

BEST FILM
The Owl | Hong Kong | 2021 | 24’
Director: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Writer: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Producers: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat), Venus Kwan (Kwan Pui Yee)
Cast: RONALD LAM, HOMAN HO
Synopsis: Understanding life, but resist the fate. A solitary fortune teller in the jade market, cross path with an ordinary girl who wants to escape from the fetters of life. Storyline: Cheung Chi Sun is a fortune teller at the Jade Market. Sun lives a day to day life and on his own as he believes that is his fates. He hides nothing from his customers since everything is fixed by fate. From another side of the town, an ordinary girl crossed path with Sun’s lonely life. Gigi works along with her mother at the fruits market and although life kept beating her down, she never gives up. Gigi is fascinated by fortune telling and asked Sun to teach her, trying to get out from her fate, Sun agreed but only offered Gigi some lessons. After the 3 days, Sun pushed Gigi away from his life. The story follows Gigi’s journey to unravel Sun’s secret…

BEST DIRECTOR
Cylinder | Islamic Republic of Iran | 2021 | 20’
Director: Amir Pazirofteh
Writer: Amir Pazirofteh
Producer: Amir Pazirofteh
Synopsis: A teenage boy, regardless of his interest and talent in soccer, must obey a father who is obsessed with money. Father prevents his son from going to the football competition by any means. Eventually, after a consistent struggle, the matchday arrived and the boy decided to reach the final match with the help of his friend, in any case.

BEST SCREENPLAY
I, Adonis | Netherlands | 2021 | 15’
Writer: Angelo Raaijmakers
Director: Angelo Raaijmakers
Producer: Ellen Havenith
Cast: Hein van Rooij, Dennis van Beusekom, Jolanda van den Berg
Synopsis: Nicky’s world revolves around fitness, with the goal of getting bigger and stronger. But when hidden childhood memories emerge, Nicky starts losing control and his body obsession sets off in an unhealthy direction.

BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Cold Beds | France | 2021 | 20’
Actress: Inès Melab
Director: Laëtitia Martinucci
Writer: Laëtitia Martinucci
Producer: Jonathan Hazan
Cast: Inès Melab, Gémi Diallo, Michel Mhanna Santoni
Synopsis: It’s a winter night in a ski resort in the French Alps. After getting locked out, Mona, a young seasonal worker of Italian origin, tries to fight off the cold while looking for shelter. Her nighttime journey brings her close to an unknown presence.

BEST LEADING ACTOR
Cylinder | Islamic Republic of Iran | 2021 | 20’
Actor: Babak Nouri
Director: Amir Pazirofteh
Writer: Amir Pazirofteh
Producer: Amir Pazirofteh
Synopsis: A teenage boy, regardless of his interest and talent in soccer, must obey a father who is obsessed with money. Father prevents his son from going to the football competition by any means. Eventually, after a consistent struggle, the matchday arrived and the boy decided to reach the final match with the help of his friend, in any case.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Owl | Hong Kong | 2021 | 24’
Cinematographer: Quinton Wong
Director: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Writer: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Producers: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat), Venus Kwan (Kwan Pui Yee)
Cast: RONALD LAM, HOMAN HO
Synopsis: Understanding life, but resist the fate. A solitary fortune teller in the jade market, cross path with an ordinary girl who wants to escape from the fetters of life. Storyline: Cheung Chi Sun is a fortune teller at the Jade Market. Sun lives a day to day life and on his own as he believes that is his fates. He hides nothing from his customers since everything is fixed by fate. From another side of the town, an ordinary girl crossed path with Sun’s lonely life. Gigi works along with her mother at the fruits market and although life kept beating her down, she never gives up. Gigi is fascinated by fortune telling and asked Sun to teach her, trying to get out from her fate, Sun agreed but only offered Gigi some lessons. After the 3 days, Sun pushed Gigi away from his life. The story follows Gigi’s journey to unravel Sun’s secret…

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Owl | Hong Kong | 2021 | 24’
Production Designer: Venus Kwan
Director: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Writer: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat)
Producers: Sam Wong (Wong Man Tat), Venus Kwan (Kwan Pui Yee)
Cast: RONALD LAM, HOMAN HO
Synopsis: Understanding life, but resist the fate. A solitary fortune teller in the jade market, cross path with an ordinary girl who wants to escape from the fetters of life. Storyline: Cheung Chi Sun is a fortune teller at the Jade Market. Sun lives a day to day life and on his own as he believes that is his fates. He hides nothing from his customers since everything is fixed by fate. From another side of the town, an ordinary girl crossed path with Sun’s lonely life. Gigi works along with her mother at the fruits market and although life kept beating her down, she never gives up. Gigi is fascinated by fortune telling and asked Sun to teach her, trying to get out from her fate, Sun agreed but only offered Gigi some lessons. After the 3 days, Sun pushed Gigi away from his life. The story follows Gigi’s journey to unravel Sun’s secret…

