Official Juries

International Feature Film Competition

The City of Lisbon Feature Film Grand Prize (15,000 euros) was awarded to Barrio Triste, directed by Stillz. The jury, composed of Karel Och, Rachel Daisy Ellis, and Sarah Bichão, highlighted the film’s well-constructed narrative, noting that “this film does not shy away from provoking strong emotions and triggering anger, yet there are moments of light and hope that connect us deeply to the lives of these protagonists and, ultimately, to the pillars of humanity.”

The special mention went to Bouchra, by Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani.

“Given the diversity of artistic languages present in this competition, we also decided to give an honorable mention to a film that impressed us with its freshness, in an original and evocative portrayal of the relationship between a daughter and her mother,” the jury stated.

International Short Film Competition

The EMEL Short Film Grand Prize (4,000 euros) was awarded to How to Catch a Butterfly, by Kiriko Mechanicus. For the jury (Gonzalo E. Veloso, Raquel André, and Patrick Gamble), “this film constructs a restless and formally daring essay on what fetishization actually produces; not a fantasy, but a target. What sets the film apart is the unsentimental precision with which it conducts two investigations simultaneously.”

Marthe Peters’ Henry is a Girl Who Likes to Sleep and Dean Wei’s The Apple Doesn’t Fall… won the Special Jury Prize, which awards 500 euros to each film.

National Competition Awards

The TVCine Award for Best Feature Film in the National Competition (5,000 euros) went to Cochena, directed by Diogo Allen. For the jury—Aya Koretzky, Feyrouz Serhal, and Jaume Claret Muxart—the film is “a sincere portrait that beautifully captures the essence of a community’s unique spirit; this film offers an elegant and discreet, yet vivid, perception of life. It is a heartfelt celebration that highlights the warmth of family and social bonds in a deeply humanistic and cinematic way.”

The Best Director Award for Feature Film (1,000 euros) went to João Nicolau for A providência e a guitarra. The jury described it as an “essential exploration of the artist’s condition, with intelligent humor and a bold and distinctive narrative structure.”

The Best Short Film Award in the National Competition (2,000 euros) was won by A Solidão dos Lagartos, by Inês Nunes. According to the jury, “a poetic film in which the protagonist’s space encompasses the human body, gestures, and emotions, in a contrasting experience between rootedness and alienation.”

Meanwhile, Alexandre Alagôa’s short film “XYZ” received a special mention from the jury, who described the film as “an overwhelming and immersive experience that recreates the geometry and light of the spaces we inhabit every day with surprising intensity”.

The McFly New Talent Award (sound post-production services) was awarded to Coroa de espinhos, by Francisco Moura Relvas. The jury noted “a dystopian cinematic approach that captures the characters’ resistance and struggle for their home in a way that only cinema can achieve.”

Brand New

The Brand New Award, which includes a prize of 1,000 euros, promotion and distribution by Portugal Film, and a ULHT training grant, was awarded to Abril de Helena by Maria Moreira and Victor Hugooli. The jury, composed of Luís Campos, Rita Correia, and Tobias Obermeier, noted that the film “displays sensitivity and maturity while telling a story about something that should be taken for granted, but isn’t. A story about a mother’s love for her daughter.”

Silvestre

The Silvestre Award for Best Feature Film (1,500 euros)
The jury—Eva Sangiorgi, Helvécio Marins, and Joana G. Sá—decided to award the prize to My Wife Cries, by Angela Schanelec, describing it as a film “that, at first glance, seems reserved, deliberately detached, but which gradually reveals depth and emotional complexity. It is an uncompromising film that deeply explores human feelings and relationships, offering moments of unexpected beauty through light and atmospheres in constant and subtle transformation and movement—just as happens in the human soul.”

The Silvestre Escola das Artes Award for Best Short Film (1,000 euros) went to Jodie Mack’s Lover, Lovers, Loving, Love: “a work that dazzlingly celebrates diversity in one of its most vibrant manifestations.”

IndieMusic

The IndieMusic Award (1,000 euros) went to PARA VIVIR El implacable tiempo de Pablo Milanés, directed by Fabien Pisani. Marcos Farrajota, Vera Marmelo, and Violeta Azevedo, members of the competition jury, noted that Pisani’s feature film “garnered the broadest consensus and tells the story of a man who was a symbol of freedom and humanity. The film made the right decisions with sensitivity for a story of great joy and, also, great sadness.”

The jury also awarded a special mention to Ana Rieper’s film “Funk U All”, “for its power, authenticity and cultural significance”.

Unofficial Juries

The Amnesty International Award (1,500 euros) was awarded to Mulheres de Abril by Raquel Freire. The jury consisted of Ana Beatriz Basílio, Cristóvão Campos, and Margarida Davim.

The Árvore da Vida Award for a film in the National Competition (500 euros). The jury, composed of Isabel Maria Alçada Cardoso, Júlio Martin da Fonseca, and Maria Pacheco de Amorim, selected P’ra Que Vivam by Carlos Lima.

The MUTIM Award (250 euros) honors the short film from the Brand New section that best contributes to a non-stereotypical cinematic imagination in Portuguese cinema. The jury, composed of Lídia Mello, Joana Gusmão, and Justine Lemahieu, awarded the prize to Abril de Helena, by Maria Moreira and Victor Hugooli.

The Schools Award for Best Short Film went to Éramos Só Putos, by João Nunes Monteiro. The Schools Jury was composed of Bárbara Guimarães, Bárbara Pessoa, and Madalena Silva.

The Universities Award for Best Portuguese Feature Film went to Cochena, by Diogo Allen. The jury for this award was composed of Catarina Mogas, Guilherme Junqueira, and Tiago Pascácio.