But there is no slipping the beckoning of self- awareness, and this actress answers the call with impeccable and searing honesty — and in so doing, makes a fearless and empty-handed leap into the void.
BEST PERFORMANCE
Special Jury Award: Karyofyllia Karabeti
for her role in Fonissa (Murderess)
With her weary eyes and solemn demeanor, this seasoned actor created a character that stays with you long after the credits roll. This performer carried the whole film on their back, fully embodying the story’s emotional landscape. Equal parts compelling and devastating, Karyofyllia Karabeti’s lead performance in Fonissa (Murderess) is more than worthy of the jury’s recognition.
DOCUMENTARY
ORPHEUS AWARD WINNER
Kristos, the Last Child
by Giulia Amati
The award for Best Documentary goes to a film that delicately captures the dilemmas of its protagonist. It is an empathic and insightful observation of a tight community and its vanishing way of life.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Laughing in Afghanistan
by Anneta Papathanassiou
Both a poignant video diary and a plea for artistic freedom, this documentary pokes fun at a country’s politics and at the same time, reaffirms essential human values.
Audience Award
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field
by Michael Selditch
SHORT FILM
Orpheus Award Winner
Wings
by Fivos Imellos
This film was able to track every move of its protagonist, enhancing her feelings of despair and anxiety. As an audience member, you feel like you#re right there with her, experiencing and processing the horrific news she receives in real-time. In the wake of femicides in Greece, this short felt, unfortunately, very real.
Special Jury Award
Buffer Zone
by Savvas Stavrou
A beautiful short film about the power of music and how it can help unify us. The use of magic realism was a visually interesting way to depict two individuals residing on opposite sides of a wall who find connection through a shared song.
Audience Award
One Man Note
by George C. Siougas
ANIMATION
Orpheus Award Winner
Ready
Director: Eirini Vianelli
With a beautiful balance of style and absurdism, we were blown away by this film’s commentary on unchecked power. A beautifully crafted stop-motion short that will make you laugh and fill you with the horror that is the modern landscape of politics.
Special Jury Award
Claw Machine
by Georges Salameh
This animation short transported us to a land filled with the despairing cries of a suffering soul. The film successfully captured our attention with its riveting sound and intentional color design. It reminded us that when the bomb drops, even the strongest person in the world can turn into a beast, begging for life.