WINNERS

MONTH OF JANUARY

SONGS OF ADAM

In a remote Mesopotamian village, twelve-year-old Adam stops time within himself. Only his best friend Anki, brother Ali, and cousin Iman believe in his gift. As years pass, Adam’s unchanging appearance sparks fear, and he is imprisoned in a barn for over a decade. While he remains untouched by time, those he loves grow old. Anki, now his jailer, becomes the guardian of Adam’s eternal childhood. As death claims his loved ones, Adam fulfills Anki’s final wish, guiding his body down the Euphrates. Alone on the riverbank, Adam listens to the echoes of a childhood that never ends.

Best Director (Over 40min) - Oday Rasheed

Best Producer - Majed Rasheed

Shamwari Untamed

Join the Shamwari Private Game Reserve's renowned conservation team, led by pioneering veterinarian Dr. Johan Joubert and senior ecologist Dr. John O’Brien, as they protect and conserve one of Africa's most remarkable wildlife areas. They rehabilitate and rewild newly acquired land, which includes the capturing and relocation of zebras, elephants, buffalo, rhinos and lions. They also implement cutting-edge AI technology to combat rhino poaching. A heartwarming journey culminates as two orphaned elephants are released back into the wild. The team relocate 160 vultures to form part of Africa’s largest vulture conservation project. Witness amazing wildlife sightings along the way as this legendary conservation team fight the odds on a daily basis.

Best Film on Nature & Wildlife (Over 40min) - Directed by Janine Joubert & Andrew Barratt

Pigasus: The Lost Paradise - Battle for Evermore

Pigasus is a coming of age adventure story about a unique little pig prophesied to confront the evil Rathvar in the great battle for evermore. But, Pigasus must first find the faith to believe in the loving light of the Presence or the blackness of the darkness will forever rule over what was once Elysium.
A heart-warming story of faith, hope, love & family set in the valley, at the base of the ancient volcano Shasta, home of the Bennett family. It’s said the mighty Pegasus, magical Unicorn & beautiful Unisus, will upon the rise of the full Blue Moon return to Shasta valley, once their home.
Pigasus is about knowing your faults, facing your fears, rising above it all to realize our true power is faith, hope, love, family, forgiveness and learning to live in the loving light that is the wondrous Presence of God.

Special Jury Award - Sean Patrick O'Reilly

Lena and Vladimir

When a mysterious man with a tragic secret shelters a young runaway girl with an abusive past, their unlikely bond challenges them to overcome their haunting past and to find hope in an unexpected place.

Best Film (Over 40 min) - Directed by Igor Aleksov

Best Lead( Male) - Tony Naumovski

Best Lead( Female) - Sara Klimoska

KILL

KILL explores a homeless man’s search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless existence. Shaun spends his days riding London’s Docklands Light Railway, lost in fantasies of heroism. Is he a killer on a mission, a vigilante protecting passengers, or simply passing time? When he overhears a man berating a woman on the train, he faces a choice—intervene or remain silent. Inspired by real conversations with rough sleepers and Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, the film delves into isolation, purpose, and the thin line between reality and illusion in the mind of society’s unseen and forgotten.

Best Director(Under 40min) - Ruth Sewell

Best Cinematography - Dean Gray

Justice Devil

Justice Devil (2024) is a gripping Singaporean vigilante thriller directed by Harva Raj, who also composed the film’s music score. Starring Ris Yin Min and Michael Chua, the film tells the story of Ellen (Ris Yin Min), a former gang member who flees Singapore with her young daughter, Mikka, hoping to leave behind a life of violence. Their pursuit of a new beginning is cut short when the gang tracks them down, and George (Jullius Eddy), its youngest member, murders Mikka in a cruel act of vengeance. Heartbroken and enraged, Ellen embarks on a calculated mission to bring the gang to its knees. Using her insider knowledge and unmatched determination, she infiltrates the criminal world she left behind, risking everything to avenge her daughter and deliver justice on her own terms.

Best Emerging Filmmaker - Harva Raj (Joint)

Hello from the other side

Hello from the Other Side follows three professionals—a doctor, a nurse, and a cricketer—who rise from rural Sri Lanka, only to find themselves entangled in murder and corruption. Their upbringing shapes their relationships and choices as they navigate betrayal and moral dilemmas. The film explores life’s fragility, urging kindness and selflessness as a legacy for the soul’s journey beyond. A debut feature for both producer and director, the film was shot on location in Sri Lanka with live sound recording. Their past work includes Sihinya Obeymai, a series highlighting the dangers of human trafficking for women working abroad.

Best Emerging Filmmaker - Vinosha Kiriwandeniya (Joint)

Cutting Edge

Senior psychiatric hospital doctor conducted a home visit to a schizophrenia patient who was isolated from the world,but after coming into contact with him , the doctor found him seemed to be related to several cruel dismemberment cases that had recently occurred in this urban area . For surviving and escaping from this dangerous situation, the doctor try all his best fighting the dangerous and insane multiple personalities of this schizophrenia patient .

Best Director (Under 40min) - Wang Wang

Best Support(Male) - ZhongQi Tong

ARTHUR AVE.

In a Bronx bar, a clash between traditional Italian-American "wiseguys" and the LGBTQ+ community leads to a confrontation that challenges the characters' preconceptions and the dynamics of power.

Best Emerging Filmmaker - Joey Medina

Africa: A Kung Fu Story

Follows a team of film professionals who travel to Tanzania to mentor young Shaolin martial artists. They teach filmmaking, guiding the students in creating their short films. The story explores passion, ambition and culture.

Best Documentary Film (Over 40min) - Directed By Eric mazimpaka

Be-Living in The Ocean

Recently deceased father visits son in a dream and guides him to find the courage to take a whale of a leap that reels in surprising results.

Best Emerging Filmmaker (Documentary Under 40min) - Craig Sim Webb

The Light in the Dark

This story is about climate disaster survivor and his comforter/savior . I lived in Taiwan this small island, there were many typhoons and floods in my memory, earthquakes were also often happened in my dairy life. My works always focus on the survivors, including the comfort women and earthquakes survivors and the poor rains and flood survivors in many places because of the climate changing.

Best Animated Short Film (under 30min) - directed by YuFeng Chiu