BEST EDITING
The Misadventures of Kidsuper | United States | 2022 | 17’
Editor: Jordan Rosenbloom
Director: Sebastian Ssdaigui
Writer: Colm Dillane
Producer: David Wept, Farah Idress
Cast: Joey Bada$$, Colm Dillane, Kenneth Cash, Alex Goldberg, Rabiullah Sikander
Synopsis: Based on a true story, the early days of the KidSuper empire. A fashion designer and his entourage set out to make a mark on the streets of NYC. What begins as a high-wire heist evolves into a plan to throw the biggest party in the city — but can they make it out on top?

BEST NARRATIVE
Au79 | Armenia | 2022 | 07’
Director: Rafael Hovhannisyan
Writer: Rafael Hovhannisyan
Producer: Narek Nazaryan
Cast: Gevorg Dodozyan, Mane Minasyan, Vahagn Gasparyan, Roffi Petrossian
Synopsis: Valery is a retiree working as a night watchman in a newly built building. He inherited gold from his grandfather of blessed memory, which neither his daughter nor his son nor even his wife saw except him. After Armine’s death, Valery had to take her gold from home, keep it in a deserted place away from Emma’s and Ashot’s eyes. On that horrible day, he had no idea what could happen to him, that the history what had happened to his grandfather : the elder Valery could repeat.

BEST DRAMA
Frida | Germany | 2021 | 21’
Director: Aleksandra Odic
Writer: Aleksandra Odic
Producer: Stanislav Danylyshyn
Cast: Vicky Krieps
Synopsis: An encounter between a young nurse and her patient Frida, who is the same age, on the border of professional distance and the desire for closeness.

BEST COMEDY
The Misadventures of Kidsuper | United States | 2022 | 17’
Director: Sebastian Ssdaigui
Writer: Colm Dillane
Producer: David Wept, Farah Idress
Cast: Joey Bada$$, Colm Dillane, Kenneth Cash, Alex Goldberg, Rabiullah Sikander
Synopsis: Based on a true story, the early days of the KidSuper empire. A fashion designer and his entourage set out to make a mark on the streets of NYC. What begins as a high-wire heist evolves into a plan to throw the biggest party in the city — but can they make it out on top?

BEST HORROR
All Night Long | Italy | 2021 | 19’
Director: Eric Scabar
Writer: Pietro Utili
Producers: Ludovico Di Martino, Sara Casani, Maria Clara Taglienti
Cast: Luigi Fedele, Monica Piseddu, Dino Porzio
Synopsis: All Night Long tells of the night in which Ferdinando and Maicol, two twenty-year-old friends, implement the plan to kill Lucrezia, Ferdinando’s mother, a woman who has never been able to fulfill the role of mother. Ferdinand, relying on Maicol’s weaknesses and precarious economic situation, convinces him to make the atrocious gesture by promising him a large sum of money.

BEST THRILLER/MYSTERY
Closure | Israel | 2021 | 18’
Director: Ziv Sheffer
Writer: Ziv Sheffer
Producer: Dror Levin
Cast: Daniel Engel
Synopsis: 8months after suffering a hit-and-run accident in which his fiancée was killed, Yuval is having a hard time overcoming the trauma and he is addicted to painkillers. When he accidentally notices the same driver who fled the scene of the incident and was never caught, he kills him and he is sure that from here his life is going to get better. To his surprise he discovers that the same driver is still alive and while trying to kill him again, he discovers that the road to revenge will not be as easy as he thought.

BEST DANCE/MUSICAL
BANKET | Réunion | 2021 | 09’
Director: Galant Ophélie
Writer: Levil Guillaume
Producer: Tien Bo Productions
Synopsis: The daily life, irredeemable. But one day Loïc and Lara return to their native island without suspecting that they can find the power of freedom.

BEST STUDENT
The Thorn In My Flesh | South Africa | 2021 | 21’
Director: Luzanne Potgieter
Writer: Luzanne Potgieter
Producers: Luzanne Potgieter, Charmaine Potgieter
Cast: Francois Smith, Tsebang Sipambo, Danny Muller, Dehano Muller
Synopsis: A conflicted Afrikaans boy makes an unlikely friendship with a young Xhosa girl. He spends his free time dancing with her to escape the expectations of his culture and family. The boy’s prejudicial Father does not approve of his son’s unique

BEST YOUNG DIRECTOR
The Thorn In My Flesh | South Africa | 2021 | 21’
Director: Luzanne Potgieter
Writer: Luzanne Potgieter
Producers: Luzanne Potgieter, Charmaine Potgieter
Cast: Francois Smith, Tsebang Sipambo, Danny Muller, Dehano Muller
Synopsis: A conflicted Afrikaans boy makes an unlikely friendship with a young Xhosa girl. He spends his free time dancing with her to escape the expectations of his culture and family. The boy’s prejudicial Father does not approve of his son’s unique

BEST CHILDREN SHORT
Mountain Spirits | 10’
Directors: Qiwei Li, Zishan Huang, Yin Fu, Yuxuan Fu

BEST ANIMATION
Garisani | Republic of Koreea | 2022 | 08’
Director: Jin Woo
Writer: Jin Woo
Synopsis: Garisani – meaning: Perception to judge things. The newborn baby god goes around the underworld and starts a journey to escape from his destiny. * This animation is based on Korean mythology.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
UTA – The Climb for Kosovo | Kosovo | 2021 | 20’
Directors: Jake Tupman, Jack Somerville
Producers: Jake Tupman, Jack Somerville
Cast: Uta Ibrahimi
Synopsis: In 2017, 34 year-old Uta Ibrahimi became the first person from Kosovo to attempt to climb Mount Everest. Her goal was to inspire a new post-war generation in Kosovo to move on from the war and help create a better future for their country. This film looks back on Uta’s inspirational life, charting her journey from young woman growing up in a conflict country, to the literal top of the world. On the surface, this is a film about mountain climbing; human versus the most unforgiving terrain on the planet, but underneath it is a film about recognition, about empowerment and about having the courage and the determination to step forward and keep going – for Uta and for Kosovo. Uta mirrors her homeland, its history, its sense of place in the world and its battle for recognition. Uta and Kosovo, in that respect, are one and the same.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
The Jenny Thing – “American Canyon” | United States | 2022 | 04’
Director: Ramesh Nicolas Iyer
Producer: Randy McDowell
Cast: Brooke Coleman, Brendan McCarthy, Ehren Becker, Matt Easton, Mike Phillips, Shyam Rao
Synopsis: In the music video for “American Canyon,” a heroine on horseback charges across an otherworldly desert. Pursued by malevolence known and unknown, she looks back… before ultimately facing her fears head-on. On a different plane of the desolate landscape, California electro-rockers The Jenny Thing perform the title track from their album, American Canyon. Even as singer Matt Easton meditates on the magnetic pull of physical violence, Pyrrhic victories, and the ecstasies of defeat, the band never forgets their pop duties, conjuring up a pounding, new-wave psychedelia that evokes the best of Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails, and even Duran Duran. If “American Canyon” sounds like the work of a group reborn… that’s because it is. After a layoff of over a decade, The Jenny Thing reunited in 2016, embracing modern technology and integrating elements of industrial, experimental, ambient, and electronic music. American Canyon has received strong critical response since its release, with Take Effect calling it “a flawless blend of New Wave, nostalgic pop and post-punk” and The Aquarian deeming it “one of the most ruminative and stylish records of the 2020s.”

BEST MINI SHORT
DREAMFALL | United States | 2021 | 03’
Director: London Huang
Writer: London Huang
Producer: London Huang
Cast: Natalie Teuton, Tommy Heubner
Synopsis: Moments away from death, a woman reminisces about past memories with her significant other while sentimentally immersed in the ocean waves. Through the interlacing of poetic prose and metaphorical visual themes, “DREAMFALL” blurs the line between fate and existentialism—between dreams and reality.

BEST NO/LOW BUDGET
Before A Painting | Switzerland | 2021 | 25’
Director: Nathan Tosoni
Writer: Nathan Tosoni
Producer: Nathan Tosoni
Cast: Adèle Viéville, Hélène Bolanz, Raphaël Tschudi, Paola Renout Lefever, Simon Labarrière, Vivien Hebert, Maël Descombes, Estelle Bridet, Anastasia Fraysse
Synopsis: What happened right before 3 painting masterworks?

BEST COMMERCIAL/AD/TVC
Thoughts Run Life | Malaysia | 2022 | 01’
Director: Sin Wei Lee
Synopsis: A girl struggles to redirect her life back onto her path of pursuing dream.